The first round of the OGN Champions Spring semifinals features a team-kill situation, with Samsung Blue facing off against Samsung Ozone. The Samsung teams have looked been looking amazing this season; both teams handily won their groups, with Ozone not dropping a single game and Blue only dropping one. One would have to give the slight edge to Ozone, but with both teams being so talented and knowing each other so well, anything goes once they get into the game.

Game 1:
Bans

[one_half]Blue
1. Twitch
2. Jax
3. Thresh[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Ozone
1. Twisted Fate
2. Rumble
3. Ryze[/one_half_last]

Picks

[one_half]Blue
1. Soraka – Support
2. Kha’Zix – Top
3. Ezreal – ADC
4. Nocturne – Jungle
5. Karma – Mid[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Ozone
1. Dr. Mundo – Top
2. Lee Sin – Jungle
3. Annie – Support
4. Miss Fortune – ADC
5. Lulu – Mid [/one_half_last]

Game 1 starts off brilliantly for Ozone. Good warding spots out the invade from Blue, which Ozone is able to turn into 2 kills on MF and Lulu, only losing Dr. Mundo for it. One of the kills was also onto Spirit, meaning they are able really punish his Nocturne pick by getting a large jungle advantage.

Coming off the level 1 fight, Ozone is able to get the perfect lane setup for their team; they 2v1 the mid lane to pressure Karma, while Lulu is free to bully Kha’Zix and Mundo handles the 1v2 lane without fear.  Plus with Annie now in the mid lane, Mata and DanDy are able to ward deep and continue to punish every move Spirit makes. This is made even more impactful because Nocturne wants to build into Feral Flare; the heavy early pressure will significantly delay his item power-up and effectively cripple the champion for the rest of the game.

With everything going their way in the early stages of the game, Ozone is able to take advantage after advantage over Blue. Although a few shaky teamfights will delay the inevitable, Ozone never relinquishes their advantage, eventually storming their way into the base and winning the game 15-4 in kills.

Mata wins MVP for game 1. His early roaming and warding pressure allowed his team to take their early advantage and snowball it very effectively.

Ozone leads 1 – 0

Game 2:
Bans

[one_half]Ozone
1. Twisted Fate
2. Rumble
3. Dr. Mundo[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Blue
1. Jax
2. Thresh
3. Ryze[/one_half_last]

Picks

[one_half]Ozone
1. Lee Sin – Jungle
2. Leona – Support
3. Twitch – ADC
4. Nidalee – Mid
5. Shyvana – Top[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Blue
1. Soraka – Suport
2. Kha’Zix – Jungle
3. Renekton – Top
4. Ezreal – ADC
5. Yasuo – Mid [/one_half_last]

The early stages of game 2 will go much better for Blue this time around. They are able to pick up Yasuo, who is one of dade’s strongest champions as well as being a counter-pick for Nidalee. They are also able to get a successful lane swap off this game, which gives dade even more freedom to bully PawN in lane.

Ozone will once again showcase their fantastic early vision control, able to pick up multiple dragons and begin to get a gold lead on Blue. However dade will continue to farm up on Yasuo, and is even able to pick up first blood with a brilliant solo-kill onto Twitch. The game will go back and forth, but as time passes Blue’s coordination and split-push will continue to get scarier, and they look to be in complete control of the map.

The real breaking point comes about 24 minutes in. Dade is able to catch out imp alone, and even though his team is able to assist him, dade fights Ozone 1v4, picking up 2 kills before going down and allowing Blue to pick up some free objectives. Blue will take the lead and drive it home, taking the game 15-7 in kills.

Dade wins MVP for game 2, his brilliant Yasuo play both in split-pushing as well as in teamfights completely shutting down Ozone.

