NA LCS Quarterfinals Match Preview – TSM vs Clutch Gaming
By Zac Cameron ·
The second Quarterfinal match of the NA LCS features one of the oldest and most successful organizations taking on one of the new rising stars, as TSM look to maintain their NA LCS playoffs performance, while Clutch Gaming sets out to make a name for themselves.
TSM is without a doubt the most successful franchise in the North American LCS, having made an appearance in every single championship final since the inception of the NA LCS. Clutch Gaming might have a roster with some veterans on it, but as an organization they are as fresh as they come. The two teams have battled it out over the course of the split, and for the majority of the season it seemed that Clutch Gaming had the better read on the situation, however as demonstrated in the tie-breaker series last week, TSM are never more dangerous than when playoffs are in the air.
TSM did not immediately put wins on the board in the regular season, and in fact seemed to struggle against teams that by all rights should not have shown much of a threat to the former champions. Despite this lacklustre early performance, TSM did manage to climb into playoff contention, and their performance in the tie-breaker series was a sharp reminder to the other teams in the NA LCS of how powerful this org can be.
Clutch Gaming also had something of a rocky start, managing only two wins from their first six matches, however they would go on to win eight of their next nine games, putting themselves into playoff contention. They did drop off a little in the end, losing to other strong teams before entering the tie-breaker series, and their performance in said series was less than stellar, though with the shift in the Meta and the natural complacency that comes with a secured playoffs berth these results are understandable.
The first time these teams clashed was an almost hour long brawl that saw TSM accumulate an incredible lead, before ultimately losing it through Clutch Gaming’s ability to secure successive neutral objectives. Their second match was very similar, but on a much faster timeline, with Clutch Gaming giving TSM the run-around as they secured nearly every objective without relief. It was ultimately their third match where TSM finally claimed revenge, building an early lead and maintaining it throughout the game. TSM might not have had the shut-out win they wanted, but they did claim the victory in the end.
With TSM looking to cement their legacy, and Clutch Gaming looking to carve one out for themselves, this should be an explosive series to watch. You can check the times these teams will clash on the Official Schedule page, here, and you can read all about their third clash, here.