TSM Reclaims Their Throne

Riot·Sep 2, 2014·2 votes·19,586 views

The playoffs have been a thrill ride for Team SoloMid. From the opening best-of-five against Dignitas, a 3-1 victory, through a 3-2 comeback win over LMQ, Team SoloMid showed an elevated level of play that had been missing from the team for the past few months. Their enhanced abilities culminated in their 3-2 win over Cloud9. They finally took back their throne as kings of NA following a series that was series of the year for the LCS. On top of regaining their primacy, Team SoloMid gets a coveted No. 1 seed in the 2014 World Championship. How did they do it? It was not a single thing that TSM consistently did, but a plethora of things. Support Ham “Lustboy” Jang-sik was the bedrock of a vision control that came to dominate the later games of the series. Middle laner Soren “Bjergsen” Bjerg was a force in every game on a variety of champions that TSM leaned on. The other three members on the team shined in many different roles. It was a complete team win. Relive some of the key moments from Team SoloMid’s victory below.

Game 2: Battle Cattle Victory

Team SoloMid gave Cloud9 their first playoff loss in this game, and a big reason was Dyrus’s Alistar. The minotaur was an initiating monster throughout the game, and was able to use his Unbreakable Will ultimate ability to soak up damage for his team on numerous occasions. In the highlight, Dyrus wades into the fight and helps set up multiple kills thanks to his Headbutt/Pulverize combo.

Game 4: Jump ‘em Early

In the first three minutes of this game, Team SoloMid manages to kill Cloud9’s middle laner Hai “Hai” Lam twice. The second time was particularly bold, and painful. TSM pulls off a five person invade, as well as secure the Blue buff for Amazing’s Lee Sin. The two kills were a foreshadowing as TSM snowballed this game out of control to tie the series up at 2-2.

Game 5: Final Fight For The Win

The final engagement between these two teams began when Team SoloMid had a gold deficit, but that didn’t stop them from winning it. AD Carry Jason “WildTurtle” Tran’s Tristana went huge in this engagement and scored a quadrakill including a three shot kill on C9’s Corki. The four members from TSM left alive were able to kill the Cloud9 Nexus before respawns, and celebrate that they had earned their spot atop North America. There can be no rest, and precious little celebration for Team SoloMid. The 2014 World Championship is just around the corner, and there will be more tests to come for this experienced squad. The confidence boost will certainly help them as they compete against the best the world has to offer, and if they continue to play like they did against Cloud9, they have an excellent shot at making it out of the group stage during the tournament.

64 Comments

DandicSep 2, 201415 votes

Such an intense series. Was very entertaining to watch. I think that all three of NA teams going to worlds look very impressive.

Spin TransitionSep 2, 20147 votes

You mean the two NA teams and the extra Chinese slot, right? I wasnt aware of there being three NA teams going to worlds...

TheUndeadLymSep 2, 201424 votes

So you can't represent NA as chinese but representing NA as europeans (looking at Bjerg and Amazing) is fine? Whole new level of racism lol

Terminator1122Sep 2, 20146 votes

Are you idiot or what? TSM is just like all other a NA teams with some foreign members, and LMQ is a chinese team with full 5 chinese members. People would cheer for LMQ in NA if they were a NA team with full 5 chinese member.

TheUndeadLymSep 2, 201421 votes

It doesn't matter where someone is from to be called "(north) american". They are a North American team, they made their way through the entire challenger scene and fought in the summer split, finishing third respectively. They earned their spot and they took a lot of risks coming over to america and play there. I don't see your problem.

DarKnight4321Sep 2, 20145 votes

The fact is LMQ is a Chinese team, I respect what they had done in NA, but i don't like them to represent NA. They are talking a spot at world that all other NA teams deserve to be in. Riot need to fix their system i think.

C DriveSep 2, 201421 votes

So what makes LMQ not North American? The majority of their members are Chinese, but the majority of TSM's members are foreign as well. TSM has 2 EU players and a KR player to their 2 NA players, but everyone still considers them North American, despite the majority being from outside the region. Or is one player from North America enough to be considered a North American team? That's preposterous, excluding the undertone of nationalism, North America is itself a continent of immigrants. The fact that they decided they could succeed by coming to North America is the exact premise that lured so many people to North America to begin with. I feel honored to have LMQ represent us, regardless of their origin, because they chose to come here and they chose to represent us. They are going as a NA team, and the only people who say otherwise are the people who are too shallow to look beyond the nationality.

