Afreeca Freecs not only ended a three-game loss streak earlier today, but did it against the LCK’s second place team, SANDBOX Gaming.
“Our team was quite low because we were losing a lot, so I think it’s a big relief we got the win today,” Afreeca top laner Kim “Kiin” Gi-in said in the post-game interview. Korea’s second seed at last year’s World Championship, Afreeca’s 2019 season has been one filled with unexpected hardship. Jungler Lee “Spirit” Da-yoon has spent most of the Spring Split role-swapped to support as a quasi-band aid fix for the team’s decision making.
But today Spirit was nowhere to be seen. Like in their last match against Griffin, Afreeca used their original lineup with support Son “Jelly” Ho-gyeong starting. And although unsuccessful against arguably the best in the world in Griffin, this Afreeca lineup managed to beat in SANDBOX in a comeback 2-1 victory.
Able to find initial leads in all three games, Afreeca’s focus in the early game was all on Kiin. “We did kind of plan that, and I’m really happy we did as planned,” Kiin said about Afreeca’s top lane focus. Afreeca jungler Lee “Dread” Jin-hyeok and mid laner Son “Ucal” Woo-hyeon continuously roamed top lane, helping Kiin get further ahead of SANDBOX top laner and their former teammate, Park “Summit” Woo-tae.
Down bot lane though Afreeca was also fairing quite well, with their duo lane earning multiple solo kills in game three. “At first it was Jelly’s decision. He said he was gonna engage, and I told him I could follow,” Afreeca AD carry Kim “Aiming” Ha-ram said explaining the first solo kill. Although he couldn’t remember the second kill, Aiming summed up the duo’s success to “good teamwork.”
But early game leads aren’t worth anything if you can’t transition them into objectives though, a sad truth Afreeca has come to learn in 2019. And in game one Afreeca were unable to transition their lead, with SANDBOX making a comeback with constant objective trades in their favor.
But as the series progressed, Afreeca slowly grew better at using their lead to take more turrets and Elemental Drakes. The culmination of Afreeca’s adaptation came in game three, with an amazing engage onto SANDBOX behind the Baron pit. This teamfigfht allowed Afreeca to take the Baron, and thus begin closing out their first half of the LCK 2019 Spring Split.
Afreeca moving up to seventh place after today’s win. “Our first goal is to get out of relegation, so we have to focus on improving our performance,” Kiin said. Aiming echoed a similar sentiment, though adding that he also wants “to reach fifth place,” thus qualifying for playoffs.
Afreeca will begin their second half of the Spring Split on Feb. 24, with a rematch against fourth-place Hanwha Life Esports.
