MVP avoided disaster and kept their place in the LCK by defeating Kongdoo Monster 3-2 on Sunday. MVP surely breathed a huge sigh of relief after the match, as the team could have broken apart if they were relegated down to Challengers Korea. Coming into the match, MVP was a heavy favorite according to the oddsmakers. BetDSI had listed MVP as a -358 favorite to defeat Kongdoo Monster in the last battle of the Summer Promotion tournament.
For all the struggles that Kongdoo Monster had in the regular season, the team always played well against MVP. Kongdoo finished the regular season 2-16 and only won nine games. However, MVP was the one organization that Kongdoo did have a winning record against. Kongdoo won three of five games from MVP during the regular season.
MVP might feel that they are due some good fortune. At 6-12, they were the best team that has had to battle in the Summer Promotion tournament and drawing Kongdoo with a spot in the LCK Summer Split on the line was far from optimal.
As you might expect in a battle between the two worst teams in the LCK, there were quite a few mistakes. Both MVP and Kongdoo Monster saw their junglers make smite errors during team fights over key objectives, and there were some really questionable uses of ultimates.
Each side was determined not to let one of the overpowered champions beat them on this patch. Olaf, Kai’Sa, Swain, and Rakan were constantly banned away, with Varys added to that list as the series went on.
Without Kai’Sa and Varys available, the AD Carry selections for both sides became solidified. MVP’s Pilot kept drafting Caitlin, while Kongdoo’s SSol countered with Jinx in the final three games. Those fixed dynamics led to pocket picks helping make the difference in Games 4 and 5.
In Game 4, Kongdoo’s Roach took Singed into the top lane and continually frustrated ADD on Ornn. Singed was able to create some havoc with his mobility and his great escape after roaming deep into MVP’s side of the map helped Kongdoo get out to a lead. There were some missteps, but eventually Kongdoo was able to force a Game 5 thanks to some of what we saw from Singed.
However, MVP turned the tables in the last game in order to make the Summer Split. Ian last-picked Vel’Koz and took the champion into the mid lane against Edge’s Azir. Vel’Koz was able to get out to a lead and his assassination on Jinx helped pave the way for MVP to cruise in Game 5.
