Following their loss in the grand final at Worlds 2024, BLG spoke with the media to share their thoughts on the series.
Image Credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games
BLG Post final press conference – Becoming better during the key moments
Losing after being ahead in the series must have felt incredibly frustrating for BLG, who were very close to making history with a full Chinese roster at Worlds 2024. Unfortunately, T1 came out on top, putting an end to BLG’s hopes. During the press conference, the team was clearly disappointed – despite that, they shared some of their considerations on the series.
Q: In Game 1, you made some really good picks early on and took the victory. What was the approach for the next games?
Head coach: Against T1, we were mainly focusing on being aggressive early with our team comps. After winning the first game, T1 quickly adjusted. Our approach for the first three games revolved around early plays and T1 was good at answering those.
Q: They showed on the broadcast some highlights from 2020 when you were on Suning. After today’s loss, does this loss continue to ignite a passion to play and ultimately achieving more goals like winning world titles and international finals?
Bin: I thought we could win but sometimes the matches are all about a matter of decisive moments. We could win in game 4 and 5 but we weren’t able to seize the opportunity so it’s a pity.
Q: It’s unfortunate that you weren’t able to take the win. What do you think didn’t go well in the series?
Coach: I’m sorry to all the fans who are cheering for us or the LPL. Even though we got to two international finals this year, we weren’t able to take the wins so I think I have a big responsibility as the team’s coach. I hope after today that everyone doesn’t go down in the dumps and we can learn from this year’s journey and experience to improve and become better.
Q: Can you briefly evaluate the season overall?
Bin: I think we did fine for this year but we likely have to go up a notch in crucial moments at international tournaments.
Head coach BigWei and Bin answering most of the answers during the press conference
Q: Four years ago, you left a big impression on the finals stage. Coming back to a grand final, what do you think has changed compared to four years ago? Also, what do you think you need to do to evolve once again?
Bin: I think I’m much stronger than before. In terms of what I need to improve, I think I need to step up during the key moments in order to win the title.
Q: Why did you ban Skarner after winning with it in Game 1?
Coach: We traded picks in Game 1 since we were on the red side. In Game 2, T1’s answer was clear they didn’t want to trade anymore so after Yone was banned, we decided to ban Skarner.
Q: Why didn’t you pick Sylas in Game 5?
Coach: Even if Sylas worked well in Game 1, the priority picks usually are tied to how champions counter one another. When T1 picked Galio, we didn’t think Sylas was a good answer to the pick so we picked Ahri because we thought she would do better in the early-game wave management or skirmish to get leads: this was our expectation.
Q: The team was able to get first blood in all five games but in the end, you weren’t able to take the win. What do you think went wrong?
Coach: I think that both we and T1 are strong teams, some mistakes in the draft considerations can heavily influence the outcome. I don’t think the players did badly, but I think T1 did really well in their picks and bans, as well as answering our strategies. I think us finding success against them is a clear result of our efforts but it’s a pity it wasn’t enough.