In the North American League of Legends Championship Series, if you’re not first, you’re last. This may not be strictly true, obviously teams have made miracle runs through Playoffs to come from way back in the pack and secured victory. In the regular season, however, you’re only as good as your last few matches, and for TSM, their last few matches have not been kind to their reputation.

The last time these two teams met, it was a brawl that went the distance, with both teams managing to secure so many objectives that they were both able to reach their full late-game potential. TSM had the early advantage, with good, proactive plays by their mid laner Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg and top laner Kevin "Hauntzer" Yarnell getting their team an early lead.

Bjergsen will need to lead from the front in this match (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)

A massive team fight in the mid-game should have allowed TSM to push into the base of Echo Fox and end the game, and they did try, but Echo Fox were able to hang on by the skin of their teeth to keep their dreams alive.

By the time the players reached the late-game, the team compositions began to come into play, as the draft of Echo Fox afforded them more raw power then TSM. This is the key factor that allowed Echo Fox to repeatedly take down members of TSM as they solidified their position and reduced the gold lead. The game time might have read almost 56 minutes by the end, but TSM were unable to get any kills beyond the 44 minute mark, and no objectives beyond the 46 minute mark.

Echo Fox players get to greet fans very often thanks to their match record (LoL Esports Photos, Flickr)

Echo Fox proved that it is possible to win games in the draft phase, and showcased why you should never give up, even when things look grim. With strong performances by mid laner Kim "Fenix" Jae-hun and AD Carry Johnny "Altec" Ru, Echo Fox look to prove that they belong at the top of the NA LCS as the undisputed top dogs.

For more on the NA LCS, check out the Power Rankings found here, and to see when these two teams will be facing off, check out the Official Schedule page here.