Quarterfinal Match Preview: Unicorns of Love vs. Origen
This Sunday, the highly anticipated quarterfinal match between the 5th seeded team Unicorns of Love and the 4th seeded team Origen will take place. This unexpected showdown is a result of both teams’ performances in the regular season. Many analysts, myself included, predicted Origen to finish in the top 2 due to their acquisition of Tristan “PowerOfEvil” Schrage. However, the real highlight of this series is the matchup between the two AD carries.
Introduction to the Teams
Pierre “Steeelback” Medjaldi and Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen both started their careers in several challenger teams before making their debut in the LCS. They played for SK Gaming Prime in 2014, with Zven participating in small tournaments including the Challenger Spring Series #1. However, both players failed to qualify for the LCS initially.
Later, Steeelback joined Fnatic and Zven joined Origen, two legendary European organizations. Both teams clinched victories in their respective tournaments, with Fnatic winning the EU LCS Spring split and Origen winning the Challenger series, securing their place in the EU LCS Summer split. At that time, Steeelback was considered an average “clean-up” AD carry, while Zven was not the main threat for his team.
Performance and Stats
Despite neither UOL nor Origen securing a top 3 finish in the Spring split regular season, both Steeelback and Zven have played a crucial role in their team’s success. Their impressive gold share and damage per minute stats mark them as some of the best AD carries in Europe.
Playstyles and Champion Picks
Steeelback has showcased steady teamfight performances and plays conservatively during the laning phase, allowing his support player to roam. In contrast, Zven’s results this split have been inconsistent due to Origen’s drafting issues. However, Zven has demonstrated flexibility in his champion pool.
While both players have shown favoritism towards Lucian, their most terrifying champion has been Kalista. However, since the matches will take place on patch 6.6, it is expected that Kalista will not be as prevalent. Nonetheless, both players are expected to perform strongly.
Match Prediction
Although Steeelback has improved significantly this season, Zven’s skill ceiling is considered higher. The overall skill level of Origen’s roster is also believed to be superior to that of Unicorns of Love. However, the playoffs are always unpredictable, and UOL has the potential to cause an upset like they did last year. Regardless, it is unlikely for the winner of this quarterfinal match to make it to the finals, as they would have to face the number one seeded team Gamers2.
Stay tuned for the semifinals matchups next week!
Related keywords: esports, Unicorns of Love, Origen, AD carries, European scene, champion picks, matchup, quarterfinals