Ranking The Best Matchups Of The LCS 2022 Summer Split Opening Week
The opening week of the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) is one of the most important bits the North American league can look forward to.
Not only is this the first of the two Super Weeks, but it’s also a period in time when some teams aren’t able to field their full rosters. This means that certain teams get to have a leg up, or like what happened in the spring, others get to shock the landscape right off the bat. Add the fact that the top three teams at the end of the split’s playoffs get to represent the North American region at the 2022 World Championship, getting a good start is crucial.
In order to kick off the Summer Split on the right foot, teams will have to win their first matches, this includes some that are tougher than others. So what better way to figure this out than by ranking the best matchups of the LCS 2022 Summer Split opening week?
#4 - 100 Thieves vs. Team SoloMid
In hindsight, both teams experienced disappointing final placements to end the Spring Split. On 100 Thieves' side, the team was expecting no less than a second LCS championship in a row. Unfortunately for them, that wasn’t the case as thanks to an impressive Evil Geniuses team, the ones that take what’s not given got the trophy stolen from right under them.
Click to enlargeFor Team SoloMid, one has to remember that this is one of, if not the most legendary LCS team of all time… multiple banners up in the LCS studio numerous World Championship trips, they were the team. However, ever since their 2020 miracle run in the Summer playoffs that ultimately led to an abysmal World Championship showing, they’ve been struggling.
All of this makes a matchup between the two all the more exciting. Both teams will look to start off on the right foot: 100 Thieves will look to bounce back from the finals loss and Team SoloMid will want to make sure that their pick-up mid-laner Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang and the rest of the roster earlier in the season was worth it.
#3 - Evil Geniuses vs. Cloud9
Up until the spring playoffs, Cloud9 were the top dogs. They were the most dominant force in the LCS, one that had them narrowly lose their first place at the end of the regular season. The boys in blue seemed unstoppable - no player or team was going to stop them from making it to the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) a second year in a row… This was until they faced 100 Thieves in the finals. Once that matchup happened, Cloud9 just fell apart and since then they’ve undergone some changes.
Click to enlargeTheir MVP-winning top-laner in Park "Summit" Woo-tae is no longer there, Ibrahim "Fudge" Allami goes back to the top lane, Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen comes in as a support and mid-laner Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen returns after so many years. This has made things more than just interesting for them.
On the other side you have the reigning champions, Evil Geniuses, which in the last time they met Cloud9 completely demolished them, albeit a different team now. A matchup between a new-look Cloud9 and an impressive Evil Geniuses is sure to be a good one.
#2 - Evil Geniuses vs. 100 Thieves
This matchup is fairly self-explanatory: the defending champions versus the runners-up - what’s not to love? All that will be on 100 Thieves' thoughts will be revenge, while all that will be on Evil Geniuses’ minds will be to show off that their playoff run and championship win wasn’t a fluke.
In all honesty, this should be an Evil Geniuses’ win as not only they did beat 100 Thieves, but they completely dominated them. Add the fact that they went to MSI and gained a bunch of experience playing at the international level, the Thieves will have some catching up to do.
#1 - Team Liquid vs. Cloud9
It may a bit surprising that we ranked this matchup higher than the previous one, but our reason is definitive… A chance for Jensen to not only face the team that dropped him but also play against the mid-laner and rival who replaced him, Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg.
Not only will Jensen get a chance to enact revenge on his long-time rival and a team that was pivotal in his career, but he will also get to do it while playing on the team that gave him his first LCS chance, Cloud9.
The story writes itself, there’s not much else to say or add. Jensen on Cloud9 versus Bjergsen and Team Liquid, that’s it.