RUSH: “I Can’t Say I’m Satisfied With How We’re Performing”
The Overwatch League’s Kickoff Clash concluded with resounding victories and tight battles of grit and determination. Taking place in Arlington, TX, the Kickoff Clash’s hosts, the Dallas Fuel, started their tournament with a tough but declarative 3-0 victory against the Toronto Defiant, in front of a more than friendly crowd.
With translations from Assistant General Manager Helen "Dear" Jang, damage players Min-seo "guriyo" Kang, Tae-hoon "Edison" Kim, and head coach Hee-won "RUSH" Yun, sat down with the press after their win.
Guriyo and Edison, how was that match for you? What was it like playing in front of that crowd and finally in an offline setting?
Guriyo: "There were a lot of people, so it made me really nervous. But every time I got a kill I heard the crowd go wild and that actually got me really excited. It was so fun."
Edison: "I agree with guriyo, it was important, and it was more meaningful because it was our home stage. I would hear the crowd get very loud, and it was a great experience overall."
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RUSH, Guriyo, and Chiyo are some of your newer additions, but also the youngest players on your team. Are the more veteran players guiding them, and how are you facilitating their development?
RUSH: "I don’t really do anything for the team environment to be as it is right now. I am working with a lot of players who have been with me for a very long time. Back then I did put in the effort to make them get along with each other, and that has created an environment where it consistently stays that way, no matter who comes into the team."
Guriyo: "I wouldn’t say it’s me being taken care of or even being treated like a little brother type thing. I just think we’re all really close friends."
RUSH, in your eyes what does it take to win a tournament?
"Skill."
"If you do well you win, if you don’t, you lose. So, given that, there were a lot of moments where we looked shaky today. Our win took a lot more than it should have. Given that, there are still a lot of things we have to improve on, and that just tells you we’re not there yet. I can’t say I’m satisfied with how we’re performing. Eventually, maybe our players we’ll be ready to win a tournament, but for now, we have a long way to go."
Lastly, a lot of fans are wondering about Rascal being on the Fuel again. Why bring him on board, and what does he do for you all as a team?
RUSH: "There’s no fancy answer as to why I picked Rascal. But he has been on various teams, and he has a title under his belt. Given that experience with so many teams, I wanted to see the things that he has seen in his career. I thought that would be interesting to explore."
Guriyo: "Rascal has a really easy nature about him, so it allows us to be friends more than anything, Given that we share the same roles when he was a player himself, he gives me a lot of individual feedback on just how to play my role, so it's very helpful."
Edison: "Rascal is also friendly, it’s good to have someone like that. Due to his past career as a player, he’s able to point out things we need to in a way that’s easy for us to understand."
