Clutch Gaming LirA says confidence will take Clutch to Worlds

Olivia Richman Published 12/08/2019

Despite some people expecting an easy win for Team SoloMid, Clutch Gaming was able to take down their favored opponents 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Now, Clutch is on their way to play in the semifinals against Team Liquid, the best team in the LCS.

It’s a tough road ahead, but jungler Nam “LirA” Tae-yoo believes that his team can make it to the finals if they remain confident. WIN.gg spoke with him fresh off the win over TSM to find out more about their feelings going into the semifinals.

What does it mean to you to make it to the semifinals?

LirA: To be honest, I dn’t care about making it to semifinals. I care about going to Worlds.

How did you feel going into the match against TSM in the quarterfinals?

Every time we play against TSM, I never feel that we will lose. I was confident that we could win. Then we actually did.

You defeated TSM in the quarterfinals last year. Why was it important to beat them once again?

It feels like they always prepare one thing, and we always prepare for that. We were able to counter them. We feel like we’re always ahead of them when it comes to a series like this.

Is that how you were able to so easily take the first two games?

Our team prepared a lot for this match today. In the first game, we played absolutely really well. It was easier for us to pull out the win. In the second match, we did really well in the teamfights.

What was the reason your team kept coming out victorious in those teamfights?

Every time when we play, when we’re making a decision we have really strong confidence. We felt anything we do, we can dominate. TSM wasn’t really prepared for that. They were slacking off a little bit.

TSM then took the third game.

They were catching up to how we play. I felt we shouldn’t have given them champions that allowed them to engage with us. After that match, we changed our style and comp in draft.

Earlier this year, you had said your team’s skill level drops when you’re on stage. What has improved since then?

Individual players got so much better with their mechanical skills and strategies. It feels like we really trust each other and are confident in each other.

Naturally, everything improves, including decision making, since we’re on the same page. That’s something we pull off really well together.

What will your team be doing to prepare for the semifinals?

We definitely need to not make mistakes in our games. Confidence is also really big for us. We don’t want to get scared of anything we face.

We have one week to prepare. If we don’t lose our confidence during that time, it should be really good for us.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile