Team Liquid vs Cloud9 LCS Preview: Battle for the Perfect Record

League of Legends

3 Aug

Martin Arévalo-Östberg

In what's starting to look like a two horse race, the 2024 LCS Summer Season is set to have Team Liquid (TL) and Cloud9 (C9) square off this Sunday (August 4th) in a series that will inevitably see one team's undefeated streak come to an end.

Team Liquid come into tomorrow's series with a 10-2 record in games. Moreover, they are also currently 5-0 in series so far in the LCS off the back of their strong teamplay this split, continuing the team's trend following their strong showing at the Esports World Cup.

Cloud9, in turn, have only lost the very first game they played this season, which came against the revamped Dignitas. Since then, it has been nothing but smooth sailing for one of the most beloved organizations in North America as they have won their following 10 games in a row.

The team comes into this Sunday's bout with a 10-1 record in games and, like TL, have yet to lose a series in the LCS this season.

Neither team willing to lose their streak, the match is set to deliver on all fronts.

Individual match-ups to keep an eye on

Blaber vs Umti - A stylistic clash

Throughout the Summer Season, Blaber has largely favored carry junglers. A player who has always been glad to set his team's tempo, Blaber is thriving in the current jungle meta. C9 currently leads the league in first blood rate with a staggering 91%, a feat that is borne out of C9's proficient laners as much as Blaber's aggressive early playstyle. Likewise, Blaber currently holds a kill-participation rate of 78.9% (KP), higher than any other player in the league for the season.

Umti, in turn, has been exactly what TL has needed him to be thus far. TL's jungler has been the main facilitator for the team all year long. For the Summer Season, his two most played champions have been Maokai and Sejuani. Both of these champions provide the two things that TL's laners need most: front-line and crowd control. While his numbers may not be as impressive as Blaber's, it is no exaggeration to call Umti the unsung hero of Team Liquid.

It could well be that the series between TL and C9 is decided in the jungle. Blaber has all of the ability necessary to run away with the game. And yet, if Umti proves able to keep himself in the game for long enough to provide the crucial space his laners will require in team-fights, that could just prove to be the difference in the end.

Thanatos vs Impact - Age is just a number

Impact has been nothing short of a rock for TL since he rejoined the squad in November of last year. Having played a total of 9 unique champions across TL's 12 games this Summer Season, Impact's champion ocean is not something that C9 will look to challenge. Having won the 2013 World Championship with SKT T1, the seasoned veteran is someone who is always prepared to deliver. Now, more than 10 years later, Impact continues to impress, as his 588 damage per minute (dpm) stat is remarkable for a player who only receives a gold share of 20.5% within the team.

Facing the veteran in the top lane we have Thanatos, a player in his rookie season, and more than 9 years younger than Impact. Brought in from the DK Challengers team, the South Korean rookie is eager to impress. While his numbers may not tell as compelling a story as Impact's, as we can see by his 510 dpm while working with a 22.5% gold share, Thanatos is a player that is willing to take risks in order to get ahead. Whether these risks will work out in favor of C9 or TL remains to be seen.

Champion picks to look out for

Nidalee

Blaber has played Nidalee 4 times so far this season, holding a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. Not only is the champion perfectly suited for his high-tempo style of jungling, but it is the perfect pick to look to accelerate any potential lead he finds against Umti early on.

Blaber likes nothing more than taking over games early, and there is no champion better suited for the task than Nidalee.

Lucian

The AD-carry-turned-mid-laner stands as a champion on which both APA and jojopyun are proficient. Given the recent Tristana nerfs, Lucian is a fantastic AD option to pair up with Nidalee and set up an effective one-two punch in the early game to get an immediate foothold in the series.

Rumble

Across his two games of Rumble this split, Impact boasts a ludicrous stat-line. 13 KDA, 1025.7 dpm and 74.3% KP are just some of the out-of-this-world numbers the veteran top laner has been able to put up on the champion. Perfectly suited for TL's teamplay-based style of play, Rumble is a champion with which Impact can take over teamfights, provided Umti can secure him the time and space he will need in order to shine.

Ziggs

An APA classic at this point, the North American mid laner has brought back into the fold a champion many found ill-suited for today's dynamic mid lane gameplay. Paired up with heavy crowd control from Umti or CoreJJ, APA can be an absolute menace if he gets his hands on the mad bomber. The only question now is, do C9 dare leave Ziggs open?

Aurora

It is unclear whether either mid laner (or perhaps either top laner) feels comfortable enough on League of Legends' newest champion to pull it out in this series. Equally unclear is the notion that Aurora is either strong enough or well-suited enough for pro-play. All that in mind, however, do not be surprised to see APA or jojopyun on the champion this Sunday. That is, if either team is confident enough to leave her open on red side.

More than bragging rights for Team Liquid and Cloud9

There is no doubt adept trash-talkers APA and jojopyun are both eager at the opportunity of having this series as something to hold over the other mid laner for the next several weeks. Winner is sure to get bragging rights, and that is not small prize for such outspoken personalities.

Team Liquid and Cloud9 face off in the LCS with perfect records on the line. Credit: rizegeeko // Strafe Esports

And yet, they might just be playing for a lot more than that. While Team Liquid and Cloud9 look like the two strongest teams in the league, Flyquest lies behind them as the clear-cut 3rd best team in the LCS.

A loss on Sunday for either TL or C9 might mean having to face Flyquest early in the playoffs, a match-up they would surely like to avoid if possible, not to mention that the loser still has the chance to eventually fall into 3rd place before the season is over.

When and where to watch?

Team Liquid and Cloud9 are set to face each other this Sunday (August 4th) at 1 pm PT/10 pm CET.

The series will be live-streamed on Twitch and Youtube.

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Image source: Strafe Esports

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