On the 9th of April KST, LoL Park hosted a press conference leading up to the 2019 LCK spring split finals. The representatives of the two finalists, Griffin and SK Telecom T1, sat down to express their thoughts and resolutions for the grand finals to be held at 13th of April.

The following is part 1 of the press conference with Griffin and SKT.

To start off, what are your resolutions for the upcoming spring split finals?

cvMax: We had more time to prepare for this finals, so we will perform as we have prepared.

Viper: I think we are facing a team that we expected to climb up to the finals. I’m overjoyed, overwhelmed to face SKT. I think we can decorate the finals stage with a happy heart.

Sword: We performed well in the first half of the spring split, and we will make sure that we will repeat that performance in the finals stage.

kkOma: We lost to Griffin both times during the regular season, so I want to claim our revenge in the finals.

Faker: I’ll do my best to prepare well for the remainder of time leading up to the finals and yield a good result, a good performance.

Khan: The finals will be held at Jamsil Arena, where I won the finals. I have good memories there. I hope to have a good result as I had the last time I played in Jamsil.

Khan, elaborating on your response, you won the LCK finals over SKT at Jamsil Arena, at that time a member of Longzhu Dragons. Now you are playing for the finals once again, but this time as a member of the SKT. What do you think about this predicament?

Khan: I wasn’t thinking about it in that way. [laughs] I think what matters in a match is how well a player performs. Focusing on myself and my play is what’s most important.

In the 2018 summer spilt, you lost the finals and fell just short of a Championship. cvMax, what did you learn from performing at that stage? For 2018 summer, you showed good performance throughout the split yet faltered at the very last minute. Will you be improving this, or anything else, for the upcoming finals?

cvMax: That was our first split. When things didn’t go according to my expectations, I kept trying to change things on the spot. Since then, I’ve given a lot of thought on how I should better approach a similar situation. Given that, I’m sure we will be able to show a better performance this time.

This is a question to the captains of each team, Sword and Faker. Who do you think is the most threatening player of the opposing team?

Sword: Khan. We are both top laners, and I will show respect to Khan with a good performance.

Faker: Griffin’s “core” is their mid lane and jungle. We are giving a lot of thought on how to respond to the strength that Griffin has. We will prepare for a more balanced and strong team fight, instead of focusing on the individual lanes.

SKT is heading to the finals and it’s been a while. SKT did not have a good result in the last few splits. How are you preparing for this finals?

kkOma: We are prioritizing on analyzing the opposing team. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the LCK finals. This will be my first finals as a head coach. The players told me that they will bring me that victory so I’m keeping my hopes up.

Sword, Khan, we are aware that you are close to one another even though you will be facing each other at the finals. Can we perhaps hear a bit of trash talk?

Sword: I’ve been solo killed by Khan before, I’d like to give that right back to Khan.

Khan: I had an inconsistent spring split, where I would sometimes get solo killed by the opponent top laner. But that never happened against Sword. I would like the trend to continue.

How do you expect the finals to roll out? Can you give your predictions on the final score, and explain your reasoning?

kkOma: A 3-1 or a 3-2, in favor of SKT, of course. Griffin is a very formidable team, so I don’t expect the match to be an easy one. However, I do believe that our players have higher ground in terms of experience and mental fortitude. It’s not going to be easy, but I am expecting to win with a match score of 3-1 or 3-2.

Khan: Our record against Griffin throughout this split has not been great. Throughout the two matches that we went against Griffin, we lost four games and won a single game. So this time, in the finals, I want to win with a match score of 3-1.

cvMax: We have lost to Kingzone DragonX, who SKT has defeated only a few days ago. SKT is in prime right now, but that being said, we will win the finals with a match score of 3-0.

Viper: A 3-0 result. We are better.

Viper, you seem confident. Does this confidence stem from a belief that you can beat Teddy and Mata in the bot lane?

Viper: I’m am sure that we can win both as individuals and a team, so I am filled with confidence.

Griffin expects a 3-0 victory. Do you have any response to this, Faker and kkOma?

Faker: I expect the final score to be either a 3-1 or a 3-2. I strongly doubt that we will lose on a match score of 0-3.

kkOma: I hate to bring last year up. However, Griffin seemed to fail at “closing things” up at last year’s finals. Issues with mental fortitude, let’s say. I think it will be “interesting” if the same thing happens for the finals this year. I doubt it will be a 3-0. It will be interesting if this year’s finals is a repeat of last year’s one.

Part 2 of the press conference between Griffin and SKT will be coming soon.