How do players feel the weight of representing their country? National team jungler 'Canyon' Kim Geon-bu shared that it feels even heavier than his usual club matches.
South Korea's 'League of Legends' national team defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 to advance to the Asian Games finals. After completing the semifinals held at Aichi Sky Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on October 1, Kim Geon-bu shared his thoughts, saying, "I'm extremely happy to win and reach the finals." He continued, "While I approach club matches seriously as well, playing with the national emblem on makes it feel heavier and even more serious," adding, "I'm never letting my guard down and keeping my full focus on the game."
In game 2, they adjusted the positions of Nidalee and Olaf in response to the opponent's picks. Kim Geon-bu explained that Saudi Arabia had a history of playing Sylas jungle and picked Sylas again, so they chose Nidalee and Olaf as strong jungle champions against Sylas.
When Saudi Arabia subsequently selected Illaoi, the team adjusted their lane assignments through communication. Kim Geon-bu said, "We communicated that switching positions would be fine for both top and jungle, so we ended up swapping lanes." 'Zeus' Choi Woo-je played Nidalee in the top lane, while Kim Geon-bu took Olaf in the jungle.
Teaming up with players he usually competes against in the LCK was also a memorable experience. Kim Geon-bu said, "Since opportunities like this are so rare, it felt intriguing and curious, but playing together showed that they are indeed incredibly talented players." He added, "I believe synergy develops quickly when players have solid fundamental skills. We built our teamwork rapidly by playing scrims together."
Although they had already defeated their finals opponent, Chinese Taipei, in the group stage, Kim Geon-bu was not letting his guard down based on a single match. Assessing that Chinese Taipei had drafted a composition back then that required closing out the game within a tight window, he noted, "In the finals, if both teams draft solid compositions, I think Chinese Taipei definitely has potential. We plan to prepare thoroughly as well."
Finally, Kim Geon-bu expressed his determination: "Now only the final remains, and I have a huge desire to win. As strong as that desire is, I will prepare well and work hard so that we can definitely win." The final match between South Korea and Chinese Taipei will take place as a best-of-five series at noon on October 2 at the same venue.
