SSG's Group Stage results weren't too shabby; 4 wins and 2 losses. But for the players themselves, what they felt was far from satisfactory. SSG lost two games in a row against RNG, despite beating the other two teams in the group, FB and G2, quite convincingly. Considering the rivalry between LCK and LPL, it's quite understandable why SSG feels this way.

During groups, SSG stood tall like a solid rock. They remained rooted; unshaken by the other teams' attempts to make them fall. SSG did during Worlds what they did best in their regional league, and won many of their group stage matches as a result... but RNG brought blades sharp enough to maim even the hardest rock. 

SSG successfully qualified for the quarterfinals, yet the players' faces expressed nothing of contentment. Somewhere in the corner of their minds, the thought of not having defeated RNG - even once - dwelled.

As the day came to an end, our team ran into an opportunity to speak with CoreJJ, the support player for SSG. He gave us insight regarding SSG, and what the future looks like for the team.

Please introduce yourself!

Hi, I'm CoreJJ, and I'm the support player for Samsung Galaxy.


The group results have been finalized. How do you feel?

The two weeks were very difficult for us. Although we ended up 2nd in the groups, we'll do our best to show better performance in the quarterfinals.


Before leaving for China, you've said that "the team will show improved performance at Worlds". What kind of feedback went back and forth within the team?

Firstly, all the members tried their best to interact with each other and aimed towards playing for one another in games. I don't think the problems that we had have been solved yet, especially when looking at our result; so we'll have to continue to refine our weaknesses.


Has the team gotten better during the 2nd week?

I personally think that we played better on the 2nd week when compared to the 1st.


Is there a specific team that you want to face in the quarterfinals?

In the quarterfinals, I want to avoid Korean teams. I'm not necessarily "afraid" to play against them, but I'm worried about all the possible rebuke that we might receive as a result. So I want to face teams from other regions.


If you end up meeting RNG again, do you think you can beat them?

If we end up meeting RNG again, it'll be in the semifinals or the Finals. And if we do end up meeting them again, I think we'll have a good chance to beat them.


Do you have any words for your fans back in Korea?

I know that a lot of you are disappointed by our performances... but we'll continue to try our best. And believe me, I really want to show only the best for you guys.


Can you give a word to your teammates?

We're here in China, and it's difficult to stay in foreign lands. Everyone is playing in a different environment... but I really want them to be like themselves and show their true colors during games.

 
Uzi is famed to be one of the best ADC in the world. How did it feel playing against him?

I always play my laning phase confidently... and from the laning phase all the way to late-game teamfights, Uzi played almost flawlessly. He's definitely a player that others can learn from. If we end up meeting Uzi again beyond quarters, we'll have to play very carefully.


What's your opinion on the Ardent Censer meta?

First of all, the weight that the ADC of each team has to carry became immense. There is a lot more pressure now, but personally, I would really like them to play without feeling too much pressure. 


During the match today against RNG, what gave them the advantage? Why do you think you guys lost?

During the games, we were very confident. As a matter of fact, we were expecting to win and thought that we had the game in the bag. But then, we made too many mistakes, and I think that's why we lost. 


I heard from other Korean players that some of you guys haven't been eating well. How about you? Does Chinese food suit your taste?

I've only been eating meals that were provided by the hotel that I've been staying in, and I don't know if it's Chinese food or not, but it tastes okay.


Ruler said, "Uzi attacks me once for every CS I go for." What do you think about the ADC matchup between the two?

In terms of mechanics, I don't think there's a difference between the two players.

Uzi is a player that makes little to no mistakes and knows exactly when to be passive and when to be aggressive. He's definitely a player that we could learn from.


You guys played against RNG last year. So, in what ways did RNG change?

RNG's strength as a team comes from their aggressive playstyle that revolves around their jungler. When playing against them, the outcome of the match is usually decided by if you were able to defend against their onslaught or not.


Lastly, do you have any final words for the fans?

All of us were very nervous at the start and worried about how we would end up perform today. But then, we saw a large 'Samsung' poster held by fans in the distance, and it helped us relieve some of the pressure that we were feeling. 

The more you guys cheer for us, the better we feel. So please, continue to cheer for us, and we'll do our best to repay you with great performance. Thank you.