Cloud9 vs Evil Geniuses

For our second match of the day we have an absolute banger: Cloud9 vs. Evil Geniuses. Now, coming into 2020, many expected this match to be one of the most competitive and entertaining scraps in the entire region.

But the way the split started off, however, told an entirely different tale. Cloud9, as expected, dominated beyond measure, but Evil Geniuses failed to mount an offensive, regardless of the opponent they were up against. They were out of sync, they play badly on an individual level but also as a five-man unit, and there was absolutely no synergy to speak of. That was confusing, to say the least, seeing how Kumo, Svenskeren, and Zeyzal already had pre-built synergy. Bang was obviously considered as a world-class talent who could adapt to any kind of situation or context, which left us with the Italian stallion Jiizuke, a man well-known for his mechanical prowess and sheer aggression.

The biggest problem with EG was that each player had a different take on how the game should be played, and their plans and actions rarely coincided. They would engage on different terms and moments, their target selection was horrendous, and they were constantly getting caught out of position. After a certain amount of time passed, many wondered whether they would end up as a bottom-tier dweller, or if they could mount a comeback for the ages. Things looked dire for a couple of weeks, but then, against all odds, EG simply "clicked." They got on the same page, and once it happened, they immediately looked like a top-tier playoff contender, like a team brimming with talent and aggression. It took them a while, that's for sure, but at least it happened right in time for playoffs.

Right now, they're tied for second place and are considered as one of the best and most dangerous teams in the LCS by many casters, analysts, and fans. Most of that comes off the back of the Italian prodigy, a dude who's been annihilating his opponents in the mid lane. Give Jiizuke a hard carry pick and he'll do the rest. He's not particularly flexible champion pool-wise, but that can easily be solved by giving him priority in the pick and ban phase.

Jiizuke's most recent games were an absolute masterclass in mechanics, team fighting, lane pressure, and anything else you could come up with. It was vintage Jiizuke, the guy who took the LEC stage by storm a couple of years back.

How good they truly are still remains to be seen, although it's pretty darn obvious they're a highly dangerous challenger. They'll only continue to grow and further develop over time.

Opposite them, however, is Cloud9. That's about as big of a challenge as you can possibly have right now. The boys in black and blue have been annihilating everyone put in front of them, and other than a single loss to Team SoloMid a couple of weeks ago, they've been about as perfect and commanding in execution as humanly possible. They're one of the best and most dominant teams in the history of the region and they're surely looking to style on their former teammates as well and enter the upcoming playoffs with as much hype and momentum as possible.

On the one hand, this will not be a one-sided shellacking. On the other, if Evil Geniuses play as aggressively as they're known to and make a mistake in the process, Cloud9 could very well capitalize and simply end the whole game. Because of this, expect a highly competitive, skirmish-heavy affair that'll be decided by a couple of mid-game blunders.