LCS Week 9: Echo Fox Slay Expectations and TSM Looks Deadly

We were due for a few fireworks and exciting moments as we lept towards the first Split Playoffs if the 2019 League of Legends Championship Series season. Week 9 was primed to be the most excited few days of North American League of Legends in a while. 

The final week of the LCS Spring Split didn't disappoint, as Echo Fox continued to stun the world of League of Legends, and teams like Counter-Logic Gaming and OpTic joined them in a fight for the final playoff spot. 

Sitting at the top of the standings, there was no poor enough performance that could knock league-leading Team Liquid out of the 1st seed. All the while TSM and Cloud 9 battled it out for the 2nd seed, and the right to bypass the first round in the playoffs. 

With two days of games, the final week of the split had some stories written in ink early on in the weekend, while other tales would take their time to come into focus.

Saturday

The weekend kicked-off with a crucial match for OpTic Gaming as they needed to squeeze out a win against Golden Guardians in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately, the GG squad is playing some very solid League of Legends right now, and the first storyline of the week was born. The OG crew were officially eliminated. 

Match of the Day - Our second match of the weekend was between the surefire favorites in Team Liquid and hungry underdogs Echo Fox. Surprisingly, the Echo Fox squad, helmed by the miraculously spectacular Rush in the jungle, stomped all over the locked in #1 seed. This is a headline that the world will follow heading into the postseason. Team Liquid lost another one, or better yet, the "giant slayers" find another victim. 

After that, TSM thoroughly manhandled Clutch Gaming which would officially eliminate Piglet and Co from playoff contention. Though their odds were real slim heading into their final two matches, the math still showed a chance, which was immediately dissolved by the strongest team in the league right now. 

In an attempt to gain some ground on TSM and above them, and put some distance above the FoxFam, FlyQuest attempted to eke out a win against the 2nd seed Cloud 9. Ultimately, Fly came out empty-handed and would be bumped down to more meaningful games the next day. 

To round out the first day of Week 9, Counter-Logic Gaming nabbed an important win against 100 Thieves that would put them dead even with Echo Fox in the fight for the last and most sought after playoff spot. Sunday would be a big day for both of those squads.

Sunday

The day would explode onto the scene with one of the best head-to-head matches in stage play this year. The Golden Guardians earned a crucial victory against FlyQuest and earned the two teams a forced tie-breaker that would determine which of the squads would get 4th, and which would place 5th. 

Game two of the day would see Echo Fox coming in from their roll to play Counter-Logic Gaming in a head-to-head match that would decide that truthfully desirable final playoff seed. The 6th seed would go to the victors, and unfortunately for CLG, Echo Fox came into the day on the backs of stomping Team Liquid the day before and C9 a few weeks before. CLG couldn’t do a thing against the powerful Foxes.

After Echo Fox earned their postseason appearance, Cloud 9 gained their guaranteed bye with an easily handled victory over Clutch Gaming. The match might have swung back in favor of Clutch at one point, but Sneaky and Zeyzal in the bot-lane have been too much for anyone to withstand these days. They (C9) head into the playoffs with a scary good record, and some momentum. C9 also earned that bye, which means they will play whoever Liquid doesn’t pick to face off against in the second round.

Match of the Day - Heading into Week 9, all anyone could talk about was the last meeting between TSM and Team Liquid. The season series was at 1-0 in favor of TSM, and Team Liquid looked mighty weak heading into the match today. On top of that, Liquid absolutely needed a win heading into the playoffs. Instead, TSM embarrassed the league-leaders, and Liquid head into the Spring Split Playoffs more like chum in the water for hungry sharks. 

The Academy squad from 100 Thieves (plus Bang at bot lane) took the stage once again for Nadeshot’s team, but they couldn’t keep OpTic Gaming at bay. Hopefully, the b-team has earned a lot of valuable experience heading into the greak, and 100T can figure their main line-up out. OG need to find a way to earn more points in the Summer Split, but their situation is far less dire than others. 

Extra - In order to determine which team from the 4th and 5th seed would get “advantage” by being given the right to choose sides, the tie between FlyQuest and Golden Guardians had to be settled. It was ultimately Fly that came out on top, and claim the 5th seed. 

Playoffs Are Coming

As the clock struck zero on the LCS's final week, the playoffs and the weight that comes with the battle for a Split Championship title looms. We now know who's in, who's out, who's looking deadly, and which teams are looking like a fish alone in a barrel. 

Unlike most postseason tournaments, in almost any competitive environment, the LCS bracket is upside down. 

Top-ranked Team Liquid is going to need a miracle to win, and no one is looking forward to playing Echo Fox. The latter of which only just barely made the playoffs. It's going to be a wild ride to the throne, no matter which squad you're rooting for.

LCS Spring Split Playoffs will kick-off this Saturday, March the 30th, in the quarterfinals matchup between Wildturtle's FlyQuest, and Hauntzer's Golden Guardians.