C9 vs TSM is one of the most storied matchups in NA LCS history and TSM has come out on top more often than not. Now though, TSM’s familiar roster will have to take on a fresh and unique C9 squad. The big question going into this semifinals matchup is who will start for Cloud9?
C9 has more talented players than spots on their team. While the top and bot lanes look to be solidified after some dodginess in the early parts of the split, the mid and jungle are still a bit of a mystery.
Jensen and Blaber certainly appear to be the starters, but Svenskeren and Goldenglue aren’t far behind. The situation is further convoluted by the fact that Goldenglue has a particularly strong record against Bjergsen. And now that Bjergsen is looking better than he has all split, shutting him down becomes more important than ever.
Luckily for C9, they’re not restricted to a single lineup in this best of five series. Players can be switched out between games and it seems increasingly likely that C9 will switch things up. That being said, it would be surprising to see them break up either duo of Blaber and Jensen or Svenskeren and Goldenglue. Both pairs have proven that their chemistry shouldn’t be messed with.
Goldenglue has been dominating solo queue in his spare time C9’s roster
So what will C9’s semifinals roster look like? Given Svenskeren and Goldenglue’s track record against TSM and Bjergsen, starting them seems like the way to go. If C9 wins that first game, then you keep them in. If they lose or struggle and win, then you bring Jensen and Blaber in to clean things up.
Starting Sven and Goldenglue would not only help to keep Bjergsen on his toes, but it would also give Blaber a chance to watch a playoff game from behind the scenes before being thrown out on stage. As a rookie who only played half a split, that could give him an extra chance to calm his nerves and focus before playing. And win or lose, there’ll be less pressure on him as an individual if game one is out of his hands.
The good thing for C9 is that there’s really no wrong choice in this situation. Either they start the duo who propelled them to second place in the latter half of the split. Or they play the matchup and start the duo who’ve already proven that they can beat Bjergsen and TSM. You really can’t fault them either way.