Unicorns of Love Upset TSM in IEM Oakland Semifinals
The Unicorns of Love made an impressive comeback on Sunday, coming back from a one-game deficit to upset TSM in the best-of-three semifinals of IEM Oakland. Despite having a first-round bye and support from the home crowd, TSM was unable to secure victory.
This loss marks a disappointing end to the year for TSM, who were unable to advance past the group stage in last month’s World Championships.
Rookie Mid Laner Exileh Shines for Unicorns of Love
Rookie mid laner Fabian “Exileh” Schubert continued to impress for Unicorns of Love, carrying the team for the second consecutive day.
Even after TSM’s Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg led an incredible team fight at the 26-minute mark in game three, Exileh continued to charge into fights with his fed Kassadin.
TSM Starts Strong, But Struggles Against Unicorns of Love
The series began favorably for TSM as they controlled the pace of the game in game one. However, TSM’s troubles started in game two when they underestimated their opponents and made some costly mistakes.
UoL capitalized on TSM’s early mistakes and secured a 29-minute win. Exileh finished with an impressive score of 10/4/6 on Orianna.
TSM Reflects on Loss and Preparation
TSM’s Bjergsen admitted in a pre-taped interview that the team did not prepare for the tournament as rigorously as they should have. The team had gone their separate ways after their disappointing Worlds exit and viewed IEM as an opportunity to practice and test out a new player.
Meanwhile, Unicorns of Love committed to keeping the same lineup and extensive preparation for IEM, aiming to make up for their narrowly missed Worlds qualification and gain momentum for the upcoming split.
TSM’s Drafting Choices and Wildturtle’s Performance
TSM’s continuous drafting of Jhin, despite Wildturtle’s lower win rate with the champion, raised some eyebrows. It is possible that TSM could have given Wildturtle a champion with more mobility to better suit his aggressive style.
Unicorns of Love Await Opponent in Finals
Unicorns of Love now wait for the winner of the series between Flash Wolves and Longzhu to compete for the $50,000 first prize.
Unicorns of Love, TSM, IEM Oakland, Esports, Semifinals, Upset, Mid Laner, Bjergsen, Exileh, Drafting Choices, Wildturtle