DRX shared their thoughts at a post-match press conference following the team’s win over Talon Esports in the quarter-finals of VCT LOCK//IN.
BRAZIL – In a post-match press conference of VCT LOCK//IN, DRX discussed their closely-contested game on Icebox against Talon Esports, the matchup evaluation, and going forward as the victory marks two back-to-back top-four finishes in international events. The team booked their place in the semi-finals following a 2-1 victory over Talon Esports. Kim “stax” Gu-taek’s troops dropped Fracture 10-13, took their map pick of Ascent 13-6, and completed the reverse sweep with a 13-10 win on Icebox.
This win secures DRX, the sole Pacific representatives from the Alpha Bracket, a top-four finish in the kickoff tournament. They will await for the Omega bracket to conclude before beginning their playoff campaign on March 3 against reigning world champions LOUD from Brazil.
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The Korean squad made their way to a post-match press conference following their victory. In particular, the team’s second Icebox showing in the tournament was a topic of discussion. Head coach Seon-ho “termi” Pyeon acknowledged that the match was tough, as Talon Esports played really well. “We had a hard time adjusting to what they were bringing to the table, so I think that is one of the reasons why our Icebox struggled a little bit,” the 36-year-old said. Termi also believed that Talon Esports were in top form during the game while his team was experiencing an off day.
However, he also noted that the match highlighted the strength of their opponents and how they had not fully anticipated the performance that their opponents brought to the game. “Overall evaluation of the matchup would be that we knew that Talon was a strong team, but we never kind of placed them on the top-tier list of all the teams in the world. But today, that kind of changed my perception.”
Talon Esports pushed the Korean side to the absolute limit and deserve a ton of credit for their play, especially given that this is Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut’s debut leading the team in a tournament, taking the in-game leading role over Itthirit “foxz” Ngamsaard.
“I think they are going to do pretty well and very well on the international stage,” he continued. Moreover, Termi expressed his satisfaction that the competitive level in the Asia-Pacific region has gone up. He attributed this improvement to the rise of teams like Talon Esports, who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the game.
“I feel like all the time and effort that we put into this team and working together was not lost in vain,” Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan said in the press conference following the victory, which marks the team’s back-to-back top-four finishes on the international stage. He expressed gratitude towards his teammates for sticking together and pushing through tough times, and he felt that their results showed that their hard work had paid off.
“I am so glad that we are able to do this well, and it was these results that tell us that it was worth sticking together and pushing through tough times, and I am grateful for my teammates to be able to do that.”
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Cover photo courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
