FunPlus Phoenix Dominate G2 Esports, Win Worlds 2019
Photo by Michal Konkol/Riot Games
And just like that, the League of Legends 2019 season has drawn to a close. Despite the mountain of expectations heaped upon them, G2 Esports was demolished by FunPlus Phoenix on Sunday. After a competitive first match, FunPlus took full control of the series and completed the sweep. For the second straight year, a European team made it to the finals only to be swept by China.
The first game of the series featured a back and forth close match-up, that saw both teams playing the aggressive brawl meta that their regions are famous for. Unfortunately for G2, FunPlus played it just a little bit better and managed to take the game. The second game is where the wheels came off, as FunPlus dominated every phase of the game. They powered out to an early 8-1 lead before securing the earliest baron of Worlds 2019.
Game three was more competitive than the second, but it still was controlled solidly by FunPlus Phoenix. While G2 looked like they might claw their way back in towards the mid-game, FunPlus refocused and closed out the win. In doing so, they become your 2019 World Champions.
Our thoughts: It’s a tough loss for LEC fans. For the second straight year, they make it to the finals only to be dominated by the LPL region. While it’s not fair to hold G2 accountable for what happened to Fnatic last year, it is the stigma that people are going to begin to see. Is the LPL just Europe’s bugaboo? Or are they just not a good enough region to get over the hump and win it all?
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