FunPlus Phoenix started off the 2021 LPL Spring Split in convincing fashion earlier today by defeating OMG 2-0.
FPX fans had been waiting for this series to watch the org’s promising new League of Legends roster in action for the first time since world champion top laner Nuguri came from the LCK to join the team in November but didn’t compete in the Demacia Cup. This was the first time he stepped onto the LPL stage and wore FPX colors.
From what they showed in this series, it appears that Nuguri has brought great strength and versatility to the roster. He showcased his diverse playstyles by serving as facilitator in the first game with Gragas and then as a pivotal carry in the second match by picking Camille.
FPX asserted their dominance from the beginning of the series. At the 13-minute mark of the first game, FPX jungler Tian and Nuguri rushed to the top lane to get a kill on OMG top laner New while their bot lane was simultaneously taking a kill in a well-executed two-vs-two trade. They already had a 2,000 gold lead over OMG at that point.
Related: Here are the 2021 LPL Spring Split standings
FPX took the lead in both early games despite OMG jungler Aki trying to counter every gank from Tian. FPX showcased a solid overall performance by executing fast and clear rotations in both games that helped them take every objective on the map before OMG could react. They also dominated the laning phases.
Despite winning 2-0, FPX’s players also made some mistakes, especially on the side of mid laner Doinb, who made some greedy moves when his team had taken a large lead. “I’m very satisfied by my teammates’ performance but not with my own,” he said in the post-match interview.
Doinb also described a fun and relaxed atmosphere in FPX and said Nuguri perfectly fits in with the team. “He really likes playing those side lane focused champions,” Doinb said, according to a translation provided by iCrystalization. “So, I think we’re still working hard in this respect. But we did pretty well today.”
In this series, FPX AD carry Lwx also had a clean performance by getting the edge over his lane opponents in each game, as well as having good positioning in fights with Kai’Sa. In the second game, he even picked up his 1,500th kill in the LPL since he joined the league in 2017.
He’s getting closer to the top 10 players with the most kills in LPL history. Lwx is still far from reaching the top spot, though, where former superstar ADC Uzi sits with over 2,500 kills.
FPX’s next series will see them play EDward Gaming in the LPL match of the week on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 5am CT.
OMG, on the other hand, started their season with a loss but it was also against one of the LPL teams with the highest expectations. Despite losing the lead early, they also made some good plays and adapted their strategies in the mid game.
OMG will have a chance to bounce back when they face off against eStar Gaming to kick off the third LPL week on Monday Jan. 18 at 3am CT.
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