Karmine Corp eliminate SK Gaming in LEC playoffs
In what is turning out to be a remarkable lesson in perseverance and growth, Karmine Corp have stunned Europe by eliminating LEC Summer Season first seed of SK Gaming from the playoffs.
The win has all KC fans excited, as the team's dreams of qualifying for the LEC Season Finals remains alive just a little bit longer.
He who laughs last
Karmine Corp has come a long way since their 8th and last place finished in both the Winter Season and Spring Season. Following their roster shake-up for the Summer Season, the team managed to pick up the pace and qualify for the Summer Playoffs.
Meanwhile, SK Gaming came into the playoffs having finished 1st in the Summer Season with a record of 8 win and 1 loss. The team came into the series feeling confident about their chances.
Karmine Corp, however, had other plans in mind. The French organization, whose continued improvement was already commendable, surprised everyone by defeating SK Gaming in a very back-and-forth series that could have gone either way.
SK set off to a great start in Game 1, but saw their inability to close out the game punished by rookie mid laner Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis' impressive Azir play.
SK Gaming were not going to make the same mistake twice, however. The second game of the series saw SK take the quick win with unrelenting pressure from the get-go.
Coming into the final game of the series, Karmine Corp looked ready to show off all the hard work they have put in over the course of the year.
Displaying great synergy and team-work, KC was able to take a couple convincing team fight wins after a tense early game, and did not hesitate to close out the game.
Result: SK Gaming 1-2 Karmine Corp
A glimmer of hope
In summary, Karmine Corp's amazing cinderella story continues in the LEC Summer Playoffs. Their win against SK Gaming means that KC will face Team BDS on next Friday (July 26th) for a chance to take on European powerhouse G2 in the Lower Bracket Finals on Sunday (July 28th).
Perhaps more importantly, however, a series win against BDS on Friday would mean that KC qualifies for the LEC Season Finals against all odds.
Karmine Corp's ability to turn their year around has also been an inspiring story to follow in the LEC. All that's left to do now is see if they have just one more push in them.
Image source: Michal Konkol // Riot Games
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