One. More. Hit.
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World Championship hopes can be made or destroyed by the smallest of margins — and few teams
have learned this more dramatically than OMG and Fnatic did at the 2014 World Championship.
One more hit was all Fnatic needed, but instead it was one of the closest games in Worlds history.
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But instead, it was heartbreak for Fnatic.
Group C of the 2014 World Championship was a race for second. Korea’s champions, Samsung
Blue, were heavily favored to take first. But China’s OMG, Europe’s Fnatic and North American
LMQ were all contenders for the other playoff spot, meaning that every single win mattered.
Caster: "Because right now, quarterfinal hopes are still alive for every single squad."
It was day three for the group. Fnatic had already lost to OMG earlier in the tournament.
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But a win in the rematch would put the victor in prime position to move on to the next round.
Caster: "74 percent of you said that Fnatic will walk away with the win. So mirroring the sentiment from the analyst desk."
As expected, the game was an absolute barn burner, with both teams going back and forth.
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OMG seemed to have an opening and charged Fnatic’s base.
But xPeke held fast, repelling the Chinese squad’s aggression.
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With OMG on the run and most of Fnatic in pursuit, sOAZ made the decision to teleport
to the top lane, enter the enemy base and begin hitting the Nexus.
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As Rekkles stalled recalls and killed two members of OMG,
xPeke and Cyanide joined the scramble, putting everything they had into OMG’s Nexus.
Gogoing and Loveling put everything they had into saving their Nexus.
Each hit brought Fnatic closer and closer to winning the game.
It came down to the wire.
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With their Nexus saved, OMG surged back into the game
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Decisively winning the next big teamfight to win the
game and crush Fnatic beneath them.
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It’s hard to imagine that a game which was well past the hour mark came down to a single
hit.
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The clip has been broken down, replayed, and analyzed countless times.
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While the benefit of hindsight has made us realize several things - such as sOAZ’s
Zhonia’s being available, Cyanide neglecting to use his Locket of the Iron Solari, and
a number of other minor mistakes caused by the immense pressure of the situation. One
thing is for sure: the moment is unforgettable.
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It was tragic and triumphant all at once.
No matter which side you were rooting for, this clip is iconic because it embodies exactly
what Worlds is all about. It’s a battle on the edge, a battle of wills where teams can
push each other to the very limit — even if that limit is just one more hit.
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