Hanwha Life Esports pulled off a 2:1 upset victory over OK Savings Bank Brion in the second round of the 2023 LCK Summer Split at LoL Park in Jongno on April 15. Although the team lost the first set due to a poor battle plan, they steadily won the second and third sets using a calm game plan and a noticeable weight difference. Coach Choi In-gyu commented on today’s match, saying that it was a match that showed both strengths and weaknesses, and that he will try to avoid such shortcomings in the future.
The following is a post-match interview with Hanwha Life Esports head coach Choi In-gyu and ‘Viper’.
Q. Can you give us an overview of today’s game?
Choi In-gyu: It was a long day, but I’m glad the players stayed focused and won.
Viper: We won after many twists and turns, but there were more unfavorable moments. We’ll have to work on that.
Q. Today’s victory must have been a reaffirmation of your strengths, but also a confirmation of your weaknesses?
Choi In-gyu: When I looked at the first set ban picks, we completed the picks that we shouldn’t lose, but we still lost the game. Looking at that, I think we’re still not self-objectifying enough. What I can praise is that I stayed calm in unfavorable situations.
Q. What were the key points in the match?
Viper: The play in the last game when I hit Baron with Renekton dead. I think that play was a turning point for us because we took a risk and made it happen.
Q. It seems like your chemistry isn’t quite there yet, but you always have a good play in a shootout.
Viper: It’s a positive thing to have good plays in those critical moments, but it’s a very difficult way to win, and it’s better to play well early on before those plays happen, which seems to be our strength, but it’s also our weakness. If we’re thinking about the future, we need to solidify and learn how to win.
Q. In the second set, your opponent’s combination was more favorable towards the end?
Choi In-gyu: I rolled a lot of objects in the second set, so I had to fight a lot on the objects, but I think I did a good job with my play.
Viper: In-game, our opponent had a long range, so it was difficult to target the tower. When we got the game flowing, I thought we had an advantage in field fights, but I don’t think it worked out as well as I thought it would. It’s a shame that we couldn’t capitalize on it, as we should have been able to force a fight.
Q. You face T1 and Reef Sandbox in next week’s matches. 토토사이트
Choi In-gyu: We have bigger goals, but for me personally, my goal is to beat T1, DePlus Kia, and Genji eSports at least once in the rest of the regular season. I really want to win.
Viper: I think it’s more important to improve the team’s performance and win every game with a good performance than to reach the playoffs right now.
Q. Do you have any final thoughts?
Choi In-kyu: We will prepare well for the next Reveal Sandbox and show a good performance.