LOL: My talent is top-tier, my professional skills are unparalleled.

Chapter 545 Quarterfinals Grouping! Little Phoenix and IG Meet Again in the Semifinals!

With this, the list of teams advancing from the group stage of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship has been officially released:

Group A: G2, GRF
Group B: EDG, SPY
Group C: SKT, IG
Group D: DWG, FPX
Immediately afterwards, the draw ceremony for the quarterfinals took place as scheduled.

With a grand introduction by a host from Europe and America, the captains of the teams that advanced to the quarterfinals took to the stage one after another.

The number one seed and the number two seed teams stood face to face.

The guest invited to draw lots that evening was Mithy, the support player for the G2 team at the S7 World Championship.

It has to be said that the draw guests invited to the European region of this World Championship were not any big-name players, making the process somewhat perfunctory.

At this moment, the host on stage began to speak:
"Soon, we will hold a draw ceremony to reveal the team matchups for the quarterfinals."

"First, we will draw the top four teams from each group."

"The first team to be selected is G2 Esports!"

"The second team to be selected is SKT!"

These are the teams in the left half of the bracket, while the teams in the right half are naturally EDG in the upper half and DWG in the lower half.

Next up is the draw for the second seed teams in the second round.

This is the most important part of the quarterfinals, and the four second-seeded teams are all eager to try.

They each have their own preferred team to play against, but they don't know if they'll be drawn into the top seed.

Soon, amidst a mix of joy and sorrow, the list of the top eight was finalized.

left--

Upper bracket: SKT vs FPX
Bottom bracket: G2 vs IG
right--

Upper bracket: EDG vs GRF
Bottom bracket: DWG vs. SPY
After the final group assignments were announced, discussions broke out in the LPL livestream rooms.

"The quarterfinals draw seems pretty good this time! LPL teams didn't clash with any of them, so we don't have to fight each other in internal battles!"

"But EDG and IG weren't placed in the same bracket. Does this mean there won't be an internal LPL battle in the semifinals?!"

"Do you think it's possible that the finals will be an all-LPL internal battle?!"

"Hehe, stop dreaming! Let's talk about the semifinals first! After watching IG's matches, I think IG might not even be able to beat G2."

"Haha, isn't it a no-brainer for IG to beat G2?"

"Holy crap, I just realized that all three teams from the LCK region have made it to the next round, and two of them are number one seeds!"

"Yeah, it's one thing to talk about the bad teams from wildcard regions or Europe and America, but the LCK region should not be underestimated."

"This is hilarious! Another team from the LMS region failed to make it to the quarterfinals. If this continues, the LMS region will definitely disband and be reorganized next year."

"That's right, but North America has been terrible these past two years. If it weren't for Riot Games in North America, they probably would have disbanded!"

"Why am I a little worried about EDG? It's not that I don't trust Yao! It's just that GRF is also very strong, and they're at their peak right now."

"Yeah, what if iboy or Meiko messes up? GRF's ADC is Viper, he's handsome and skilled, wouldn't EDG be..."

……

……

Although some viewers were slightly worried about EDG's performance, after all, the favorite champion team every year always ends up losing.

For example, KZ in S7 only reached the quarterfinals. Apart from SKT during their peak years in S5 and S6, and EDG in S8, the rest of the teams were basically like that.

However, professionals within the LPL are not very worried about EDG.

After all, although GRF is known as the uncrowned king of the LCK region, EDG has Wang Yao!
Wang Yao is now in the LPL region, and he is the only god!

They are mainly worried about IG's current state, as anything can happen at the World Championship.

Moreover, they are facing G2, who are in excellent form. This year's G2 are not to be trifled with!

Fortunately, these two LPL teams were not placed in the same half of the bracket.

After all, there's still a high probability that IG will draw EDG.

This quarterfinal draw is one of the best results they could have hoped for, and the competition will be quite exciting.

LPL fans are happy, but no matter how happy they are, they are not as happy as European fans.

When the eight quarterfinalists were finally determined, fans of all the European and American teams went wild.

Because this year, like the LCK region, they also have three teams from Europe and North America that have all made it to the quarterfinals!

So fans in the European and American regions all went wild!

Moreover, all three teams are quite strong, so their chances of winning the championship are very high.

