EPTBut in the way that these things go, people began to look for reasons why TSM failed and that maybe those Koreans weren't so damn unbeatable. Perhaps TSM was unprepared for the Korean strategy, or maybe they just played badly or maybe their major flaw was that they failed to adapt. Some of these may even be true. Certainly the Korean teams are talented but there is no lack of talent in the rest of the world either.
So for the second round of this Korea vs The world narrative we will preview the upcoming OGN LoL finals. CLG.eu, either the best or second best team in Europe will go up against Azubu Frost, who defeated Azubu Blaze 3-2 in the semi-finals and make claim to the best team in Korea. A win for Frost will make it clear that the top Korean teams are perhaps the top teams in the world coming into the season two finals in October. A win for CLG.eu will shatter the myth of presumed Korean dominance in LoL and cement themselves as perhaps the team to beat.
So lets take a closer look at the match up:
Potential Bans:
Azubu Frost:
So you're Azubu Frost, and you have 3 bans against a team that is renowned for its deep champion pools. Thus, I believe that Frost's strategy will come down to two big factors. One is trying to determine which champions are integral to CLG.eu's patient, measured playstyle and trying to ban those out. The second factor is not banning champions that they can play themselves. You don't want to ban Vladimir if he is going to be a champion that you might want to play in specific situations.
The three traditional bans against CLG.eu are Anivia, Irelia, and Alistar, taking away 3 of CLG.eu's signature champions and I wouldn't be surprised to see these bans come out from Frost in g1, and adjusting their bans from there. Perhaps they will even leave open Anivia, with perhaps an actual counter with Froggen's Anivia.
Expected bans: Anivia, Irelia, Alistar
Possible bans: Malphite, Karthus, Gragas
CLG.eu
CLG.eu's banning strategy rarely revolves around banning out players champions specifically. They tend to ban champions that they find annoying to play against, and they are not above banning a champion like Alistar that their teammates can also play well. Considering that CLG.eu banned Diana in all games against NaJin Sword, expect that CLG.eu may continue that ban considering her strength despite being nerfed. It's likely that Vlad may also be a ban, considering that Wickd's Vlad is not one of his better champions and Vlad's strength even in 2v1 lanes. A Jayce ban may also considered, though he is played relatively rarely in the competitive scene.
Expected bans : Vlad, Diana, Shen
Possible bans : Jayce, Nocturne, Lulu
LAN Experience/Homefield advantage
Traditionally when east meets west in an e-sports event, the Koreans tend to be the more seasoned team or player with their western competitor lacking that traditional LAN experience. This is just due to the fact that the e-sports infrastructure in Korea until quite recently has dwarfed everywhere else in the world. However this has been flipped in LoL, with Korea a latecomer to the LoL scene.
CLG.eu is a team that is a veteran of many LANs, huge crowds and big expectations, whereas Azubu Frost will compete in their first ever major final. So arguably the mental advantage is with CLG.eu. They know exactly how to handle a LAN and have been in tough against top teams such as M5 in front of huge audiences. It is unlikely that Frost will fold under the pressure of their first final, having top notch coaching and a dedicated practice partner in Azubu Blaze. But anyone that has watched e-sports for any length of time knows that strange things happen at LAN finals. M5 goes from getting crushed online to crushing LANs. Finals make Starcraft players like InCa do the same strategy four games in a row (hint, he lost 4-0).
So even if CLG.eu drops the first game or is presented with a strategy they can't figure out, they will probably not lose their cool, Azubu Frost is a wild card.
Koreans, are, if nothing else, patriotic and this manifests itself in cheering for e-sports. Sure Koreans will admit that they admire Stephano, but if he's playing Flash 99.99% of Koreans will be cheering for Flash. So the traditional thought is that the crowd will be wild for Azubu Frost and CLG.eu will be the 'enemy.' (Lets be real – this is e-sports, no one is getting booed, but there is a psychological boon knowing that the crowd is behind you). However CLG.eu is popular in Korea, and not popular in 'hey these white guys are pretty good' sense...its more of a genuine respect and admiration. Froggen in particular is admired as a star. So while the crowd will be pro-Frost, there are certain to be quite a few CLG.eu fanboys in the audience.
3 Reasons Why Azubu Frost Will Win
1. Woong is a better AD than Yellowpete. Yellowpete is no pushover but Woong is a great playmaker and as they say great player make plays in big games.
2. The Korean meta is superior. Kind of a false narrative since CLG.eu is well accustomed to the Korean style of play but although CLG has shown signs of being more aggressive, they are a late game orientated team traditionally, but they Korean playstyle may actually end the game before lategame comes around. The ability for Frost to impose their will is key to victory for Frost.
3. They have Azubu Blaze to practice against. Having a dedicated practice partner is something that both teams have access to, however Frost has Blaze, arguably second best Korean team. Yes, CLG.eu has CLG.na but they aren't of the same calibre as either Azubu team. The ability to create and mimic strats gives Azubu Frost a strategic advantage
3 Reasons Why CLG.eu Will Win
1. Froggen. Yes, it is that simple. CLG.eu has the best solomid player in the world and Frost will half to spend hours theorycrafting about ways to stop him from dominating this series. What this does is open up the rest of CLG.eu's players to make plays and get fed. How often do you see teams use 3 bans on Froggen, gank him repeatedly and slow him down, only to see Yellowpete dominate bottom lane or Wickd be crushing top? Simply put having the best player makes CLG dangerous
2. Something to Prove. CLG.eu has something to prove after being humbled in the European regionals by SK gaming, consigning them to a 3rd place effort. That kind of loss can be good for a team because it will make teams aware of their weaknesses and give the team time to patch them. They are also for the first time, now not considered the top team in Europe, however a win for CLG will re-open the debate and make them a team to be feared in the Grand Finals.
3. Synergy and Experience. Okay I'm cheating a bit by covering what I said above but I'll flesh it out some more. CLG.eu have not won a major tournament outside of Dreamhack Summer 2012 and they have to be stinging about their lacking trophy case. They have the LAN experience and they have been together as a team, for what almost seems like forever with no roster changes, and no drama. Clearly, they are truly a team in every sense of the word and they can use their experience and team synergy to succeed as a team
The pick : CLG.eu 3-2
Froggen MVP
