Team SoloMid and LGD Gaming were eliminated from the 2020 League of Legends World Championship in Group C before they clashed in their last game of the tournament on Oct. 10.
In TSM’s case, their 0W-6L record represents the worst performance by a #1 seed at the World Championship. Despite their placement in a wide open group, the North American team was out of its element in Group C as Fnatic, Gen.G and LGD Gaming beat them decisively twice.
TSM’s Day 7 woes started against Fnatic as Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau’s Volibear and Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek’s Orianna dismantled their front-line heavy composition as, despite holding many team fighting tools, they left their backline exposed. Their subsequent loss eliminated them from the competition at 0-4, but they still had a role to play in possibly eliminating Gen.G or LGD, as that would have allowed them to claim a victory at Worlds.
However, neither happened. Against Gen.G, despite a strong start in the solo lanes and in the jungle (with Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg’s Lucian sporting a 6/0/2 KDA at the 19:30 mark), they conceded their momentum in a litany of botched skirmishes as they attempted to force tower takedowns in the top side and in the mid lane.
The matter worsened significantly over time, allowing Gen.G to recover from a 5k gold deficit. TSM lack of synergy was apparent in a 32nd-minute team fight where Mingyi “Spica” Lu’s Lillia landed a five-man R – Lilting Lullaby, only for his teammates – particularly Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng’s Aphelios – to neglect following up on an otherwise game-winning play. That sequence was TSM’s final opportunity at closing the game, as Gen.G’s composition reached critical scaling and rolled over TSM’s from then onward.
In the end, the North American team’s Worlds campaign came to a final stop when the already eliminated LGD Gaming awaited them, as Gen.G and Fnatic defeated them earlier. Although the game started on a dire note, TSM slowly crawled their way back into the game. Despite losing their mid and top inhibitors by minute 36, LGD’s gold lead grew insignificant against TSM’s Camille, Graves, Zilean, Ashe and Braum composition.
In a final twist at the 37-minute mark, as TSM eyed Baron Nashor, Peanut’s Nidalee and Langx’s Shen snuck through their defenses and destroyed the nexus, cementing TSM’s position in Worlds history as the first #1 seed to finish 0-6, without a single victory.
On the other hand, the LPL team’s 3W-3L record left them at the doorstep of a Worlds quarterfinal appearance, one that slipped from their hands as they nearly backdoored Gen.G’s nexus in their faceoff. However, the Korean squad dispatched them before they could do so at the 33-minute mark. With Fnatic crushing them on the subsequent game off a strong Oskar “Selfmade” Boderek (3/2/8 on Hecarim) duet with Bwipo (6/0/5 on Volibear), one that spiraled out of control when Nemesis’s Orianna (6/2/1) freely targeted opponents, their campaign had ended.
Group C's top seed is undecided at the time of writing.
