SK Telecom T1’s terrible losing streak has continued, with a third loss in a row in the LCK.
The reigning world champions lost to Jin Air Green Wings this morning, after losses to Samsung Galaxy and Afreeca Freecs last week snapped their nine-match winning streak.
On paper there was no way that SKT should have lost this match. SKT are sitting at the top of the table while Jin Air are fighting to stay above the relegation places. But on recent form they were equals—both teams went 0-2 last week and needed a win to regain momentum.
Needless to say, SKT were useless in both matches against Jin Air and showcased none of the world class talent that we have come to expect from the three-time world champions.
Jin Air bamboozled SKT by picking up unconventional champions, such as Kennen support, in order to throw SKT off any game plan the team might have. SKT are a good team when it comes to playing against meta-game champions, so choosing something unknown that the team couldn’t prepare for was always going to throw SKT off. In Jin Air’s case, this not only helped them to win the game outright, but demolish SKT in ways we hadn’t seen before.
SKT’s star mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-Hyeok, the best player in the world, had an abysmal series. The midlaner managed to pick up two kills while dying eight times against the opposition, giving Jin Air the advantage the team needed to take towers and gain crucial leads during multiple stages of the match.
The win for Jin Air puts them in a good spot to avoid a relegation scare this season. They are just one win behind fifth placed Afreeca Freecs. If the team can continue to find wins, the team could even push for those playoff places at the end of the season. As for SKT, depending on how other matches go this week, the team could drop down to fourth placed overall.
SKT play second placed Longzhu next where a win will be vital to restart their season. As for Jin Air, the team face off against Rox Tigers on July 23.
