Worlds 2022 is looming, but before we get to the conclusion of the 2022 League of Legends Esports season, there is the small matter of the LEC and LCS Summer Finals.
LEC Summer’s Grand Final sees G2 Esports take on Rogue, while LCS Summer’s conclusion will see Cloud9 lock horns with 100 Thieves.
Both matches are set to be barnstorming affairs and, with reputations to be built prior to Worlds 2022, all four of these sides will bring their A-game to a superb day of League Of Legends action.
LEC Summer 2022 Grand Final - G2 vs Rogue
To say G2 versus Rogue will be a grudge match, would be a huge understatement. These sides met in the Grand Final of LEC Spring and it was G2 who completed a remarkable lower-bracket run by defeating today’s opponents in a 3-0 sweep.
That defeat stung Rogue, who enjoyed a rock-solid group campaign and led the way at 14-4, and revenge will be high on the agenda. Gaining that will be no easy task, however, as the Summer Split has seen G2 return to their dominant best.
G2 came out on top in group play with a 12-6 record, edging out MAD Lions (12-6) and Rogue (11-7) in an exciting finish to the split. The playoffs thus far have conclusively shown that G2 are the best team in Europe, defeating Misfits 3-1 in the Upper Bracket semi-finals before dealing with Rogue 3-0 in the Upper Bracket Final.
The dominance in which G2 defeated Rogue in that Upper Bracket Final cannot be understated and it continued a trend of head-to-head success for G2. The last time Rogue defeated G2 was early in the Spring season and subsequently, G2 have gone 8-0 against them.
caPs and Targamas have led the way for G2 through this dominant playoff campaign and the momentum is clearly with them, as they look to lay down a serious marker heading into Worlds 2022.
Rogue will get their chance at redemption after a 3-1 victory over fnatic in the Lower Bracket Final, but their record in playoffs tells a bleak story. They are yet to taste success in the latter stages of a split and G2 have comprehensively outplayed them in two recent playoff encounters, where they have not been able to win a single map.
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As the odds suggest, G2 are in a commanding position. They have all the momentum and their individuals are playing on a level that Rogue are unlikely to be able to match. G2 have won the last two play-off encounters between the sides 3-0 and they are -350 to triumph once again against Rogue.
G2 cannot be opposed, but Rogue will be hungry for revenge and it would be no surprise to see them pick up at least one map in this best of five.
LCS Summer 2022 Grand Final - Cloud9 vs 100 Thieves
Evil Geniuses ended group play with an almost immaculate record of 15-3, so their absence from this final is the first big surprise. They were dumped from the playoffs after defeats to Cloud9 and 100 Thieves, so there can be little doubt that these two sides have earned the right to fight for the Summer Split.
100 Thieves chased home Evil Geniuses with a 14-4 record and were the stronger team towards the end of group play, losing just one of their last nine matches to end the stage.
Their playoff run kicked off with a shaky 3-2 victory over Liquid and they were forced into the Lower Bracket Final after a 3-1 defeat to Cloud9 in the Upper Bracket Final. They had to claw their way back from a map deficit for a 3-2 win over Evil Geniuses to reach this point and will now look to exact revenge on Cloud9.
100 Thieves would usually have the advantage, owing to their group play record, but Cloud9 have built up a huge amount of momentum and it is ultimately no surprise that they are favourites.
They ended group play with a record of 11-8 but have taken down all comers in the playoffs, defeating Counter Logic Gaming 3-2 in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals before a shock 3-1 victory over Evil Geniuses. Their Upper Bracket Final win over 100 Thieves was another statement success and as the odds suggest, there is little to separate these sides in the rematch.
Expect a drawn-out game that will put emphasis on the latter stages, with their prior playoff encounter seeing three of the four maps going beyond 35 minutes. The full five maps may be needed to split these sides.
