Seventeen-year-old support player Ryu “Keria” Min-seok led the charge today for DragonX, who beat T1 in dramatic fashion. DragonX won the series 2-1, solidifying an early lead in Korea’s LCK Summer Split.
DRX prioritized map control over skirmishing and built up to Soul point. But in the end, it all came down to the last game of the series.
T1 were the clear favorites of this matchup based on the pick and ban phase. They took a calculated approach to the game and banked on Canna’s top lane Kayle. DRX, meanwhile, rolled with a mishmash of a composition, drafting Lee Sin, Ziggs, and Bard. It didn’t make sense, but it didn’t have to.
T1 were slow and methodical and gained the early-game lead. But before they could put their foot in the door and close out the series, Keria came into full effect. Traveling through his Magical Journey with cocksure confidence, he threw out his Cosmic Binding and found the opening DRX needed.
T1 attempted to play to their win condition and drag the game out as long as humanly possible, but they were too cautious. DRX ran circles around them before pushing the Nexus for the win.
T1’s indecisiveness was inevitably the deciding factor of the series.
Today’s best-of-three doesn’t bode well for Korea at this year’s Worlds. It’s still early and the LCK has room to improve, but if they fail to adapt and stick to their old ways, they’re doomed. Playing slow simply won’t work against China’s LPL or Europe’s LEC.
