LCS Summer 2019 Gauntlet: Round 2- Clutch Gaming vs CLG Recap

Game One

In the first round of the LCS Gauntlet, Clutch Gaming (“CG”) took a convincing series win over Flyquest. Now against potential favorites for the tournament, Counter Logic Gaming, they did the same. This first game was incredibly one-sided, in fact, it was a perfect game from CG. The CG bottom lane secured First Blood in the 2v2 and practically made the CLG duo useless. If they weren't yet, a gank from Lira giving another kill for Cody Sun certainly made it so.

At 10 minutes, CLG made an attempt at the Rift Herald. Unfortunately for them, CG showed up and slew two CLG champions. On top of this, the team found a successful dive onto Ruin and the First Tower bonus in the bottom lane. Next, a team fight erupted in the middle lane, where again CG emerged victoriously. As three from CLG were on death timer, CG took an easy first Baron. They cleaned up some outer towers but didn't do much damage to CLG's base. After taking a second Baron buff, CG easily demolished two Inhibitors before winning another team fight and claiming the first Nexus of the series.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 29:49
• Kills: 0-14
• Turrets: 0-11
• Gold: 44.4k-60.4k
• Dragons: 1-3
• Barons: 0-2

Game Two

Game Two wasn't too different from Game One, with CG dominating CLG. Unlike Game One though, it was close for a portion of the game. Lira ganked top to get First Blood for Huni, but CLG responded a few minutes later with a three-man gank there. But CG turned it around and made it a three-for-two overall. But CLG won a different skirmish in the top lane, two-for-one, which showed they were still in it. Though CG obtained the First Tower bonus at 17 minutes, CLG traded a tower and it was anyone's game still.

But that wouldn't last. A team fight broke out at the Dragon Pit at 18 minutes. Here, Huni made an excellent Teleport flank and set his team up to win it four-for-one. Three minutes later, another team fight occurred with Huni starting it off 1v3, getting himself a Triple at the end of it. From here, it was the Huni show as he absorbed a ton of pressure on the side lane. At one point he even killed Stixxay in a literal 1v5! All the while, his team dismantled CLG's base. At this point, CLG finally met their doom when they lost one last team fight in their base and CG blew up their Nexus to bring them to match point.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 27:06
• Kills: 19-9
• Turrets: 10-1
• Gold: 56.1k-43.3k
• Dragons: 2-2
• Barons: 1-0

Game Three

CLG struck back in Game Three though and finally looked alive. There were definitely some problems with CG's draft, but CLG played their composition extremely well nonetheless. Wiggly picked up First Blood in the middle lane when he ganked Damonte. Next, CLG won a team fight in the top lane one-for-zero and took the Rift Herald. CG beat them to the First Tower bonus, but CLG was controlling the pace of the game and the gold lead that had evaded them the entire series.

In the mid-game, CLG pushed their advantage further. They continued to engage with Nocturne onto CG and picked up a few kills. But at 24 minutes their engage got them an Ace onto CG and the Baron Nashor. After that, CLG knocked down multiple towers and continued to engage on to CG constantly. PowerOfEvil even killed Lira and Huni in a 1v2, showing how far ahead CLG truly was. CG couldn't withstand CLG's pressure after the 33-minute mark and lost all three Inhibitors in the next couple of minutes. All CLG had to do at this point was to kill two from CG and destroy their Nexus.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 35:06
• Kills: 20-4
• Turrets: 11-2
• Gold: 68.9k-55.5k
• Dragons: 1-4
• Barons: 2-0

Game Four

This fourth match was by far the closest. But in the end, CG won the series, sent CLG home and advanced themselves to take on TSM in the final round of the Gauntlet. In the early game, it was very close, with CLG winning the first skirmish mid and getting First Blood but CG killing Wiggily and taking the First Tower bonus. There were a ton of skirmishes in the mid-game that went both ways actually, but due to some mistakes, CLG had a small advantage.

Their advantage blossomed when CG went to Baron, and though CG did secure it, CLG took three kills in response. CG also made a couple of positive plays in the meantime. CLG hit CG hard at 35 minutes though, as they won a team fight four-for-two and slew the Elder Dragon. A minute later, CLG claimed the Baron buff and the middle Inhibitor too. It looked like it would go to Game Five, as CLG  demolished the top Inhibitor too, but suddenly CG started chasing CLG across the map. It looked desperate from them, but a huge engage but Vulcan and Damonte set up CG to obliterate four CLG champions. In the blink of an eye, CG had the game. They went straight to CLG's base, killed Ruin and Biofrost, then finished CLG's third, final Nexus.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 40:22
• Kills: 20-17
• Turrets: 8-8
• Gold:  75.4k-74.5k
• Dragons: 3-3
• Barons: 1-1

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