G2's matches against any LCK team are like a father beating his son!

However, the LCK region is even more aggressive this year!
They came to Paris with the belief that it was their duty to revive the glory of the LCK region!
It's worth remembering that the year before last and last year, it was EDG who personally dragged the LCK region down from its pedestal.

GRF, who were the first to face EDG head-on, weren't too worried. Not to mention that they were mostly young people, and young people are not afraid of tigers.

The mere fact that EDG is LCK's lifelong rival means that the national and personal vendetta buff is truly at its maximum.

As G2 prepares to face IG, these G2 fans are very confident in their team.

This year's IG team has been visibly underwhelming.

Having almost failed to qualify for the World Championship after being eliminated in the LPL, this year is probably the year that IG is considered to have performed the worst.

Wang Yao's impact on IG during last year's World Championship was enormous.

Moreover, the tip of the trident, which used to be sharp, is no longer very sharp.

TheShy is playing long-range top laners almost obsessively.

Mid laner Rookie is not in good form, while bot laner JackeyLove is fine, but after all, the bot lane is a duo.

But Ah Shui just happened to spray on a new Death God-themed blue.

If IG can't win in this state, then their G2 team will definitely be disqualified by fans.

10 month 26 day.

The quarterfinals have begun!
Palazzo Vistalegre in Madrid, Spain.

It's 6 PM Beijing time.

Amidst much anticipation, the first match of the 2019 quarterfinals between SKT and FPX began.

Facing the experienced but clearly more consistent SKT, FPX had no advantage at this point.

The first game saw both sides battle for forty minutes, with the score reaching 20 to 17.

FPX ultimately prevailed by a narrow margin, securing a winning start.

However, in the second game, FPX's situation began to deteriorate rapidly.

Perhaps FPX used up all their luck in the first game, but in the second game, it was as if SKT had figured out their weaknesses and slaughtered them from start to finish, thus losing the game.

The two sides were tied 1-1.

Fortunately, in the third game, FPX started their familiar tactic of four-man ganks on the second lane, with Doinb in the mid lane coordinating with Tian to invade the side lanes.

Faced with FPX's relentless attacks and coordinated roaming, SKT's side laners were constantly bogged down.

Xiaotian was in such good form that he practically became the king of the jungle, completely dominating SKT's jungle.

In the end, FPX defeated SKT in the third game, taking the lead in the match.

Facing the fully awakened FPX team, Lee Sang-hyeok's expression showed unprecedented tension, because he had been completely controlled by the opposing team throughout the game.

The movement and interaction are completely unresponsive!

In the final match point game, FPX maintained their strong roaming and coordination, defeating SKT 3-1 and eliminating them from the quarterfinals.

This is the first time since SKT was founded that they have been eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to reach the semifinals!

FPX defeated SKT with a resounding 3-1 score, advancing to the semifinals!
Instantly, an uproar erupted within the LPL.

"Holy crap, what kind of plot is this?!"

"Holy crap! FPX kept a low profile, but they crushed Faker's cane right from the start."

"What's going on? Is our little phoenix about to win the championship?!"

"Holy crap! Tian! Is this the power of a champion jungler?"

"I'm dying of laughter. Dafei got taught a lesson by Yao at MSI, and then got taught a lesson by Tian in the quarterfinals."

"Take it!!"

Looking forward to the next mini-IG!

There is another match on October 26th, G2 vs IG.

This match is crucial for both teams, and neither can afford to lose.

This year's G2 has the strongest roster and coaching staff in history, and the players are also at their peak.

Although IG performed poorly this year, they did prove themselves in the group stage and prevented FNC from achieving a three-game winning streak.

The fact that they were able to make it into the quarterfinals alongside SKT in Group C already proves that this team has a very high ceiling.

Soon, the melee between the two teams officially began.

On one side is G2, who love to play fancy tricks but whose overall team strength has greatly improved; on the other side is IG, who are poised to prove themselves.

In the first game, G2, with all players in top form, performed exceptionally well, dominating all three lanes of IG during the laning phase.

TheShy and Rookie were repeatedly outplayed by IG, ultimately leading to their defeat.

