Photo: LoL Esports
After two totally unbalanced semi-finals where the two Asian giants martyred the West, for the grand final we had the right to a real match! The announced duel between China and Korea has taken place. T1 and RNG are among the landmarks of gaming history and both teams were fighting for a 3rd MSI. Obviously, the story would have been good for Faker, who was playing a big international tournament at home for the first time. But unfortunately for him and for the public present in Busan, these devils of Chinese were more solid over time.
All RNG players have been good, but if you have to pick one Finals MVP, we still have a name that quickly comes to mind. Ingenious and above all decisive in clutch moments, he confirmed that he was the best in his position today.
A few words about this Bo5 which kept all its promises
Before designating our Finals MVP, let’s take the time to give some context, especially since the grand finale of the MSI was grandiose. You can’t have a good final without two good teams and even if T1 lost, the Koreans showed an interesting level of play. Of course, we could point out errors that cost dearly: in the Game 1 the T1 botlane failed to make a difference despite a dominant draft, in the Game 3 the invade of the beginning of the game and the missed smite of Oner weighed down his game as well as that of Faker, in the Game 5, the GOAT has been fooled on several occasions… But overall, we can still appreciate its macrogame, which is still just as impressive. In the games won, T1 also showed that their teamfight was on point, when the conditions were met.
Unfortunately for the LCK champions, the conditions haven’t always been met. Overwhelmed by the aggression and inventiveness of the Chinese, T1 players have too often been waiting. Proactive on the map, RNG players have been rewarded with their desire and initiatives. Let’s also talk about Lissandra’s pick which turned into a jackpot in today’s match. The mechanics are basic and known by all, especially by Faker who regularly comes out the champion. But the Korean got screwed at his own game and Xiaohu showed that he was also capable of making this simple but effective pick bear fruit.
For us, the MVP of the final is Wei!
There will surely be a big debate when deciding the MVP of the final. For the record, some would surely be tempted to give honor to Xiaohu, winner for the 3rd time of an MSI. He was excellent during the series to neutralize Faker and we repeat it: his Lissandra was pixel, especially in Game 5. However, our preference goes to another player. The one who really impressed us was Wei, the jungler. Always well placed during matches, he showed flexibility to play around all of his lanes depending on drafts and situations. We would like to highlight his work in the Game 3 where with his Viego, he almost won the game on his invade, putting Faker and Oner in the background in 5 minutes of play. Overall, he controlled everything, whether it was his opponent or the objectives. He was invaluable in facilitating the game for his team and for us he was the most valuable today.
He also reminded the world in the Game 5 that China has the best Lee Sin in the world. Xiaohu crushed his matchup at mid, but he couldn’t have done it without Wei’s help. The Lissandra/Lee Sin combo is not very sexy. But it worked, once, twice, three times… The young Chinese jungler also found an incredible kick in the decisive teamfight, which buried the Koreans’ hopes once and for all.