RESULTS: Team Liquid Sweep Cloud9 3-0 to Book Their Semi-finals Spot

With the series on the line, it was a must win for both teams with Cloud9 looking to keep their playoff dreams alive, while Team Liquid was just looking for a quick series victory. Here’s a brief breakdown of the match.

A relatively slow start to game three, as neither teams wants to make any mistakes that might snowball out of control. Cloud9 slightly overextends in the bot lane, allowing Team Liquid to engage onto them and secure first blood. Both teams contest the Dragon, but in the end Liquid are able to force Cloud9 away long enough to secure it for themselves.

Liquid shift their focus to the top side of the map, securing the Rift Herald and summoning it to rush down the mid lane outer turret. Both teams continue to jockey for positioning before contesting the next Dragon. In the resulting team fight, Cloud9 manage to secure the Dragon and claim a kill before both teams withdraw.

Both teams work to establish vision control over the Baron area, while also electing to contest the bot lane pressure. Cloud9 push in the mid lane, securing the outer turret, while Liquid respond in the top lane to maintain their lead before rotating to secure the next Dragon. The teams again clash around the Baron pit, though manage to withdraw without suffering any casualties. Cloud9’s pressure in the bot side finally pays off, forcing Team Liquid to withdraw and taking down the last outer turret on the map.

Team Liquid finally make the move to secure the Baron buff, and though they claim it, they are quickly caught out by Cloud9 and suffer huge losses, with Cloud9 picking up four kills in the aftermath. Team Liquid attempt to use their remaining Baron buff to push in the mid lane, but another team fight results in more kills for Cloud9 as they force Team Liquid to pull back. Cloud9 continue to push their momentum, taking down the mid lane turret before both teams again look to obtain vision control over the Baron pit.

Another full team engage in the mid lane doesn’t result in any kills for either team, but both are given pause as they look towards Baron once more. Team Liquid make a huge engage onto the backline of Cloud9, taking down two kills before forcing Cloud9 away from Baron. With the Baron secured, Team Liquid withdraw to reset the lanes.

With the added power of the Baron buff, Team Liquid push in multiple waves at once, sieging the base and threatening the end of the series. Catching out three members of Cloud9 in a flank, Team Liquid close out the game and take the series 3-0.

Team Liquid have claimed victory over Cloud9 just seconds short of the 40 minute mark. While both teams bounced back and forth over the lead, in the end Team Liquid managed to end the game 4.7k Gold ahead of Cloud9, setting themselves up nicely as they look towards Semi-finals. For more on this series, check out the match recaps from game one and game two, and for more on the playoffs schedule, check out the Official Schedule page, here.