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EDward Gaming kicked off Week 8, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League with an unsurprising 2-0 sweep of I May on Saturday in Shanghai.
EDG (8-3, 17-6 match record) thoroughly outclassed I May (4-8, 10-18 match record), though I May certainly didn't help its case for an upset win with strange off-meta picks and poor early game mechanics against one of the LPL's leaders.
I May at least understood that champions such as Cho'Gath are high-priority picks, and the underdogs took it in Game 2 for top laner and oft-criticized leader Shek "AmazingJ" Wai Ho. But I May's grasp of the meta seemed to end there. I May allowed EDG to draft several power picks that combined for an unstoppable, crowd-control heavy frontline. Gameplay aside, I May's preparation coming into this series felt severely lacking, and the already struggling team was playing from behind from champion select onward.
Once the games started, it became apparent why I May is considered one of the LPL's worst, but also why EDward Gaming is at the top of Group A. EDG's variety of team compositions, from "Protect the Kog'Maw" in Game 1 to overwhelming teamfighting dominance in Game 2, thoroughly outpaced I May. Game 1 was, as one can imagine, a late game thrashing -- although late game came early with EDG's crisp rotations securing tower kills throughout the mid-game. Two Baron kills later, EDG took home the win in just over 30 minutes.
Game 2 was more of a team victory for EDG but was no less decisive. EDG used an oppressive combination of an unkillable Maokai and brutal crowd control to prevent I May from so much as moving in a sub-30 minute win.
I May now prepares to take on another monumental challenge in Team WE at 5 a.m. ET on Friday. EDward Gaming gets another easy matchup later that day in DAN Gaming at 8 a.m. ET.