Vancouver Titans and NYXL went the distance to be the first team to qualify for the grand finals in Philadelphia. This match could have gone to either team. Vancouver's dominance throughout this year paid off as they took down NYXL. After the match, Sung-jun "SLIME" Kim spoke with Inven Global about the match against NYXL, his favorite moment in the Blizzard Arena, and what it means to play in the grand finals. 

How does it feel to play in the grand finals?

It'll be fun. I feel glad that I don't need to play in the lower bracket. It'll be nice to scout our next opponent and have more time to prep for the grand finals.

This match against NYXL was an overall great series. Can you explain what things NYXL did well against your team and what did you do to counter that?

It felt like New York played very well in whatever map they picked. But overall, it felt like our mechanical skill was better than New York's. 

What makes your team so dominant in control maps?

Because control maps require more of a mechanical skill rather than team strats, we have the best Doomfist/Reaper players in the league right now, and we're able to piggyback off that. 

Who would you say is the MVP in your team during playoffs and why?

Everyone is playing really well right now, but Haksal is the most recognizable right now and getting the spotlight because of his Doomfist. 

What was your favorite match in the playoffs so far and what did you take away from it?

It has to be this match against New York. It was a very fun match. It also meant a lot to us because this is our first time at the grand finals. If we lost, however, we would move to the lower bracket which meant a lot of pressure. It's hard to play under that pressure.

Also, we prepped really hard for this match. There was a lot of thinking on my part in the game that people may not catch. In the end, I'm happy this paid off.

So this match against NYXL is the last match you'll play here in the Blizzard Arena. What are your thoughts?

I'll miss this place since we've been here for a year. At the same time, I'm looking forward to next year and the homestands. For example, playing in Philadelphia for the grand finals with Zedd performing will be amazing.

What's your favorite moment in the Blizzard Arena?

My favorite moment has to be when we beat the San Francisco Shock in the Stage 1 finals. It was a special time when we just came to the league and became Royal Roaders.

There are 3 teams remaining in these playoffs: Spark, Shock, and NYXL. Can you name one good thing about all 3 teams?

Shock has really good staff and management. Their coaches come up with really good strats, especially against us. Spark has an effective Bastion comp and their Doomfist player is really good. For NYXL, they are great with using Bastion/Mei comps.

Who would you rather face in the grand finals?

I would say the Shock or NYXL. Against Shock, we are 2-2, so it'll be fun to go against them and beat them in the grand finals. As for NYXL, since they lost to us, they will come back stronger if we meet them in the grand finals. I would like to see a stronger NYXL.

How different do you think it’s going to feel playing in Philadelphia?

I don't have experience playing in front of a huge crowd so I'm a little nervous. I need to make sure I get used to the crowd really quick. Even if there are a lot of people in grand finals, I'm there to win the championship so I'm going to focus on my game.

What are you looking forward to when you get to Philadelphia?

Since we've only been around Los Angeles so far, it'll be fun to see what's around Philadelphia. I'm looking forward to sightseeing to see what Philadelphia has to offer.

What is one last thing you would like to say to all the fans that's been cheering you all season and now they get to see you play in the grand finals?

Thanks for cheering for us throughout the year. Since we are in the grand finals, we will make your tickets worth it, give you a good show, and make sure we win it all.

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