Match tied 1 – 1

Game 3:
Bans

[one_half]Blue
1. Jax
2. Thresh
3. Dr. Mundo[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Ozone
1. Twisted Fate
2. Rumble
3. Veigar[/one_half_last]

Picks

[one_half]Blue
1. Lee Sin – Jungle
2. Kog’Maw – ADC
3. Soraka – Mid
4. Irelia – Top
5. Sona – Support[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Ozone
1. Ryze – Top
2. Ezreal – ADC
3. Kha’Zix – Jungle
4. Nami – Support
5. Lulu – Mid [/one_half_last]

Going into game 3, Blue is once again able to get the stronger early start. They are able to skillfully outmaneuver Ozone and end up securing 3 buffs without contest, as well as putting Kog into the 2v1 lane. Ozone tries to respond with an early dragon, but as a result both top and bottom lanes will end up pushing towards Blue, allowing Acorn to begin farming on Irelia while Ryze is heavily denied experience and cs by Kog’Maw. Ozone is forced into trying to make a play on Kog’Maw, but a good read from Blue will let them turn the gank around, netting a triple kill on Lee Sin while Kog’Maw survives thanks to a heal from Soraka.

At this point things are really out of control for Ozone. Ryze is completely shut out of the game, without any way to realistically come back. Meanwhile Irelia is farming up nicely, which gives Blue free reign over the entire map. Ozone does what they can, but the writing is on the wall quickly and Blue does a fantastic job at keeping Ozone completely locked down, eventually winning in a crushing 15-1 kill victory.

Dade wins MVP for game 3, doing a really good job keeping everyone on his team alive through multiple teamfights.

Blue leads 2 – 1

Game 4:
Bans

[one_half]Ozone
1. Twisted Fate
2. Rumble
3. Soraka[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Blue
1. Thresh
2. Jax
3.  LeBlanc[/one_half_last]

Picks

[one_half]Ozone
1. Lee Sin – Jungle
2. Dr. Mundo – Top
3. Miss Fortune – ADC
4. Lulu – Mid
5. Annie – Support[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Blue
1. Nami – Support
2. Kha’Zix – Jungle
3. Yasuo – Mid
4. Renekton – Top
5. Kog’Maw – ADC[/one_half_last]

The fourth game of the match will start off much more evenly. Ozone is able to get a small lead, securing first blood with a level 2 gank on dade and turning that into a 3 buff start, but both dade and Spirit are able to recover and keep up fairly well. An early lane swap will allow the ADCs of both teams to heavily deny the top laners, but again no advantage gained for either team.

The game will start to turn a bit in Ozone’s favor as the find a couple of favorable teamfights, mainly catching out Deft due to some poor positioning on Kog’Maw. Ozone is able to begin growing their lead, taking a dragon and pushing mid up to the inhibitor. However a bold engage from Blue, with Spirit flanking from the side, will catch Ozone out, getting a triple kill onto Kha’Zix and bringing the gold totals right back to even.

As the game presses on, Blue is able to fix their early mistakes and begin taking more fights; they do a phenomenal job flanking Ozone, splitting them apart with Nami ultimates and cleaning up with Kha’Zix and Yasuo. Blue continues to play out the rest of the game perfectly, crushing their way into Ozones base and finishing off the game 25-12 in kills.

Heart wins MVP for game 4, using Tidal Wave to really force fights in a big way and allowing his team to clean up.

Blue wins the match 3 – 1

In the end it is a bittersweet moment for the Samsung organization, as is always the case at the end a team-kill match. In a bit of a surprising turn of events it is Blue who will walk away with the win, but these teams know each other so well, and are both so good at running away with an early lead that it was really too close to call. A bit of a disappointment for Ozone, but they will be very happy to see their sister team fighting in the Grand Finals.

Samsung Blue will make it’s first appearance as an organization in an OGN Champions Grand Finals, where they will be facing off against the winner of CJ Blaze vs NaJin White Shield. Having carried his team to victory last year while still on Ozone, Spring is truly the season of dade, and he will look to lead his new team to another Champions Spring victory this year.