Cloud9 eliminated
LOUD in less than an hour of play, with
Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen named MVP of the series. Meanwhile,
Team Liquid defeated Isurus Estral in a more contested BO3, where
Sean "Yeon" Sung stood out and also earned the MVP title. The LTA Cross Conference semifinals will therefore be 100% North American.
The two roster changes seem to be paying off for C9. After a solid start to the split, where they finished second in LTA North behind 100 Thieves, the performances of their new ADC, Zven, have been quite promising. The Danish player remains a reliable asset in NA and continues to prove he’s still at a high level. He carried C9’s teamfights, especially in Game 1, where he ended with over 80% Kill Participation (7/1/3 on Corki). The second game was also one-sided, as
Robert "Blaber" Huang dominated the map, closing out the game in under 30 minutes and securing Cloud9’s spot in the LTA CC semifinals.
Team Liquid was the only North Conference team to drop a game against the South. The series was anything but easy for TL, as Isurus Estral lived up to their status as the South’s first seed. The Argentine organization had built a strong roster, bringing in notable players like
Noh "Burdol" Tae-yoon from the LPL and
Jeong "Mireu" Jo-bin, formerly with Gentle Mates, alongside experienced veterans like
Brandon Joel "Josedeodo" Villegas. They dominated LTA South and had legitimate hopes against the North’s fourth seed. Yeon delivered a standout performance throughout the BO3, even in their loss, where he finished 8/2/6 on Kai’Sa. In the decisive game, he completely carried TL with a flawless 8/0/5 performance on Xayah, securing their spot in the semifinals.
The LTA Cross Conference semifinals are now set. 100 Thieves will face FlyQuest on February 22 at 11 AM PST, while Team Liquid will take on Cloud9 for a spot in the final at 2 PM PST on the same day. These all-North semifinals raise questions about the format, especially since both the semis and finals will be played in São Paulo, Brazil—without a single South Conference team in attendance.
