Team Liquid sweeps CLG in 2017 season opener

Team Liquid has started its 2017 NA LCS Spring Split campaign on a positive note, sweeping Counter Logic Gaming 2-0 Saturday. The team was led by star performances from top laner Samson “Lourlo” Jackson, who had excellent games on Maokai and Nautilus, and a signature late-game carry from Piglet’s Twitch to secure the comeback victory in the second game.

The first game of the series started beautifully for Team Liquid. The fight started with an arrow from Piglet, and finished with Reignover’s Kha’Zix picking up a bunch of kills (Huhi trying an ill-advised 1 vs. 2 helped TL’s cause, too).

CLG picked up some kills in return thanks to a gank bot from Xmithie, but Team Liquid secured the first tower to extend its lead. Once the game hits 20 minutes, it was the Lourlo show, as his Maokai consistently rooted CLG’s backline with excellent teleports and team fight placement.

Team Liquid broke CLG’s base at 28 minutes, and a huge fight erupted two minutes later when Reignover was picked off near Baron. The fight lasted minutes and eventually went 5-4 in Team Liquid’s favor, resulting in both Nexus towers being destroyed by super minions due to the sheer length of the fight.

At 34 minutes, CLG took Baron after picking off Reignover once again, but Team Liquid’s excellent team fighting turned it around for a 5- 1 ace and the Game 1 win.

In Game 2, Team Liquid curiously switched from the Maokai over to Nautilus for Lourlo, but it worked out. TL built a late-game composition around Piglet’s surprise Twitch, who was able to survive the early game in the face of CLG pressure and become a damage-dealing monster by the end.

The game was close when it hit the mid lane, but a CLG Baron at 28 minutes looked to extend a slight lead. But at 32 minutes, Team Liquid won a 3-0 fight backed up in its own base with super minions at the nexus towers. The skirmish brought Piglet to 4/1/4, bringing his Twitch fully online.

At 35 minutes, Team Liquid took Baron. A few minutes later, TL earned the ace, marching into the base for the victory.