Cloud9 vs. Samsung Galaxy Series Report
By: Joe Tortorice
Tags: League of Legends, Esports, Cloud9, Chicago

Game 1

The game started on a sour note as the Chicago crowd booed the Samsung team. Even though the crowd certainly favored Cloud9, the analysts did not share the same sentiment as they all chose Samsung Galaxy to win this series and advance to the semifinal stage. In the draft, Cloud9 banned two strong picks in Nidalee and Tahm Kench using their other ban to get rid of Crowns’ best champion in Viktor. Samsung did the same, banning out the strong picks in Kennen and Syndra while targeting Jensen with a Ryze ban.

The first action in the game was a gank mid lane that forced Jensen to use his ghost while Ambition also used his. First blood came from a mistake made by the C9 squad. Smoothie roamed up and joined Meteos for a gank mid lane. However, Crown outplays Smoothie by flashing and turning around to kill the C9 support. Off of the kill, Samsung are able to pick up an early ocean drake. Smoothie continues to be punished, as he is almost killed bot lane minutes later.

In the tenth minute, Ambition roams down bot as the Samsung bot lane sets up strong CC onto Sneaky, making for an easy kill. Meanwhile mid lane, Jensen starts off a fight by trapping Crown in his ultimate but Crown works his way around the Orianna ball using both summoner’s to outplay Jensen, but Jensen secures the kill almost going down himself. Samsung maintains a small lead but due to the strong farming from Impact and Jensen, the goal lead is only at one hundred gold.

The skirmishing continues as CuVee makes Impact use his flash top, Ambition fights mid with Meteos and uses Ragnarock to get away from Orianna ultimate and Sneaky uses flash bottom as he gets CC’d. After forcing the summoner usage, CuVee tower dives Impact to get the kill and transitions that kill into a Rift Herald take for Samsung. Cloud9’s bot lane also gets punished for using flash as they try to surprise CoreJJ with a brush-bait, but Ruler comes to the rescue and gets his first kill onto Sneaky. The gold lead expands to 300 for SSG as they take the first turret bot and a mountain drake. Samsung snowballs their advantages getting more kills and turrets around the map.

The game completely spirals out of control as Samsung stampedes their way to a quick win over the North American team ending the game in less than thirty minutes. Cuvee tried to finish the game earlier but was killed off by C9 when one more auto would have destroyed the nexus. A very commanding first game from Samsung as C9 will have to take the crowds energy to show better in the next game.

Game 2

Not much change to the bans in game two, as the only adjustment is an Olaf ban from C9 dropping the Kennen ban. Much of the same picks from last game are seen in this game as Samsung looks for a strong teamfight with Kennen and Orianna while C9 looks more for poke as they pick up Jayce and Jhin. Both teams have pick potential if a champion is miss-positioned in Skarner and Jhin.

The game starts off even in the first ten minutes as both teams are trading back and forth in lane and in the river, neither team gaining a big advantage. The first big confrontation comes at the eleventh minute as C9 takes the Ocean Drake while they zone off Samsung. Ambition attempts a few ganks, threatening Skarner ult, and getting flashes from top and mid lane. Trading continues as Cloud9 picks up their second Ocean Drake. Ruler and CoreJJ unleash their power as they take down Sneaky for first blood in the bot lane. A trade turns into a war, as Samsung emerges victorious in the bottom lane fight. C9 gets the top turret moments before Samsung takes bottom turret for the first turret gold. C9 is controlling the top of the map while Samsung has the advantage bottom.

C9 has a slight lead over SSG as the Infernal Drake spawns. C9 attempts to zone off Samsung with Nami ult and Jhin ult after Samsung starts up the drake, but Ambition smites it away from Meteos. The game turns on its’ head in the 27th minute as CuVee has a brilliant teleport behind C9 in topside and catches the carries in his ultimate. From there Samsung wipes C9 with only Smoothie making it out alive. SSG takes the Baron and has a huge advantage in the game.

As SSG pushes with Baron onto the bottom inner turret, a messy fight results in a 3-for-3 and stalls out the Baron. SSG commits a bit too hard after a good start to the fight for Cloud9. After taking the middle inhibitor turret, SSG moves to Baron and starts to take the objective. Impact tries to TP in as Meteos flashes to steal it away but fails and loses his Guardian Angel and dies. From that point Ruler takes over the game and helps lead SSG to a second victory, putting them at match point.

Game 3

In the third game bans remain largely unchanged, again, the only difference being a Jhin ban by Cloud9. Samsung takes advantage of the change in strategy and first pick Olaf for Ambition. Cloud9 pumps up the crowd by hovering Zac but picking Jayce for the time being. Samsung completely counters this move and grabs Poppy top and Tahm Kench support. Cloud9 goes ahead with the Zac pick anyway.

C9 commits three members bottom side to take the bottom turret. While the North American team takes the objective, CuVee gets first blood top and Ambition kills Jensen mid. Cloud9 earns a kill top but quickly trades it back. Meteos seems off his game and tries to force ganks too hard on the Zac and was ineffective.

A hectic fight erupts in top lane in the sixteenth minute. A Tahm Kench ult brings in Ambition where they engage onto Sneaky. Meteos is waiting in the bush and jumps out but ults on a Ragnarocking Olaf. SSG get two kills on Sneaky and Smoothie but Meteos turns it around and gets kills onto Ambition and Ruler. CuVee teleports in and cleans up the fight helping get kills on both Meteos and Jensen.

SSG engages a fight mid after a failed engage from Cloud9, they net themselves two kills on the ADC and support. CuVee continues to play amazing in this game. Nothing goes right for C9 as they lose four kills topside. C9 tries a very risky Baron and SSG brings four members to engage. CuVee ults Meteos out of the pit and chases C9 down to get three kills, only losing one, and the Baron from the fight.

From there, Samsung systematically ends the game against Cloud9, completing the sweep over Cloud9. Samsung was the better team from start to finish in the series and it showed in their play and their picks. Sneaky had a pretty poor series as well as Meteos. Every member from SSG played well and especially CuVee and Ruler had a great series.