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We're still keeping an eye on what's happening on the US professional scene. The championship play-offs are heating up at LCS Summer 2023.
The top teams at the end of the regular season are battling it out for the $200,000 top prizes and 3 trips to Worlds 2023 in South Korea. The situation is heating up and there are already 4 teams fighting for the main prizes, including NRG and Cloud9 with a small reservation.
Both Cloud9 and NRG have already guaranteed themselves a place at Worlds 2023. The minimum task is fulfilled, but nobody cancels the race for the championship title.
Let's try to figure out who will be stronger in this match. The winner will advance to the LCS Summer 2023 Grand Final, while the loser will drop to the lower grid of the main stage, where they will try to make it to the Grand Final and take revenge.
Let's go.
Cloud9's form
Let's open the LSC schedule today by analyzing the C9 game form. In this match, the Clouds play the first number one. In this match Cloud9 play the first number one.
Bookmakers are confident in the success of C9. The odds for their victory are at around 1.2.
There are no surprises, and there can't be any. Cloud9 are too good to play second number.
Failure at the 2022 World Championships has not affected Cloud9's desire and ability to take the lead at LCS Spring 2023. During the LCS Spring 2023 regular season, C9 took first place with a score of 14-4.
The championship playoffs were not a serious test for Cloud9. The top North American club won LCS Spring 2023 and went to MSI 2023.
The first international event ended with Cloud9 in the Top 6.
- Cloud9 lineup: Fudge, Blaber, EMENES, Berserker, Zven .
A successful half year allowed Cloud9 to leave the roster unupgraded. The decision was obviously correct, as Cloud9 were among the first to guarantee their place in the play-offs of the LCS summer split.
Having finished the group stage with a score of 13-5, sharing the top 1 with Golden Guardians. Thanks to their successful performance in the group stage C9 were able to get straight into the second round of play-offs.
The first opponent for the main stage was Evil Geniuses. "Evil Geniuses" were unable to impose competition on C9 and lost with a score of 0-3.
Cloud9 Champions
The most popular champion in the TOP remains Sion (4 games, 100% wins). KSante (3 games, 3 wins), Jax (3 games, 100% wins), Fiora (3 games, 66% wins) were also taken.
Wukong (4 matches, 75% wins) appeared in the forest most often. We also took Maokai (3 matches, 100% wins), Elise (3 matches, 100% wins).
LeBlanc (2 matches, 100% wins), Jayce (2 matches, 50% wins) went to the centre line. Yone (1 match, 100% wins), Viktor (1 match, 0% wins).
From shooters we took Zeri (6 matches, 66% wins), Varus (3 matches, 66% wins). Caitlyn, Lucian and Draven were taken 2 times each: all of them have perfect winrate.
Lulu (5 matches, 60% win rate), Ashe (3 matches, 33% win rate), Heimerdinger (2 matches, 100% win rate), Kalista (2 matches, 100% win rate), Nami (2 games, 100% win rate), Annie (2 games, 100% win rate).
NRG Form
We continue the match analysis with the analysis of NRG form. In this match the team will play in the status of outsider.
Bookmakers are not ready to risk calling NRG the favourite. The odds for their success are at around 3.7.
To tell the truth, such a figure is more of a compliment for NRG than vice versa. They are the American League's top opening act this season.
NRG is an absolute newcomer to the LCS. This is despite the fact that they appeared on the North American professional League of Legends scene back in 2016. Back then, the club finished Top 6 at the Spring Split and Top 9 at the Summer Split. Since then, NRG fell into oblivion and stayed there until 2023.
They managed to return to the LCS after taking over the CLG slot. It's working out kind of well.
At their essentially first split, NRG made it to the top set of play-offs. They won the group stage 9-9, which looks pretty good overall.
- NRG lineup: Dhokla, Contractz, Palofox, FBI, IgNar .
Having taken over the CLG slot, NRG signed former Counter Logic Gaming players. After some minor roster manipulation, FBI and IgNar, formerly of Evil Geniuses and Dignitas, joined the team. So, the club is kind of new, but in essence, it's just a modified CLG, with a slightly more pleasing performance.
The LCS "newcomers" played their first play-offs match against Team Liquid. The game against a nominally stronger opponent ended in NRG's favour with a score of 3-1.
The International was even more interesting, as NRG managed to defeat the top 1 team of the regular season - Golden Guardians. And they beat them on class, with the score 3-1 without any difficulties.
The most popular NRG champions
The most popular champion on the top line is Gnar (10 games, 90% wins). Jayce appeared 8 times and the winrate was 87%. Kenen was played 4 times and won all matches, KSante 4 times and 3 wins, Renekton 4 times and 2 wins.
In the forest were Vi (11 matches, 72% wins), Sejuani (10 games, 80% wins), Wukong (7 matches, 85% wins), Le Sin (6 games, 83% wins).
On the centre line it was Azir (13 games, 69% wins), Gragas (6 matches, 100% wins), Kassadin (5 games, 100% wins), Viktor (4 matches, 75% wins).
The most popular ADC is Lucian (12 matches, 83% wins). Next are Varus (8 games, 87% wins), Caitlyn (5 games, 100% wins), Zeri (4 matches, 75% wins).
Nami (13 matches, 84% winrate). Ashe and Lux have 4 games and 4 wins each.
History of head-to-head meetings NRG - Cloud9
The teams played twice during the group stage and twice NRG won in bo1.
Predicted result of the match NRG - Cloud9
It's hard not to feel sympathy for NRG. It's always nice to see another capable team being born on the stage.
NRG have already proved that they are able to fight with the tops of the local scene on equal terms, but the final boss is ahead. Considering that they already managed to beat C9, even in bo1, it's very hard to believe that they will win in bo5. I expect NRG to fight, but not to win.
Bottom line: 3-1 in favour of C9.
