T1 Falls to PSG.LGD Despite Admirable Fight in WePlay AniMajor Upper Bracket Final

T1 finds itself knocked down to the lower bracket after getting beaten by a fiercely competitive PSG.LGD in the upper bracket final of the WePlay AniMajor. PSG.LGD's performances, as they have been the entire tournament, were impeccable. They accurately ticked all the boxes in the series to take a 2-1 win. T1 did not play poorly or make any costly mistakes, but in fact, had moments when it appeared to be on top, however, they were simply outstrategized in the first and third games due to relatively passive drafts, coupled with outstanding map movement from PSG.LGD. The final day of the WePlay AniMajor, June 13, 2021, will now see T1 taking on Evil Geniuses in the lower bracket final followed by the grand final where the winner will face PSG.LGD.

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T1 vs PSG.LGD: Match Recap and Highlights

Recap

Game 1 was an outright outplay by PSG.LGD. Even though T1 made no substantial mistakes and had a decent draft to play around with, PSG.LGD was always one step ahead, whether it be the laning, the spellcasting, the itemization, and the teamfight execution. With a scoreline of 32-8, PSG.LGD won the game in 32 minutes.

Game 2 was a nailbiter as both teams fought hard to keep their foothold and were putting forward a great display of teamfight execution. It looked like PSG.LGD would take the game away at one stage with a 13K lead but in the end, it was T1 who managed to outplay PSG.LGD in teamfights in the late game. Karl played like a beast on his midlane Puck while Kuku also put up an underrated Doom performance as they won the game in 47 minutes.

Game 3 was similar to the first game as PSG.LGD entered the contest with all guns blazing. T1 did not have very mobile supports and seemed to be outdrafted. So despite making some great moves, they were seemingly always behind. A comprehensive game three performance saw PSG.LGD take the victory in 35 minutes. 

Highlights

Here are some highlights of the series.

T1 drafted decent hero combos in all three games, but their early-game potency and speed seemed to be lacking in the first and third games. Kuku and his teammates put on a show with their unique style of play but it just was not enough against PSG.LGD. T1’s next series against Evil Geniuses will also be a tough one since the latter has looked quite formidable in its last couple of series in the lower bracket. 

During the WePlay AniMajor, PSG.LGD has exposed and capitalized on the weakness of its opponents. They are a meticulous bunch of players who not only possess mechanical skills but are strategically also very potent. Regardless of who they face in the grand final, PSG.LGD will be the favorites heading into the Grand Finals