League of Legends Worlds 2019: G2 Esports vs FunPlus Phoenix Finals Preview

The stage is set for G2 Esports and FunPlus Phoenix to battle for the title of League of Legends World Champions.

The 2019 League of Legends World Championship is at its end. Twenty four teams entered the competition, but only two remain. These two, G2 Esports (“G2”) and FunPlus Phoenix (“FPX”), have solidified themselves as the best two teams in the world, but now must battle for the title of World Champion. Neither of their journeys to this point was easy, but with everything on the line, they’re going to play their hearts out and deliver the best League of Legends series of the year!

G2 Esports

G2 Esports is the first seed representatives from the LEC and this year’s MSI winners. With the MSI trophy as well as back-to-back LEC split victories, the World Championship is the last step to having the coveted perfect season. This is a feat no one has accomplished before but G2 is here to make history.

And they certainly have the tools to do so. Their roster is stacked with homegrown talent and utilizes a number of unique strategies that set them apart from the crowd. Their main playstyle is to play fast and loose. They make quick decisions in the early game to overwhelm opponents and carve out significant leads. In addition, their communication and team play is magnificent.

But G2 isn’t confined to this hectic playstyle. As can be seen through their series with SK Telecom T1 and their first game against Team Griffin, G2 has exceptional team fighting they can rely on in the mid-late game. In their match versus SKT, G2 constantly found themselves behind in gold, but drafted team fighting and scaling champions that allowed them to outperform in the 5v5s. This drafting flexibility will be a strength for G2 but tested against FPX.

Though every G2 member has the potential to carry, there are two members, in particular, that stand out. First is Perkz, the mid laner turned ADC. Despite being a professional ADC player for only one year, he’s established himself as a top tier ADC and is known for impressive carry performances and a unique champion pool.

The second is Caps, the man in the mid lane. He used to be called “Baby Faker,” but there is an argument to be made that he’s surpassed the Korean superstar. He’s been rather reliable this tournament and will be a key player in the Finals.

FunPlus Phoenix

On the other side of Summoner’s Rift is the LPL’s first seed, FunPlus Phoenix. Many in the West are caught up in singing G2’s praise, but FPX deserves as much as their opponents. This team has dominated the scene since Summer and are worthy challengers for the Summoner’s Cup.

They have experience bringing down European teams too. In their Quarterfinal match, FPX dominated Fnatic and sent them home looking like fools. After that, FPX went on to face the former World Champions, Invictus Gaming, and even made quick work of them.

What makes them such a great team though? It is undoubtedly their team play. They have an unprecedented ability to play the map in the early game and find leads through clever roams and skirmishes. The trio of Tian, Crisp and Doinb are the members that are always moving around, always forcing plays on unexpecting opponents.

With an early game lead, they’re incredibly efficient at snowballing it all the way to the Nexus. They displayed this against Invictus well. But even without this lead, they are still a major threat when grouped together or when playing in fog of war.

It’s impossible to talk about FPX without talking about Super Carry Doinb. He’s their mid laner and a true force to be reckoned with. He has a very different champion pool, playing things like Nautilus and Predator-Rumble mid, which rely on pushing lane and roaming. Also, if this man gets his hands on Ryze, he’ll show G2 why they call him the super carry.

But this team wouldn’t be as great without their jungler Tian. In fact, he’s had a fantastic tournament. His pathing is ingenious and he’s largely the reason FPX can accumulate early leads. Jankos will need to go above and beyond to keep up with him.

Preview and Prediction

Both of the teams in this Final are stunningly talented. They’re both quite unique from the rest of the World and are sure to deliver a fantastic series.

The main focus of this series will be around the mid lane. There is bound to be action aplenty here, because of both mid laner’s tendencies to roam. That’s also because both supports like to frequent the lane. If G2 isn’t playing to smash early, they’ll need to be very careful in the opening 15 minutes of each game to not give over leads.

At the same time, FPX needs to unlock its roamers. If G2 stops Doinb and Crisp from making a lot of plays, FPX will be in a difficult spot against the team fighting prowess of G2. They are quite adept at team fighting themselves, but with G2’s drafting being perhaps the best in the world, they’ll need to identify their win conditions quickly and play to those.

In the end, it is most likely that G2 completes the perfect season and hoists the Summoner’s Cup. It won’t be easy for them. But as every other knockout series has been, G2 will win it in 3-1 fashion. Honestly, G2 appears to be on another level, and with preparation, is able to implement devastating drafts and in-game strategies.

That said, it’s not unforeseeable that FPX takes it. Tian has performed much better than Jankos has this tournament and Doinb is capable of outperforming Caps. It’s an uphill battle for them but it’s not one they can’t win.

But G2’s adaptability in-series is their greatest strength. They play equally as well from behind as from ahead. They have reliable damage output from Perkz and Caps and are quite intelligent in their macro play. Chance are they take the win here.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST INFORMATION

This series will truly be one for the history books. No matter who wins, the games will be some of the best fans have seen all year.

Watch the 2019 World Championship here at ESTNN TV. For more information on the tournament, teams, standings, and players, visit www.lolesports.com. Stay tuned here at ESTNN and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more League of Legends news, articles, opinions and more.

Images via LoL Esports.