And if a team couldn't take it away from LMQ, then they didn't deserve the spot to begin with. The fact of the matter is LMQ played better, so LMQ has the spot. If you're upset about it, tell the other teams to try harder, rather than tell LMQ to leave.

LandreinSep 2, 20142 votes

First, There are players in the Olympics who move to another country to compete for them. Also, The team "Originated" crap is just semantics to hide racism. If that is true for teams why not people. A runner who "originated" in another country can't represent the U.S. even if he lives here? Or is that "different". And would you have had the same problem with EG? By there logic, If a team moved to the U.S. all got there citizenship, lived here for 40 years, they still wouldn't be qualified to represet the U.S. because their team was in china 1 year 40 back.

C9 DarknessSep 2, 20143 votes

Was you at PAX? did you hear people boo LMQ? NA fans dont like Chinese team to represent them at world. TSM, as far as they are a NA team, even they have full 5 foreign members, fans will still cheer for them.

LandreinSep 2, 20142 votes

An all american team with no American's on it. I don't know If I should comment on your lack of consistency or presume you consistent and comment on your neo imperialism.

Scooby Pwns On USep 2, 20145 votes

id be happier if i didnt have to hear everything they say translated

A Wise FoolSep 5, 20141 votes

at least they can speak english

Big Boss SenninSep 2, 20145 votes

Yawn.

ArcanaNoctisSep 2, 201414 votes

...you are a special kind of stupid.

SsatanikoSep 4, 20142 votes

You mean the 1 and 2/5ths NA teams going to Worlds. We have C9...then we have TSM with its patchwork of 3 foreign imports. And then there's that team without a single NA citizen that bootcamps in China and laughs at the stupidity of NA for ever letting it play here in the first place.

TheSequelsRBadSep 2, 201410 votes

Cloud9 may have lost, but they are still my favorite team, and i will always cheer for them. GGWP to Tsm though, they played really well, and (though it hurts me to say it) better than cloud9 did that series.

BloodtotemzSep 2, 20143 votes

and you should, Cloud 9 put up one hell of a fight and no one who honestly watched that game and know how to play well will tell you that TSM or Cloud 9 is better than each other, i think that is the closest Bo5 i have ever watched and it was well deserved whoever won.

StarböySep 7, 20141 votes

Very true, that entire game, I am of course a TSM fan and have been since early season 2 when I first started looking into the competitive scene. I've always loved the rivalry between C9 and TSM mainly because it helps the two teams push harder to be better. The same can be said about LMQ. All of these teams playing at this level and pushing games to 5 of 5 really improve and help make the NA competitive. I wouldn't be surprised to see one or two or maybe even all three NA teams make it decently far into worlds.

bubbletoesSep 21, 20141 votes

LMQ deserves to represent NA, they live here, they play here, they represent NA. One of my only problems with them is that none of them speak english

ButtersBBGSep 2, 20149 votes

Cloud 9 will be back next year to take home the gold.

TheSequelsRBadSep 2, 20141 votes

Yup, you can bet they will! :)

ZhuganSep 2, 20147 votes

How can you call it "their throne" when C9 has sat on it for the past year and a half? Seems to me like they pushed C9 off of C9's throne and made it theirs again.

warpedmindSep 2, 20145 votes

TSM won the 2013 spring split iirc

Scooby Pwns On USep 2, 20149 votes

tsm used to be king of na before c9 showed up

ZhuganSep 3, 20141 votes

That was more than a year ago over the course of roughly 4 years of competitively play in league. If you haven't been on said throne for more than 1/4 of the total time that League has been an esport, I don't think you can call it yours unless you are currently sitting on it.

Selk3tSep 3, 20145 votes

TSM made it the furthest in the S1 Worlds as far as NA teams

TSM dominated 95% of S2 and was the top NA team at the end of the season

TSM was still the top NA team for the first half of S3

C9 took their spot for the second half of S3

C9 was still on top for the first half of S4

TSM is now back on top for the second half of S4

TSM has been the top NA team at the end of every season execpt S3.........It was their throne and they got it back

ZhuganSep 3, 20141 votes

Except they weren't on top for most of this split. They were on top at the last possible minute of this split thanks in large part to the game 5 efforts of Dyrus in both the semifinals and the finals of the playoffs.

