Sundays are usually reserved for rest and relaxation for many. But those who tuned into TSM’s match against 100 Thieves today were treated to a roller coaster of a game that sent fans of both League of Legends teams into a fiesta of epic proportions.
This time around, however, it was TSM that came out victorious. It did take them a whopping 48 minutes, several throws, and multiple intense teamfights to come out on top, however. 100 Thieves’ mid laner Tommy “Ryoma” Le also put in a ton of work on Azir and made TSM’s life a lot more difficult as the game continued on.
From Baron steals by Ryoma to clutch Blitzcrank hooks from Biofrost, this game had everything a fan would want out of a classic North American brawl. It was far from clean, and there were multiple times where each side made huge mistakes in terms of getting caught out, overextending, and making bad individual calls.
The game would eventually be decided by a backdoor by TSM’s star mid laner Bjergsen in one of the most anticlimactic endings of the season so far. Nonetheless, the entire match was action-packed with multiple exciting teamfights that kept everyone on the edge of their seat.
TSM and their fans will take this win—and their first 2-0 week—with open arms. This game did, however, show that this roster still has plenty of work to do in terms of their own decisiveness as a unit, as well as communication. Hopefully for fans, they are able to continue improving as the split moves forward so that the top of the standings can get a bit more competitive.
This game was right in reach for 100 Thieves, but a few bad calls ended up costing them the win. There is a silver lining for this team, though—Ryoma showed off some great improvements with his mechanics and confidence today. He ended the match with nine kills, and effectively answered all the critics that have been ragging on him for poor performances of the past.
Looking ahead, TSM will be facing off next week against a third-place Counter Logic Gaming squad that has shown great strides in their own improvements from last split. This team should provide a good test for a roster that is still trying to find consistency in their own gameplay.
100 Thieves, on the other hand, now sit in ninth place with a 1-5 record. They’ll have a chance to bounce back when they face off against Golden Guardians and Team Dignitas. Both opponents are also struggling to find wins this season, so the Thieves could find some momentum with a couple of victories next week.
