Cloud9 qualifies for quarterfinals on Day Five of Worlds - Upcomer
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What a day for the North American faithful. Day Five of Worlds would end up being the most exciting day of the tournament. There was so much on the line for every team, with Cloud9 and Vitality fighting for survival, Gen.G looking to bounce back, and RNG trying to solidify their dominance. However, Group B would flip on its head after today’s events. No one could have predicted how this group would turn out, but this is the World Championship. Anything can happen.

Let’s start at the beginning when Team Vitality would take on the charging Royal Never Give Up as the first game of the day.

Team Vitality upsets RNG in 32-minute thriller

Day five’s first game would bring out Europe’s Team Vitality against China’s powerhouse Royal Never Give Up. Many would think that RNG would run over Team Vitality, and for good reason. However, in the first 20 minutes, it was hard to tell who would win. Although RNG would wrestle for control throughout the match, Team Vitality would strike back with an unprecedented amount of aggression.

The Europeans would stay active, with multiple ganks on RNG’s top laner Yan “Letme” Jun-Ze. Also, they would constantly start team fights across the map. With multiple cash-ins for their Draven pick, Amadeu “Attila” Carvalho would begin to deal massive damage late. Combining with a Ryze ultimate and a Thresh that didn’t seem to miss, and Team Vitality would shock the world by taking down the top team at Worlds.

And that was just the first game of the day at Worlds.

Cloud9 starts out strong against Gen.G

The second game of day five would match up to North America’s Cloud9 against 2017’s World Champions, Gen.G. Many would expect Gen.G to take this game easily, especially with momentum from their last victory. They had just taken down Cloud9 in their last matchup. Therefore, if logic would dictate anything, Gen.G should win once again, right? Wrong. It would start from the pick-and-ban phase, where Gen.G would choose Syndra for Lee “Crown” Min-ho.

Unfortunately, he would pick right into Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen’s LeBlanc and Dennis “Svenskeren” Johnsen’s Nocturne. The Korean midlaner would get dominated, suffering six deaths in the game. Meanwhile, Jensen would body the competition, leading Cloud9 with a 4/0/9 scoreline leading to a 36 minutes victory for his team. The road for Worlds wasn’t closed just yet for North America.

Team Vitality eliminates Gen.G with an amazing performance

After this game, it is hard not to jump on the Team Vitality hype train on day five. Even though Gen.G were looking weaker than normal, it was some great macro decisions and team fighting that would propel the Europeans forward. It felt like the defending champs were simply playing catch up to Team Vitality around the map. No lane could get ahead, and this was a huge downfall for them. As a result, Team Vitality could do whatever they pleased, and Gen.G would have no choice but to play a reactive style for 35 minutes.

It was a statement game for Team Vitality, who were looking to punch their ticket to the Worlds playoff stage. Also, the team’s rookies, Daniele “Jiizuke” di Mauro, Amadeu “Attila” Carvalho and Jakub “Jactroll” Skurzyński have shown that they can handle the best teams in the world with no problem. They exemplify a bright future for the European League of Legends scene.

Cloud9 first shocks RNG…

The next game on day five would place Cloud9 against RNG, another game whose outcome was not expected by many. The North American squad would start off on fire, with the young playmakers of Eric “Licorice” Ritchie and Tristan “Zeyzal” Stidam being key to their success. Criticized for their mistakes early in the tournament, the two rookies would show up big time in this important game.

Whether it was Licorice Shen-ulting into a huge taunt, or Zeyzal starting off a fight with a multi-member knockup, they would be one of the biggest factors into their win. Cloud9 would also find multiple picks onto members like RNG support, Shi “Ming” Sen-Ming. They would also pick off Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao multiple times, giving Cloud9 a huge advantage. Cloud9 just had way too many tools to start fights and survive, and Jensen and co. would end the game in 30 minutes. Additionally, the world now saw that the Chinese juggernaut could bleed.

… then punches their ticket to Quarterfinals against Team Vitality.

Riding the momentum of their huge win against RNG, Cloud9 would play their most intense game of day five. Right from minute one, the action would be non-stop, with Cabochard flashing over the dragon wall to try flanking Zeyzal. Not even three minutes in, Cloud9 would find first blood in the midlane, while Team Vitality would answer right back in the bottom lane. This was a pretty bloody game, with constant fights throughout the match.

However, it would be Cloud9 who would stand tall as they would find a decisive teamfight around the 26-minute mark. With a pretty substantial lead, Cloud9 would take pick after pick with Licorice’s patented Singed. The Americans would make a costly mistake by overstaying and would stall the game out for Team Vitality, but they would eventually win a game-deciding teamfight at 32 minutes. The Group of Death was officially conquered by North America, as Cloud9 had punched themselves a ticket to the Worlds playoffs.

RNG finds their form, locks in first in Group B

Meanwhile, the top Chinese team was looking vulnerable on day five, but the Gen.G was looking worse. Additionally, the effects of their previous losses may have been taking a toll on the Korean squad. After their loss against Team Vitality, the members of Gen.G were looking distraught. It would show in their final match, as RNG would make short work of them in 23 minutes. Because of their win against Gen.G, it would lock in Cloud9 and RNG as the two teams to qualify to the quarterfinals. However, they still needed to decide who would be the number one seed.

In an incredibly close game, RNG would squeak a win past Cloud9. The whole game would play on a knife’s edge, with each team finding good fights and great macro. However, it would be RNG’s superior decision making and team fighting that would be the X-factor. However, Cloud9 would make a game of it, with Jensen finding perfect Zilean ults and Zeyzal hitting amazing hooks. Even though Cloud9 lost this game, they are heading into the Worlds playoffs looking stronger than they’ve ever looked before.


What are your thoughts on day five of Worlds? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more Worlds coverage, check us out here!




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