food: "After we missed out on Pro League we were all pretty defeated"
In our final interview from N3rd Street Gamers' Eastern Conference Championship, Joe "tolkienfanatic" Cardali talked to Victor "food" Wong following Singularity's elimination in the semifinals by the hands of FURIA. The two discussed Singularity's structure, food's rise through and thoughts on FPL, failing to make ESL Pro League, and the competition in the upcoming season of MDL.
You've been around for a while at this point, but I think it's safe to say that this is probably the most serious team that you've played on. Talk about the transition from what you were doing previously to now.
When I first started playing in MDL, that was when I was still in school. So my mind wasn't fully devoted to CS. Gorilla Gang, or Singularity, it was my first team that we put structure into, and honestly either this season or last season was the first time I actually truly learned how you play CS instead of running around mindlessly just aiming your crosshair at people.
You've become pretty prolific in FPL, do you feel like that helps you in league play or does it build bad habits?
Contrary to public opinion, I know a lot of people think that FPL just breeds bad habits, but I think FPL definitely can't make you worse. But it might not make you better because it's not similar at all to what you find in an actual match.
What I would say is that FPL helps train your decision-making, your decisions are more snappy instead of just sitting there and waiting for something to happen. It helps players become more proactive instead of reactive and waiting for them to come to you.
You guys missed out on making Pro League in Texas, we talked with vanity and hydrex about it previously, but I just want to get your take on what happened there.
After we 2-1'd Rogue for our first Relegation match, we were definitely on high spirits, we were feeling really confident that we were definitely making Pro League. And then I don't know, I guess... I wouldn't say pressure, but complacency might have gotten to us.
Our energy wasn't as high. Well to be fair, the match was at 10 AM, and I don't know if anyone on this team is ever up at 10 AM, that was probably the first time I've been up at 10 AM in months. I'm not trying to make an excuse, but we definitely didn't go into those other two Bo3s the same way we went into the first one against Rogue. After we missed out on Pro League we were all pretty defeated.
What has the mental reset been like? Obviously you guys are here and still playing on LAN, so what has the process looked like?
After getting back from Dallas, that's honestly when we should've actually just had a break. We were all so defeated, so crushed, and you could see that in our matches after that. We just weren't there. We lost like six maps in a row, that's terrible. We should've just took a break.
We didn't really practice going into this LAN, which is understandable because we have a stand-in. We're gonna take a break after we get home at the end of the holidays, and see where we are at the start of the new year.
You've also had a fairly successful collegiate CS career, what do you think of that whole scene?
I think collegiate CS.... I don't want to say amateur, that's not the right word, but I don't think the level is very good there, it's not there yet. I guess not every collegiate player is trying to go pro, so it's understandable, but right now I think it's getting better. I don't know what it's really like right now because I don't play it anymore, I'm out of college.
Looking forward to the next season of MDL, who are the teams you're looking out for?
Obviously FURIA, they're insane. I think FURIA is definitely one of the favorites. I don't know, it's pretty much the same as last season because only Swole got out of MDL, so it's the same old teams.
I'm pretty sure iNTACT just got moved up, they're pretty good. Other than that, it's the same old teams plus FURIA. FURIA is one of the top favorites to win MDL next season, even though it's only a training season.
Does the fact that it's a training season impact your morale and energy?
Definitely, we're definitely disappointed. Obviously we should be taking it just as seriously as if it was a promotion season, but just knowing in the back of your mind that even if we win this season we're not going to get moved up into Pro League, it's annoying, it's frustrating.
You mentioned FURIA, you guys ran into them here in the semifinal. If that doesn't happen, are you guys in the final do you think?
100%. I think if we didn't meet FURIA in the semifinals, we're definitely in the finals. I don't know how the brackets worked, I heard that it wasn't even seeded, but... yeah. I can confidently say if we didn't meet FURIA in the semifinals, we would definitely meet them in the finals.
What did happen in that series against FURIA, where you guys got off on the right foot and then they came back and reverse-swept you?
We did win the first map, which was Cache, their pick. We just weren't prepared enough I guess. We won Cache and then it came to Overpass, we lost a couple of key rounds and they got off on the right foot and just rode the momentum throughout.
What can you say about MAC-1 and what he brings to your team? When you see him on LAN he's very hype, but I guess a lot of people were surprised when you brought him on because he has relatively little league experience.
I wouldn't say he's the analytical coach, he's more of an emotional coach. He definitely tries his best to make us have good vibes, high energy, because that definitely does effect the outcome of the match, especially on LAN. He's always trying to keep us calm, high energy. Even if we lose the round he's always giving us fist bumps, trying to make us think about the next round.
food's next outing will be Season 30 of the ESEA Mountain Dew League which is scheduled to begin on January 14th.
