On the 15th (KST), Gen.G defeated Afreeca Freecs with a set score of 2-0 in the 2020 LCK Summer split. With this victory, Gen.G concluded round 1 of the 2020 LCK Summer split with a 7-2 record in the standings, and headed into round 2 with a rematch of the Spring finals, against T1.

For this week, as round 1 of the 2020 LCK Summer split nears its conclusion, Inven Global will be talking with various head coaches of the teams to hear how they reflect upon their performance in round 1. The interim head coach for Gen.G, oDin, joined Inven Global for an exclusive 1 on 1 interview to talk about the various ups and downs for round 1, and how they hope to lead the team in round 2.

All of Gen.G’s round 1 matches have come to an end, and it ended with a victory against AF. How do you feel?

I’m very glad that the team ended round 1 with a very good record, and with a clean victory as well.

I heard that it was your birthday today, and today’s victory must’ve been a great present for you. Do you have any special plans of celebration?

I am planning to spend some much needed time with my girlfriend.

Is there anything specific that the team practiced in preparation for this match against AF?

We always tell ourselves to play in a decisive manner, and treat every one of our opponents the same. We did tell ourselves to be careful of their bot laner, Mystic, but Ruler has been performing exceptionally well in recent days. I told them to play comfortably, and it’s okay to make mistakes, so even if you do, always think about the next play.

It feels like all five players of Gen.G became the carries of the team as of late. In your opinion, who’s improved the most this split so far?

I think it stems from all five of our players being good in the early game, and in lane. Although it’s hard to pick one player, I’d say that Rascal has shown the most improvement of all the other players. Not only has his laning improved, his decision making in the game and his proactivity in the draft has improved tremendously.

Although Gen.G has an immense record of 7-2 in round 1, the two losses must’ve been very disappointing because of how the games went. How satisfied with the team’s performance, and how do you evaluate the team’s round 1 performance?

Overall, I’m very satisfied with how the team’s been doing. The biggest letdown for the team was our loss against T1, because of the content of the games. After our loss against DragonX, the team was still in positive spirits, because while scrims have been going immensely well, things were very different on stage as to during scrims, so we were completely caught off guard, and just thought the loss was a hiccup.

In terms of our loss against T1, not only did we play really well against T1, the players were full of confidence as well. That one mistake in the last teamfight was when everything fell apart for us, so it stings everyone to this day. Also, the fact that I couldn’t properly gather them mentally for game 2 of the series is something I’m disappointed in with myself as well.

Looking ahead into round 2, what are some things that the team absolutely needs to fix?

In terms of our gameplay, I believe there isn’t much to drastically improve on. From managing our lanes, lane swap timings, taking objectives to teamfighting, I believe that we’re doing very well. The most important thing is how we mentally improved ourselves after our loss against T1. They’re our first opponents for round 2, so if we can beat them, I believe we can perform even better.

If you had to pick a keyword for improving the team’s performance in round 2, what would it be?

‘Mentality’. While all of our players’ champion pools are vast, once things start crumbling down, everyone falls very helplessly. This was evident during the Spring split finals against T1, and in round 1 against T1 as well. They seemed to be okay against any other team, yet it strongly affects the players mentally when they lose against T1. If we can win the mental battle, I believe we’ll do well in round 2.

This is your first split as the interim head coach. What are some things that you believe you did well, as well as some things you need to improve?

The thing I didn’t do so well was, as I mentioned earlier, gathering the players’ mentality after their loss against T1. Although it’s ultimately the players’ job to gather themselves up mentally, the responsibility also falls upon the coaching staff in properly aiding them.

On the flip side, one of the things I think I did well is guiding them in the right direction. After our former head coach, Edgar, left the team after the Spring split, things were pretty chaotic within the team, but I think I’ve done a great job keeping the team together and guided them in the right direction.

Apart from the top teams in the standings right now, is there another team you’re wary of?

Definitely SANDBOX Gaming. As of late, it looks as things are changing for the better for SANDBOX overall. Although no one knows how they’re going to do if they trip, they’re looking pretty good right now.

As you mentioned before, the next match, and Gen.G’s first opponent of round 1 is T1. Heading into the next match, can you share some of the team’s resolutions?

We’ll be heading into the match against T1 as if it’s just another day at the job. I’ll be making sure that the players don’t feel that mental block, just because our opponents are T1. As I always tell the players, I firmly believe my players are the best players in the world. I just hope that they don’t lose their confidence. Everyone's very hungry for the rematch, so things will be very different.

Lastly, a word to the fans.

I’m very glad that we’re able to produce great results in round 1, and we’ll all work very hard to be better in round 2.