We didn't get an El Classico in week 1 of the NA LCS, but it was worth the wait. Team SoloMid and Counter Logic Gaming took turns beating each other in record times, but it was eventually TSM who took the match win.
Central to TSM's success was Svenskeren's performance on Lee Sin and Ivern. While his debut on the Green Father was less than stellar, Sven came back strong in games 2 and 3 with a final KDA of 4/4/28. Bjergsen also showed up big for TSM, coming up huge on Azir in the final game to help push his team to victory.
And while CLG might have lost, it wasn't as though they got crushed. Counter Logic Gaming's early rotations and pick/ban phases were excellent, but their teamfighting potential just wasn't up to TSM's level.
Game 1 opened with plenty of early action. Xmithie was able to pick up two early kills for Counter Logic Gaming, but TSM fired back a few minutes later with a couple smart rotations. Both teams settled down following a bloody laning phase, but all it took for the game to crack wide open was TSM overpursuing after a teamfight. CLG instantly picked off Bjergsen, converting that kill into a teamfight ace, two mid towers, and a Baron on the backside. With mounting Ocean Drake buffs, TSM couldn't possibly poke down CLG's tanky frontline, and CLG forced tower dive after tower dive to end the game in short order.
TSM, however, wasn't quite done. They came back to beat CLG in game 2, picking up the win a minute faster than CLG had done in the first game. Key to the victory was Hauntzer's Camille - the raw power of the champion, coupled with smart plays from TSM's toplaner, allowed his team to take teamfight victories and brute force objectives.
Game 3 was a tough one for both teams, but TSM ultimately had the upper hand thanks to good early ganks by Svenskeren's Ivern. After stealing away Xmithie's red buff, Svenskeren secured both first blood and a kill in the midlane. CLG was able to come back in the game with a few good Command: Shockwaves from Huhi, but once TSM settled down and didn't overcommit to the backline in teamfights, there was nothing CLG could do. With Baron in tow, Team SoloMid were able to press into Counter Logic Gaming's base and take one more teamfight for the win.
