Cloud9 vs Team SoloMid

The most exciting match-up in the LCS right now, the North American el clasico, and the one game you absolutely have to watch this week. It really doesn't get any better than this -- two LCS giants of unparalleled strength, duking it out for bragging rights and glory. We're also taking about two exceptional line-ups brimming with talent and potential. This incarnation of Cloud9 is the most dominant and commanding champion the LCS has ever seen. Team SoloMid, on the other hand, has three-fifths of their legendary roster from 2016/2017.

What's not to like? Fireworks are basically guaranteed.

To make matters even more interesting, TSM was the only team that was able to defeat Cloud9 during the regular portion of the split last Spring. And they beat them fair and square, by the sheer fact of playing better League of Legends on the day. That TSM line-up, however, can by all means be deemed inferior to the one they have now -- so pure logic and reason dictate that this clash should be all the more competitive.

Granted, this TSM hasn't been performing all that great. Their play, while certainly impressive more often than not, leaves a lot to be desired. It's like the TSM of old -- they have incredible laning and stellar team fighting, but they're just not that flexible. Calling them one-dimensional might be pushing things too far, but you could make such an argument as well. Their avenues for success and biggest win conditions haven't changed one bit. They're once again funneling resources into Doublelift and/or Bjergsen, and while such a formula makes all the sense in the world, it's been their go-to method and M.O. for many, many years and it simply doesn't work that well any longer in the current meta. By playing in such an outdated way, they'll always hover near the very top of the region just because they have exceptional players, but as a team, as a five-man unit, they haven't grown at all, and that holds true for this particular line-up but also for the individual players as well. Brokenblade is incapable of playing weak side, Spica is by no means better or more dangerous than any past TSM jungler, and Bjergsen, Doublelift, and Biofrost are all known quantities -- for better and worse.

Now, make no mistake: they're incredibly dangerous as a team, but they lack the long-term strength, potential, and flexibility which are necessary to actually compete on even footing with a team like Cloud9. The boys in black and blue are better in every way, shape, and form, and it is their creativity and baffling self-confidence that allows them to go for seemingly impossible plays and pull them off with staggering ease. They're just so darn good at every element of play, it doesn't even make sense. That's what you get when you assemble five compatible players, give them room to grow and to express themselves, and bring in a stacked coaching staff that knows its business. Cloud9 has been building towards this point for years and they're finally reaping the rewards. Obviously, they're not perfect, and we could always find a couple of egregious flaws here and there, but as a whole, as a unit, they're the best and most dominant team we've ever seen in North America.

So naturally, it's impossible to bet against them, no matter how good Team SoloMid might be at this point in time. Cloud9 knows what they're up against and they know how TSM wants to play the game. They will prepare accordingly and should, by all means, be able to get the win. That said, TSM is no slouch, and they have all the right tools to make this into one heck of a game. Either way, expect absolute chaos on all fronts -- you do not want to miss it!