Team Envy took down Team Liquid, 3-0, in the first round of the North American Regional Finals. Team Envy will move on to the second round to face up against Cloud9 (a rematch, it seems, of their playoffs quarterfinals set), while Team Liquid is eliminated from World Championship contention.
Team Liquid's lane phase and early game were stronger and relatively effective in the first two games, but that was the end of the good news for this lineup. The team struggled with its transition to the midgame and in decision-making. It was death by passive play; when Team Envy took down objectives or split pushed, Team Liquid played a reactionary style, gathering to contest rather than trading or pushing other lanes.
Team Envy promised a sweep and it was an easy road for the upstart team. Shin "Seraph" Woo-yeong was the major damage-dealer and split pusher for Team Envy. He was the focal point of the offense and the most valuable core throughout the series. That being said, everyone on Team Envy was cohesive and played effectively and efficiently to finish the set in speedy fashion.