C9 finished top in the regular season with TSM in 3rd.

Simply put, it hasn't been "their" throne for roughly 18 months. 18 of the 48 months that league has been competitive. That is 3/8s of the entire time that league has had a competitive e-sports scene. If you have been off the metaphorical throne that long it simply isn't yours.

Selk3tSep 3, 20141 votes

C9 knocked TSM out of the top spot in September of 2013 (S3 Summer). It is now September of 2014........Where are you getting 18 months? What happens during the split is irrelevant, what counts is who shows up when it matters (ie. Regionals/Playoffs).The Champion title is what matters and TSM were the only other team to have the "NA throne" when it mattered. Im not sure why it bothers you so much that they worded it like that.

TheSleepyGodSep 2, 20146 votes

TSM TSM TSM!!!!

Hit0lolSep 2, 20144 votes

Regarding the LMQ question all I have to say is that I truly respect the fact that they had the gut to go to the US and compete. More, they won their spot and have shown solid performances. And as said in a previous comment that's one of the reasons why people did emigrate to the US and keep doing so.

The only detail I do not like about is their apparent lack of interest in communicating in English. I mean, everyone about their age had contact with English and English lessons at school, and even if they didn't the way I see it is: You go to a foreign country, you have to adapt, be it in lifestyle or language, they just seem to make no effort whatsoever. Come on, even a thank you, or small joke, I don't know, just something that would show that they are actually working and living and are part of the American culture.

It's a pain to watch a American league/tournament and have a dude translating everything.

BloodtotemzSep 2, 20145 votes

I understand your point but they have said time and time again that they are actually trying to learn english, when they are interviewing they would rather have a solid response from a translator rather than try and give a sloppy spotty personal translation.

In their position i understand why its taking so long for them to get a solid grasp on learning the language, when you are playing almost all day and night you dont really have time to sit down for however long and practice learning a new language. You pick up things here and there but with how complicated English can be as a language it takes extra time to learn things. I mean look at Seraph, they said he had a good grasp of the language and he is still struggling to speak when interviewed/playing.

I think if they are still struggling to learn the language come the end of the spring split then it would be understandable for people to really be bitching about this subject.

MystletaynnSep 2, 20142 votes

Helios seems to be doing fairly good in terms of learning English. Just give everyone some time, and they'll get it soon enough. :)

DudermenSep 2, 20141 votes

But how often do you see interview with Helios, Seraph, Lustboy, etc.

College DebtsSep 3, 20141 votes

They're a Chinese team playing in the US, they're not an American team, but they ARE a NA LCS team representing NA LCS at worlds. In the recent the interview, LMQ said they don't represent USA, they represent the play style and meta game NA LCS.

DamadoxxSep 4, 20143 votes

Most of these comments are giving me brain damage.

SaDiablo95Sep 2, 20142 votes

I'm not a huge fan of Corki as a high level adc pick right now. He's a good champion, and a mid game monster, but he has a very limited window of time where his power spike allows him to dominate the game. His power spikes when he gets Trinity Force, so at about 10-15 minutes, so after that, if you can win before 30 minutes or so, great, but after that time, the ad carries like Kog and Tristana right now outscale him so hard he becomes almost useless. I was rooting for TSM, so I was happy when I saw C9 pick Corki, but still. I don't think that was a great decision by C9 that last game. At the same time though... Varus Varus will forever have a place in my heart. I want him to be in the meta so bad. item 3070

warpedmindSep 2, 20141 votes

ultility adc will be out for a long time i guess. maybe in the pre-season when they look at itemization again

BloodtotemzSep 2, 20143 votes

Even itemization wouldnt mean much, the reason why utility ADCs were popular at one point was because adc werent really carries anymore and the game was so focused on mid and top carrying. now that the meta has moved back to somewhat carry mids with extremely tanky tops ADCs are rising again and there is no need for them to be utility players in the game.

