Note: This article is a text summary of the Team Heretics vs. Gen.G post-match press conference. The full video press conference can be found here.
In a tense match deciding the first team to make it to playoffs in Champions Seoul, Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Rank #1 MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius took an unexpected victory with a tight 2-1 victory over tournament favorites Gen.G Gen.G Korea Rank #1 Foxy9 Jung Jae-sung (정재성) t3xture Kim Na-ra (김나라) Munchkin Byeon Sang-beom (변상범) yoman Chae Young-moon (채영문) Karon Kim Won-tae (김원태) . Following their win, Team Heretics took the stage in a post-match press conference to open up on some key takeaways from today's matchup.
This was your first time facing off against Gen.G and in the teaser it was mentioned that you really wanted to play against them as they were the current best. How was the experience overall and did Gen.G live up to your expectations?
MiniBoo: "This was probably the hardest game I've ever played in my career. It was really hard; after the game my head was hurting. They played really well and I think we played really well too, but this time we were better. They lived up to my expectations. It was a really fun game to play and I hope it was a fun game to watch."
Seeing as how last time Gen.G denied you guys from a trophy, what does it mean for the team to beat them this time in Champions?
benjyfishy: "We don't have any hatred towards Gen.G. I think it's a lot more like love, as you guys probably know. It feels really good to get revenge over them from Grand Finals. I still think they're going to make Playoffs and do really well because they're a great team. For me, it doesn't mean anything specific because we beat Gen.G, it's more about the fact that we've improved a lot since Shanghai and even from the start of the tournament."
The last time you faced Gen.G on Lotus, it was a 13-4 loss at Masters Shanghai during Grand Finals that acted as their turning point for winning the series. But this time it was a huge comeback for you guys and turned the series around. Other than the role swaps from MiniBoo coming back in over paTiTek, what were some of the big changes you guys made after looking back at that loss from Shanghai?
neilzinho: "I think it's mostly just in general what we've done. Like benjyfishy said, we've improved quite a lot in the couple of days we've been here. It's not just about the last map, but it goes down to good preparation and support for the team from Weber, our performance coach, and Nicholas. Without them, it wouldn't be possible. We've improved a lot, we did our homework and prepared really well. We've had ups and downs, but the most important thing is now we're coming back up."
During the second map, it was a breaking point when you were down 9-11 and made the full comeback to win Lotus. During the decider, it was the same situation "but the opposite way. Did you feel any pressure from the situation that it was maybe a 50-50?
neilzinho: "From a coach's point of view, no. I don't think the players had time to think about that when they were playing. We were only thinking about the round we were in. We had a couple of attack pauses left, so for me, it was pretty chill. The boys were also really chilled the whole way through. Six or seven months ago, we might have felt the pressure, but now the guys are very good at focusing on the present and living in the moment, just focusing on the round at hand."
Gen.G earlier today mentioned that you changed your comp probably because you knew that with your previous picks on Bind, you wouldn't be able to win. What was the thought process behind making the new comp, and maybe you can make certain comments about how Gen.G adapted to your new comp?
Boo: "For the comp, we had a lot of officials played with the previous comp, so we knew they had good coaching and would prepare well. We decided to change our comp rather than just how we played it. We prepared it for an average amount of time, and it can definitely be improved. As for how Gen.G countered it, I think they didn't counter it very well. On our attack, we had some lucky rounds and clutches, but our good utility and trading helped us win. On defense, we misplayed a few times, but overall, we adapted well to their playstyle, which hasn't changed much."