

Svenskeren debunks his one-trick Lee Sin status, and Bjergsen cautions against any overconfidence from winning Rift Rivals.



In the grand finals of 2017 Rift Rivals: NA vs EU, TSM defeated UOL in a convincing 3-0 sweep and was declared as the better of the two regions. Though the unlikely EU representative looked to be catching up to TSM’s style as the series went on, evidenced by their kills and enemy structures destroyed, TSM’s more consistent macro management and coordinated teamfighting prevailed. Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Dennis “Svenskeren” Johnsen were invited to a post-match interview with Riot’s Daniel Drakos to talk about NA’s dominance and how their Rift Rivals’ victory today will translate into LCS and Worlds.



Apparently, both Bjergsen and Svenskeren felt very good about winning Rift Rivals’ title for both TSM and NA. The jungler expressed joy by explaining, “It definitely feels good because TSM usually doesn’t do too hot internationally,” and that getting back at EU where he always used to lose when he played in the region was a plus as well.



Known for giving diplomatic answers, Bjergsen was especially pleased to have beaten UOL in the finals since it was the only team that was able to take a game from them in Group Stage. He humbly added, “I didn’t even think I played well this series. Overall, my team played well, communicated well, and carried me hard.” He didn’t forget to say that UOL was definitely formidable before he was interrupted by the crowd’s chanting of TSM’s name.



On the criticism levied at him for being one-trick Lee Sin but his proving them otherwise by effectively playing other champions including Kha’Zix, Elise, and Gragas; Svenskeren hinted a resentment of such claims and confessed that, “I have to try hard in NA where opponents are tough, so I always have to play my best champions.” When Drakos confronted him whether EU was an easier opponent that let him deviate from his best picks, the jungler tactically replied, “Maybe, but it feels good to get confidence back on champions other than Lee Sin to get wins in Rift Rivals.”



Bjergsen was then asked about how the today’s victory will affect their chances of making out of Group Stage at Worlds, knowing they can take down EU teams. The mid laner responded:



“I don’t think it’ll be easier because EU got caught up in a certain meta and will adapt when they come to Worlds . . . [Winning Rift Rivals] doesn’t give me any overconfidence going to international events because we’re going to be facing extremely strong teams at Worlds, if we make it there. We have to play even better than what we did at this tournament to get out of groups.”



Concerning their outlook on the second half of LCS starting next week, Svenskeren concluded the interview with a jovial smile on his face by saying, “I don’t want to sound cocky, but obviously we’re aiming for number 1.”