But in the second game, the enraged IG team fought back fiercely. TheShy in the top lane picked Kayle, and Rookie in the mid lane also got LeBlanc. The invincible IG mid and top lane duo finally returned in this game, and they once again crushed their opponents in the laning phase, avenging their loss in the previous game.

In the third game, the two sides fought for 43 minutes. In the end, G2's mid laner Twisted Fate made a miraculous backdoor play, which caused IG to lose and take the lead in the match point game.

When Perkz and Hat King returned to the lounge with smiles on their faces, TheShy, standing to the side, had a gloomy expression and kept his lips tightly closed, not uttering a word.

As expected, in the fourth game, TheShy, who had been silent, suddenly erupted. He picked Jayce in the top lane and single-handedly destroyed G2's top lane.

With the help of Rookie and Ning's relentless ganks, TheShy, transformed into a demon king, managed to pull off numerous memorable plays with Jayce, ultimately dragging the game to the fifth round.

The decisive game begins!

In the final moments, IG, who were clearly gaining momentum, seemed to have rediscovered the form they had shown when they were aiming for the championship last year.

They played quite steadily in the final game. After Xiaobaolan got Rakan, IG's bot lane duo got a kill in the early game, stabilizing the situation in the bottom lane.

Ning and Rookie continued to desperately help the top lane, with the key battlegrounds for both sides focused on the upper half of the map, while JKL in the lower half was enjoying a smooth farming experience.

They caught the opposing player, A-P, and gave him a good beating, ultimately resulting in a huge development gap between the two teams' bottom lanes.

In team fights, JKL's Xayah was unstoppable, and IG ultimately defeated G2 to advance to the semifinals against FPX!

At this moment, FPX and G2 have both advanced to the semifinals, leaving only EDG in the lower bracket.

10 month 27 day.

The second day of the quarterfinals.

The young men of the GRF team arrived at the competition venue early, full of energy.

IG, who had been struggling this year, suddenly broke through G2 in the upper bracket and made it into the semifinals, which made them feel heavy-hearted.

Bearing the hope of revitalizing the LCK, they are determined to upset EDG, the top seed in the LPL this year!

EDG, on the other hand, seemed quite calm.

After all, they are all veteran players who have won championships and seen too many big moments.

Even Wang Yao, who has only been in the industry for two and a half years, is no longer considered a junior player in the LPL region, but rather a mid-level player.

In two more years, he'll be a true veteran!
"IG is a pretty good team. They've returned to the form they had in last year's finals."

"But don't be nervous, and don't feel pressured to make it to the finals and win the championship. Just play like you normally would."

"I believe in your abilities!"

Coach Zhu Kai, known for his motivational speeches, is once again offering words of encouragement to the EDG players.

It has to be said that Zhu Kai's talent for giving motivational speeches is definitely among the top in the LPL coaching staff.

As long as he's not allowed to play in draft picks and bans, he's done pretty well in other aspects.

Upon hearing this, the EDG members all nodded, and after focusing their thoughts on GRF, their expressions also turned serious.

After reviewing key matches from GRF's game recordings over the past year in the LCK region.

EDG's coaching staff realized that they seemed to have been underestimating this young team.

In terms of both individual skill and teamwork, this group of players can basically be considered the ideal template for a strong team in the LCK region.

Their only real weakness is their lack of experience in major competitions, which can lead to mistakes due to their inexperience and youthful impulsiveness.

GRF has been incredibly strong in both the Spring and Summer Splits, and their record is outstanding.

It's fair to say they dominated and crushed their opponents in the LCK region.

However, precisely because of their youth, they were completely outmaneuvered by SKT, led by Faker, in both the spring and summer leagues, winning very few games and failing to win a single BO3 or BO5 match.

SKT was like a father beating his son, so most of GRF's fame was absorbed by SKT and used to benefit them.

But that doesn't mean they're weak. At least from EDG's perspective, GRF is just as troublesome as SKT.

After all, SKT's strategy, which they were so proud of, simply didn't work against EDG.

Khan has been consistently captured by the LPL region. Whether it's Flandre or TheShy, Khan's role is to be consistently caught out.

So no matter how you look at it, GRF is still the bigger threat, because this year's team is really unfamiliar.

