TSM’s Recent Struggles at International Events
TSM’s performance at international events has become well-known for its disappointments. From their disastrous group stage performance at the 2016 World Championship to a near sweep by the Gigabyte Marines in last week’s MSI play-in stage, TSM has had a difficult time finding success on the international stage. Today, they faced another setback with a loss to the Marines in the group stage, putting their chances of advancing in serious jeopardy.
A Desperate Attitude
With their hopes on the line, TSM entered their last match of the day against China’s Team WE with a desperate attitude. This was evident from the start of the draft phase.
Missteps and Missed Opportunities
In their loss to the Marines, TSM made several missteps. They played a composition centered around protecting their ADC, Twitch, who had low mobility. Additionally, their top laner, Hauntzer, and jungler, Svenskeren, both made crucial errors that contributed to their defeat. This was a far cry from TSM’s dominant performance in domestic competitions.
A Risky Draft Choice
Against Team WE, TSM made a risky draft choice by picking Kennen for Hauntzer. Hauntzer hadn’t played this champion all year, and the decision was made to counter WE’s top laner, 957’s Jayce. However, if Hauntzer fell behind in the game, he could become irrelevant later on.
Svenskeren ensured this didn’t happen. Despite a rough start for the TSM duo, Svenskeren executed a successful gank for Hauntzer, setting him up to become a fearsome split pusher. TSM played strategically and avoided unnecessary fights, focusing on objectives.
A Hard-Fought Victory
TSM secured two Barons, with Svenskeren receiving the first and the team using patient play and superior map pressure to secure the win. The victory against Team WE gives TSM some breathing room in the group stage, but there are still areas for improvement.
Room for Improvement
TSM needs to improve their objective fights, find ways to support WildTurtle without compromising the damage from the rest of the team, and help Svenskeren find his form on champions other than Lee Sin. Despite these challenges, TSM managed to salvage a 1-1 record today, keeping them in contention for the knockout round.
TSM, international events, group stage, draft phase, missteps, misplays, risky draft choice, objectives, victory, improvement