NA LCS 3rd Place Match Preview – Echo Fox vs Clutch Gaming

By Zac Cameron ·

While the Championship is out of reach for these two teams, there are still Championship Points on offer that will pay off much further down the line.

NA LCS 3rd Place Match Preview – Echo Fox vs Clutch Gaming

The final days of the North American League of Legends Championship Series Spring Split have arrived, and with them come the inevitable 3rd / 4th place match. For most of the split, Echo Fox was the undisputed champion of the NA LCS, before their title was stolen in quite literally the last possible moment. Clutch Gaming, on the other hand, were content to hover around the middle of the pack before striking in the playoffs, making history by knocking TSM out of contention in the quarterfinals. These two teams will now clash head on, as they look to secure vital Championship Points for the future.

Echo Fox dominated most of the split, only falling short right at the end (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)
Echo Fox dominated most of the split, only falling short right at the end (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)

The first time these two teams met, Echo Fox was quick to attain the lead and hold it tight. Though Clutch Gaming made proactive movements early on, they were unable to keep up with the objective control exerted by Echo Fox, ultimately falling too far behind. Their second clash was an interesting display of what happens when a team never gives up. Echo Fox again surged to an early lead as their map rotations secured more and more objectives. At one point, Echo Fox had accumulated a 4k gold lead, before Clutch Gaming started to turn things around with map movements of their own. Quickly finding themselves on the back foot, Echo Fox tried to regain the tempo of the match, but Clutch Gaming was firmly in the driver’s seat at this point, turning their 4k gold deficit into a 3.4k gold lead as they claimed victory.

Clutch Gaming have certainly shown they have what it takes to compete with the big teams (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)
Clutch Gaming have certainly shown they have what it takes to compete with the big teams (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)

This will be the end of the line for both teams, with neither going on to represent NA at the Mid-Season Invitational. For more on when you can catch these teams playing, check out the Official Schedule page, here, and for more League of Legends action, check out the surprise announcement from former EU LCS team Origen, as they reveal their new mid-laner.

(Banner image by LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)