Seeing everyone start discussing GRF's strengths and weaknesses, Wang Yao couldn't help but nod. GRF was a team that shouldn't be underestimated.

Don't let their lack of fame fool you; in two years, almost all of GRF's starting five will be key players for their respective teams.

Sword, Tazan, Superpower, Viper...

These are all names familiar to later generations, and they are still active in competitions after S10.

GRF's bad luck in running into IG in the quarterfinals was simply a matter of bad fortune.

At that time, Ning Wang was in a period of explosive power, and he directly carried them away.

Ning's Lee Sin slammed his huge shoe print onto Tazan's face. Even years later, Ning could still mercilessly taunt Tazan in front of his livestream.

There's nothing we can do; they eliminated GRF by stepping on their heads back then, so Tazan has no choice but to keep quiet even if he's unhappy.

The good news is that IG didn't face GRF this year, but they eliminated G2 in the upper bracket.

The bad news is... they've run into the even tougher EDG!

An even more terrifying big boss!

The EDG players arrived at the competition venue after chatting for a short time. After a brief rest to adjust their mental state, the match was about to officially begin.

With a grand introduction from the host, the two teams appeared one after the other, standing face to face and striking poses.

At this point, both teams had already taken their seats in their respective competition rooms and begun preparations for the draft phase, while the three commentators also officially went online to take up their posts.

Good evening, dear viewers!

We are currently live in Madrid, Spain, providing commentary on the quarterfinals of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.

"This match is also the highly anticipated third game of the quarterfinals! EDG vs. GRF!"

"Hello everyone, I am Doll!"

"I'm commentator Miller!"

"I'm the commentator, Ji De!"

The first match officially began with commentary from the commentators.

BP starts.

Since EDG qualified as the number one seed from the group stage, they have the right to choose sides.

Without any hesitation, EDG chose the blue side.

The blue team has the right to ban and pick first.

In this version, some heroes are a must-ban, and once they are allowed to be played, others will definitely pick them.

EDG immediately banned Renekton, LeBlanc, and Akali, denying GRF's top laner Sword and mid laner Chaowei any opportunity to perform.

As for the meta champions Pantheon, Kayle, and Qiyana, none of them were banned.

I'm on the blue side, so why don't you just let them pass if you dare!
If you let it go, I'll snatch it!

Now it was GRF's turn to face a dilemma. EDG clearly had a lot of unique champions in their champion pool, but GRF couldn't ban them.

The only option is to honestly ban the meta picks.

Angel was the first hero to be banned.

In this version, if the Angel is level 18, the enemy base will explode.

Fortunately, GRF wasn't stupid and still banned Mercy.

Then Pantheon was banned; this champion's support is too fast, there's no way to get any kills!
With the last ban, GRF hesitated for a long time before finally giving it to Gangplank.

They didn't want Flandre to have a chance to shine, and they wanted to expose his weaknesses in the top lane, making him the team's weak point.

But this exposed Qiyana.

Hesitating for even a second is disrespectful to Qiyana.

EDG almost instantly picked Qiyana on the first floor!
"Oh? EDG instantly picked Qiyana on the first floor! This champion has only been out for a few months, so everyone knows how strong she is!"

Seeing that EDG immediately picked Qiyana, Wawa optimistically began to analyze the situation.

Remember nodded: "That's right, Qiyana is definitely a must-pick in this version. Picking her allows for mid-jungle flex, making it difficult for the opponent to draft."

"Yeah, I just don't know if EDG is going to use Qiyana for their mid laner or for Kshine."

"But I haven't really watched either of them play Qiyana, have I?!"

Miller expressed his opinion with some concern.

Have you ever seen this before?!

"Haha, maybe Yao-ge secretly practiced in the ARAM mode."

The doll laughed.

The draft continued, and GRF was not surprised to see EDG pick Qiyana, since she is an OP champion in this version.

GRF wasn't unprepared either, and countered with Elise to deal with Qiyana.

A jungler hero with strong early-game jungle capabilities!
The second floor locked in another Kai'Sa, giving their ADC carry a comfortable champion pick.

When it was EDG's turn, the second and third picks were Xayah and Rakan.

Otherwise, these two heroes will definitely be banned in the second round of the draft.

(End of this chapter)