After crushing the final European team in the competition, JDG Intel Esports Club became the first team to advance to the semifinal of the 2022 League of Legends World Championship. JDG defeated Rogue with a perfect score of 3-0, solidifying their status as the front-runners for the Worlds champions crown.
The LPL representatives dominated the series, seizing control of the Rift early on and hardly allowing Rogue the chance to retaliate.
The Quick Recap
The LPL first seed was in charge of the opening game from the outset, despite Rogue getting the series' first kill. The early-game success that their jungler Kanavi produced was crucial to JDG's triumph. His Graves effectively controlled the Rift with precise ganks and rotations, robbing Malrang of many chances to support Rogue's laners.
But despite JDG's early game edge, Rogue maintained their cool and repeatedly shut down their rivals, focusing all of their advantages on the Lucian-Nami team in the bot lane.
One battle ultimately determined the outcome of the game, just like in the other contests played during the tournament. Both teams displayed their strengths and weaknesses in the game's longest teamfight.
But in the end, the balance tipped in favor of JDG because Rogue had pursued the fight's fallen opponents for too long, giving them time to revive and team up with their colleagues to deliver the LEC champions' fatal blow.
From that point on, even if Rogue had a few opportunities to neutralize their opponents, JDG held the initiative and quickly ended the match after decimating the enemy ranks and obtaining the baron bonus.
Sealing the Deal
JDG's dominance over Rogue was solidified in the second game of the series. In contrast to the previous map, the LPL representatives concentrated on supporting their bot lane combination right away, and Knavi's very first gank gave Hope the opportunity to score the first few kills.
Rogue attempted to force an engagement with their opponents in response to JDG's aggressive play, but they were unable to reap the rewards of their investment in summoner spells.
While Rogue found it difficult to commit to their picks and engages, the LPL first seed's bot lane dominance kept expanding their gold advantage.
JDG made a play to get the first Baron of the game at 20 minutes when they were 6,000 gold ahead of Rogue, but they struggled to leverage its strength. However, not long after, they took control of a second Baron without a fight and destroyed their rivals' bases.
The final game, in which Rogue actually controlled the majority of the map, was the most thrilling.
When cornered, the LEC team gave it everything they had, and by helping their bot lane combination early on, they were able to have a successful game. They could easily follow Kanavi's movements on the map and foresee his ganks thanks to Rogue's map control.
Nevertheless, JDG's solo lane mastery outclassed Rogue's teamwork, enabling their entire team to regain vision control over the bot side river.
With a modest but consistent advantage in gold and a string of victories in battles, JDG solidified their position. JDG had the area on the map under control thanks to Ornn and Nami's ultimates, but Larssen's superb mechanical abilities gave Rogue the chance to find the ideal teamfight and solidify their advantages.
But JDG didn't let Rogue rest on their laurels, and with the help of outstanding teamwork, they gradually recovered control of the Rift.
JDG proved beyond a reasonable question why they are the front-runners for the championship in what turned out to be the final teamfight of the contest and the whole series.
