The Swiss Stage of the LFL Flash In is coming to an end. With the Samurais' victory over BK ROG and the Galions' win against Gentle Mates, we now know the four remaining teams still in the race for the league's first title of the year: Solary, Galions, Karmine Corp Blue (KCB), and Ici Japon Corp (IJC).
Solary through blood and sweat, Galions on a cruise
The Samurais had to give it their all tonight, but they can be proud. Despite securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory against BK ROG, both teams made many mistakes and messy plays. Mathias "Szygenda" Jensen getting caught out and Šimon "Omon" Řiháček struggling mechanically throughout the BO3 were key moments, but the biggest difference came in their draft approach—especially in Game 3—which allowed Solary to gain the upper hand. Throwing early-game leads like they did yesterday against KCB was not an option. In just 24 hours, however, Solary showed a much better face, embodied by a smiling and confident Mark "Markoon" van Woensel in the post-match interview. With this win, they match their best LFL placement to date, tying their 4th-place finish from the Summer Split Playoffs in 2021.
In the other series of the day, Galions cruised past Gentle Mates with a dominant 2-0 victory, largely thanks to Tolga "Serin" Ölmez, who has been performing on an entirely different level since the start of the year. Jean "Jezu" Massol pulled out a Vayne in Game 2 and dismantled his opponents right from the laning phase, alongside a rock-solid Théo "Zoelys" Le Scornec, despite tough playing conditions. This performance highlights the Galions' impressive rise, as they entered the league with title-contender expectations and are now living up to them.
Solary will now face Galions in a BO5 with fearless draft format. Having broken the playoff curse by qualifying for the fourth time in their history across 13 splits, Solary now goes up against a team that appears to have fewer mid-game issues and boasts red-hot carries. They will battle it out in a do-or-die match next Thursday at 6 PM CET.
Header Photo Credit: Laura Gilli/LFL