XyzBladeSep 3, 20142 votes

LMQ! LMQ! LMQ! I wish ya the best at world. For LMQ haters out there. IDGAF, come back and trash talk when you reach LMQ player's level. LOL I think probably all LMQ haters out there are bronze playerz ;D

IrregulatorSep 3, 20142 votes

North America is a melting pot. I think it should be viewed as a statement of the success of our region that teams from other parts of the world specifically want to live and work in the United States. That is the foundation of our country.

Th3ch0senJUanSep 4, 20142 votes

These three teams are representing the NORTH AMERICAN LCS. Meaning, this league is consisted of multiple teams from which their players are of multiple nationalities, just as it is in China with Korean players, as in the GPL with players from Taiwan, Philippines and etc AS WELL AS the EU LCS which has more diversity than any other league.

If you want more reasoning as to why LMQ is a great representation of the NA LCS, think of it this way; in soccer, there are stars from different countries on multiple teams, at the end of each season, they win the prospective leagues with these players and go on to represent these leagues on these teams in regional tournaments such as the UEFA Champions League. THEN if they win that they go to an INTERNATIONAL club tournament featuring teams from around the world, representing those leagues with multinational teams.

If you want to get anal-retentive about the fact that LMQ is all Chinese players, then ask Riot for a World Cup/Olympic style tournament where all these players represent their countries together.

TL:DR

Leagues from each and every sport have multiple teams with multiple players from multiple countries that continue to represent those leagues in regional to international club team tournaments. The fact that some teams have more members from a certain country should only be addressed if it was an Olympic/World Cup Style event where each country had to have a representing team.

PresulSep 3, 20141 votes

I know some people have mixed feelings about LMQ in NA, but I will say one positive that came from LMQ is that they challenged TSM, C9, Dignitas, Curse and made our region stronger this year than previous years. I think the best 3 teams from NA made World's and I'm glad we have 3 solid teams from our region. Also LMQ's early season interviews showed us that LMQ didn't come to NA because they thought it was their only chance of qualifying, but that they love America and would love to win the World championship for us. They took a gamble coming here and went through adversity with ownership issues. Their story is a classic example of "The American Dream."

JunbaoSep 3, 20141 votes

I don't what the big deal is. TSM is going to worlds to play 3 games...then fly back home. lol

CronyismSep 3, 20141 votes

This series of 5 was one of the most exciting I have seen for the two years I have been watching and following EU and NA LCS. Almost as exciting as the series between TSM and LMQ! I must admit, I never expected TSM to finally dethrone C9 and reclaim the 1. spot in NA, but man they do REALLY deserve the spot after fighting first Dignitas, then LMQ and finally C9! Wauw! And a huge shout out to Bjergsen, who I personally think deserve the spot at worlds with TSM. He started in EU LCS with NIP where he did exceptionally, but not having the team to go top 3. Now finally after he met Reginald at worlds season 3, he moved over the Atlantic joining TSM and here it all culminates after 1 year! Congratulations to TSM!

SsatanikoSep 4, 20141 votes

TSM "reclaims their throne" much to the delight of LolEsports. But no one but the most delusional TSM fan(okay maybe they all are) really believes they are the top team in NA. They are third or 4th at best. They lost the regular season then scraped by in the playoffs and won a 5-game final that was utterly meaningless because C9 had already accomplished its goal of getting to Worlds, and with no 1st Round bye this year the seeding means less than ever. And even on cruise control C9 almost beat a TSM team that was absolutely starved to win and pretend that they finished first. They were rapidly losing their fickle ADD fanbase and the simpleton "T-S-M" chants had died down to a few whimpers throughout the entire season. Regi could all but hear the money trickling out of his wallet as he desperately re-tooled again. So TSM wins a hollow meaningless victory and Dyrus, with his atrophied arms, raises it over his head and they pretend one last time that they are the best. As jokes go, it's barely worth a chuckle.

landontyral459Sep 30, 20144 votes

Spoken like a salty little C9 fuck who couldn't handle the fact the team they hitched their bandwangon to didn't win. Go into the corner you crawled out of and except your team isn't NA's #1 team anymore and TSM is and STFU.

ˆayySep 30, 20141 votes

Everyone who says that LMQ is not a NA team, is basically saying that immigrants coming from other countries don't belong and won't count as citizens. All 5 LMQ members either have permanent visa's or citizenship, so legally speaking, they are a NA team, don't be so hurt by the fact than a NA team did so well.