Semifinal Recap: Biggest Take-Aways

In a rather surprising turn of events, our predictions ended up being right on point for all semifinal matches this weekend.  You can find our predictions for Saturday's matches here, and our predictions for Sunday's matches here.

Fnatic vs H2K: Fnatic (3 - 2)

Despite the hype, it's tough to take down a fixture.  Fnatic has been going to tournament after tournament since League of Legends eSports started to become a thing (and back when the prize pool was a drop in the bucket compared to today).  Even though the roster has constantly changed, one fact has remained the same: no matter what incarnation of Fnatic you face, you can be sure they're a tough nut to crack.

Cloud 9 vs Team Liquid: Cloud 9 (3 - 2)

You can't ever afford to be comfortable.  Cloud 9 had the opportunity to learn this lesson throughout the season with a last minute secured 2nd place.  Team Liquid, on the other hand, comes across a mix of blind faith (Piglet will save us) and overconfidence (they did win their first five playoff games in a row).  Neither ended up paying back--in a rare feat, Cloud 9 pulled off three straight wins against Team Liquid to secure their trip to the finals.

SK Gaming vs Unicorns of Love:

Never underestimate the ability to improvise.  SK Gaming has been all about consistency this entire split.  While their signature 1-3-1 push and strategy to win every lane proved to be fairly successful in single matches, over a best of five it has shown to be their undoing.  On the other hand, it goes to show that a team that's always willing to roll with the punches and do what it takes to get back into the game will be a force to be reckoned with.

Team SoloMid vs Team Impulse:

Once the train starts, it's impossible to stop.  We saw a little of this back in IEM--when Team SoloMid starts getting on a roll, there's something about the way they play games that turns them into an unstoppable force.  It's downright impressive to watch as each successive game becomes a little crisper, a little more convincing that they deserve the hype they get.  Unfortunately, the opposite can be said about Team Impulse--they have a great start, but it sizzles out under the right sort of pressure.

What do you think will happen in next week's final matches?  Which teams will take the trip to Florida, and which will settle back with points toward the World Championship?  Share your predictions in the comments below!