LCK's iconic team only lost 1 game against the LPL champion
Worlds 2022: T1 Defeat JD Gaming in First Semifinal
In the first Worlds semifinal, T1 guaranteed an all-LCK final by defeating JD Gaming in a 3-1 series. The LPL champions did not make it easy, but in the end T1 prevailed.
The first Worlds Semifinal put the LPL champion JD Gaming against LCK stalwarts T1. Both teams went undefeated in the quarterfinals, where JDG took down Rogue with relatively little trouble, while T1 looked a level above MSI champions EDward Gaming. With both teams looking in top shape, fans could expect a good match - and they were proven right.
JD Gaming Took First Blood, but T1 Took the Series
We didn’t have to wait long for the two teams to come to blows as the kills started coming early and often in the opening game. JD Gaming had a small lead, but both teams showed their teamfighting prowess and it kept the game close. Even with T1 getting the first Baron,they could not open up a lead. It came to a showdown near the Elder Dragon, where despite losing early on JDG rallied and secured it, then ended the game after a big teamfight near the Baron.
The second game was similarly close early on, this time with Choi "Zeus" Woo-je getting a strong start for T1 and Wang "Hope" Jie doing the same for the LPL team in the bottom lane. The game stayed close until the LCK team snuck away a Baron 23 minutes in. With it, they took over the map and started dominating the mid-game teamfights to tie the series at 1-1.
The third game started with a lot of focus being put on the top lane and Bai "369" Jia-Hao’s Renekton was initially getting the advantage until a risky tower dive gave Zeus’ Gangplank a much-needed kill and a way back into the game. T1's top laner, who we nominated as quarterfinals MVP, took full advantage and soon, the combination of GP, Ryze and Nocturne gave T1 a terrifyingly strong map presence. The LPL champions were put on the back foot and while they fought back hard, a clutch teamfight 30 minutes in gave T1 the opportunity to close out the game.
After the teams returned to the Rift, T1 took first blood but JDG managed to answer and got ahead in gold. However, just 14 minutes in it all fell apart for the LPL team as Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong’s Varus took two kills in the bot lane while Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok masterfully outplayed a gank, shoving 3 players into tower range for his team to clean up. Now significantly ahead in gold and playing with supreme confidence, T1 won teamfight after teamfight, turning the game into an absolute stomp on their way to win the series and return to the Worlds finals for the first time since 2017.
Read More:
- LoL Worlds 2022 Knockout Stage: Teams, Schedule & Live-Stream
- Our Worlds Quarterfinals MVP: T1 Zeus
- LCK Teams Dominate Worlds Quarterfinals
Meanwhile the other semifinal will feature LCK champions Gen.G and the region’s fourth seed DRX fighting it out. Who will join T1 in the showdown for the Summoner’s Cup? Find out tonight from 10 PM CEST.