League of Legends World Championship 2015 scores: KOO Tigers knock out KT Rolster, advance to semifinals

Two European teams and two Korean teams have qualified for the League of Legends World Championship semifinals. Sunday, a second Korean team joined that group, as the KOO Tigers knocked out KT Rolster in four games. KOO will face Fnatic next week in Brussels in the semifinals.

The two teams played an intense five-game series in August, with KT Rolster emerging victorious in a fifth game blind pick contest. Both teams looked among the strongest in the group stage, and the winner will face European champions Fnatic in the semifinal round.

The other two semifinal teams are European runners-up Origen and Korean champions SKTelecom T1. SKT is the overwhelming favorite to win the tournament, but will we see an all-Korean final or a Korea vs. Europe clash?

This series saw two of the best top laners in the tournament (Ssumday and Smeb) and two of the best supports (Piccaboo and GorillA) square off, and it was an intense clash between regional rivals. Of the four quarterfinal matchups, only one other (Origen vs. Flash Wolves) went beyond the minimum three games (Origen won 3-1).

KT Rolster 11-7, 34:29

Bans: Kennen, Elise, Lee Sin; Gangplank, Lulu, Mordekaiser

Smeb and Ssumday went at it four minutes in, and it looked like Smeb was going to take him out for First Blood. But Ssumday used some fancy footwork to get Smeb under the tower and flash out of the way. Smeb got too greedy, flashing after him and dying thanks to the turret aggro. When Ssumday returned to lane, Hojin was waiting in the bush for the gank. Smeb was able to take him out with the help, but Ssumday pulled Hojin under the tower to make it a 1-for-1 trade.

With two teleports and teleport ultimates from Rek’Sai and Tahm Kench, KOO was able to rotate all of its members around the map with ease to pick off KT players. The entire KOO team appeared top lane eight minutes in to take out Smeb and the top tower, evening up the kill score at 2-2. Smeb picked up the kill again. All five KOO members then rotated to the bottom line, catching KT out of position and getting another two kills onto Smeb and a gold advantage for the Tigers. The first six kills of the game went to the two top laners.

As the teams set up for for Dragon 2 18 minutes in, Ssumday teleported in in poor position in the middle of KOO’s team. Kuro set down the Event Horizon directly where Ssumday was coming in, and was able to instantly burst him down before any fight could start.

With KOO in control of the game, Score managed to sneak in to steal Dragon. The resulting team fight went 5-1 in favor of KT Rolster, completely turning the game and getting another pair of kills onto Ssumday (as well as two onto Arrow). KOO was able to pick off Ssumday soon after, getting kill No. 5 for Smeb and tying the kill score at 7-7, but KT picked up Baron as a result of the big team fight.

KT steamrolled KOO in another team fight 33 minutes in, getting a triple kill for Nagne and marching into the base for the surprising win after a slow start.

KOO 17-6, 40:56

Bans: Azir, Lulu, Mordekaiser; Tahm Kench, Darius, Gangplank

In an attempt to counter Renekton’s early game pressure, Hojin camped the top lane by waiting in one of the side bushes. But Score came up through the River before Hojin struck, allowing KT the first move in the 2 vs. 2 fight and giving Ssumday the First Blood on a kill on Smeb. Score stuck around and waitined for Smeb to teleport back, and Ssumday took him out a second time to take a 2-0 lead.

Smeb was able to get revenge on Ssumday a few minutes later, as Hojin returned for a successful gank this time to cut the lead to 2-1. Smeb picked off Ssumday one vs. one to tie it up a few minutes later, but a great gank bottom from Score (and a perfect Explosive Cask) took out the KOO bottom lane and made it 4-2 KT. Kuro killed Score a few minutes later for his second kill of the series, but KT was able to take the first Dragon uncontested.

Trailing 4-3 in kills and by a pretty wide gold margin, KOO put itself back in the game by picking up a pair of kills, taking out Nagne and Ssumday. Smeb and Hojin were the ones to pick up the kills, and KOO took a 5-4 kill lead with a slight gold disadvantage. Ssumday was caught out of position again, causing Smeb and Hojin to chase him around the map, and the resulting team fight went 3-1 in KOO’s favor. KOO was able to take Baron as a result, holding a 9-5 kill lead and a 1k gold lead after.

Smeb picked off Renekton once again 33 minutes in, and KOO was able to break the KT base as a result with the Baron buff. Once back up, Ssumday attempted to flank KOO by teleporting behind the team, but Smeb and the rest of KT were able to take him out easily once again.

At 38 minutes in, KOO picked up another Baron and the ensuing team fight 2-1, marching into the base to take the game and tie up the series. The win improves Shen’s record to 6-0 at Worlds.

KOO 14-6, 33:16

Bans: Veigar, Kennen, Tahm Kench; Gangplank, Mordekaiser, Darius

After a tense start, PraY and GorillA ganked nagne in the mid lane 12 minutes in to take First Blood. A team fight erupted around Dragon 14 minutes in, and KOO was able to zone KT out for the objective. Ssumday landed a perfect Malphite ultimate 18 minutes in, allowing KT to pick up a 3-0 team fight ... a minute too early to pick up Baron after.

KOO caught Piccaboo and Arrow out of position a few minutes later, exploiting the problems with KT’s composition: without the rest of the team around Arrow, the Kalista can get bursted down quickly. KOO took its third Dragon 27 minutes in, and won the ensuing team fight 5-2 with a triple kill onto PraY. KOO took Baron as a result, breaking open the KT base with the buff. KOO won the next team fight and the game, taking a 2-1 series advantage.

KOO 13-10, 39:37

Bans: Azir, Lulu, Mordekaiser; Tahm Kench, Veigar, Gangplank

KT drafted away KOO’s Shen, who entered the game 7-0 at Worlds. Piccaboo picked up First Blood on the champion seven minutes in, but KOO evened it up with a kill for Kuro. KT picked up a pair of kills top lane when Ssumday and Score outdueled Smeb and Hojin, and picked off Hoijin again to make it 4-1.

KT used the Explosive Cask-Taunt combination under a turret to take out PraY, and the 3-1 team fight gave KT a fairly sizable lead. A triple kill for Kuro helped bring the game back pretty much even, and KOO soon found itself trailing just 8-7.

KT took the momentum back by picking off Kuro near Baron, and made too aggressive of a play on the objective right after. That got Piccaboo and Ssumday killed, as Kuro was able to teleport back into the fight, and KOO took the Baron as a result. KOO broke open KT’s base with the buff, and held a 10-9 lead and a 5k gold advantage at 35 minutes, with Baron respawning.

KOO was able to take Baron down quickly and kill Ssumday, allowing the Tigers to take down two KT inhibitors and eventually the Nexus.