EDG extend winstreak over Trace with Champions quarterfinals win
This bout, a rematch of the China Stage 2 upper finals, kicked off a series of three regional encounters in the Champions quarterfinals. It was also where EDG claimed their fifth win in a row over Trace, a streak that has gone uninterrupted since late October, and a match EDG never even wanted.
"The reason is because we came from the same region. This kind of situation happened last year in Champions 2023,” CHICHOO said, mentioning their bout against Bilibili Gaming . “I didn't want this to happen again, but it happened. We're just gonna fight it."
nobody was the playmaker on Bind from start to finish. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
EDG's fighting kicked off with three consecutive 3Ks from nobody , Smoggy , and ZmjjKK on Bind. They later ended as the team's best players, as the only three of EDG to claim over 30 kills across both maps — with KangKang in particular taking down 47 — while Kai was the only Trace player able to surpass that mark.
That triple-threat start set the tone for the rest for both maps. On both Bind and Sunset, the perennial Chinese champions took a 10-2 halftime lead with strong showings from their own players.
Trace bit back in the second half on both maps, though. With great focus on teamplay, they stole back five rounds on Bind before EDG were able to close it out 13-7.
A similar story developed on Sunset, which KangKang kicked off with an ace. After their 10-2 lead, Trace bundled two streaks of four rounds to recover from an eight-round deficit to a one-round deficit at 11-10. ZmjjKK stepped up in round 22 and 23, saving his team from overtime with two 3Ks and closing out the match with a 13-10 victory.
nobody 's opening 3K on Bind was just the start of his stellar performance, in which he claimed a 1.60 rating and 206 ADR across 23 kills and seven multikills. He was second only to ZmjjKK 's Sunset performance, where he racked up 28 kills and 214 ADR, despite a slightly lower 1.44 rating.
Sentinels and EDG will meet at a crossroads in the upper semifinals. EDG look to go beyond the top six for the first time in their history, while Sentinels look to further their streak, solidify their best Champions run ever, and possibly achieve a second title this year.
Sentinels sit on a three-win streak. Two of those wins came against the only two Korean representatives at Champions — Gen.G and DRX , both by way of 2-0 — and the third one over FunPlus Phoenix . Just like they have two wins over Korean teams, Sentinels now hold the chance to tack on a second victory against a Chinese roster.
EDG won't go down without a fight, though. North America is the only region they have not drawn blood from, and the only one to best EDG at this year's world championship. EDG look to change that against Sentinels .
EDward Gaming and Sentinels face off August 17, at 5 p.m. KST.
