KC Juicy on the semis vs Falcons: "The winner of this match wins the tournament"

After Karmine Corp’s 4-3 win over Team Vitality secured their semifinal spot against Team Falcons, juicy reflected on the team’s performance, their form, and the packed schedule ahead.

KC Juicy at EWC. Credit: Esports World Cup

“We were all very strong at the Major, but I think we can do even more in this tournament than we did in Paris.”

After Karmine Corp’s hard-fought 4-3 victory over Team Vitality, a win that secured their place in the semifinals, where they will face Team Falcons, Charles “juicy” Sabiani reflected on the team’s performance and their improved form compared to the Paris Major, looked ahead to the upcoming semifinal, and discussed the demanding schedule surrounding the Paris Major, 2v2s, 1v1s, and the Esports World Cup.

What did you think of the team’s performance today?

Charles "juicy" Sabiani: “We all played well. I don’t have much to say; everything was perfect, except for the three games we lost. I think we played really well.

You scared yourselves again by almost dropping the win. Is it a side quest at this EWC?

juicy: It’s a good thing because we play so well that we want to do more, but it’s also bad. We just have to stay calm, keep playing the way we play, and not get too excited.

How do you feel about the team in terms of form, especially after the Paris Major?

juicy: We’re better than we were at the Major. We were all very strong at the Major, but I think we can do even more in this tournament than we did in Paris Major, just simply stomp the teams.

You were the first to score seven goals against Team Vitality in a LAN. Tell me about the game?

juicy: As I said, it felt like we were better throughout the whole BO. We were the best team, even in the games we lost. We were a bit stupid in those games, but it felt like we were better throughout the whole BO.

You lost two maps after scoring seven goals. How do you deal with that? Did you feel more pressure when you had to close the series?

juicy: Frankly, we had nothing in our heads, and we just played. We knew we were the best team, and we just had to play our game. It worked.

Did you feel like Vitality was trying to adapt after the fourth game? Was there a change in the BO after the 7-0?

juicy: I would say that we were playing their game too much. I wouldn’t say they adapted. I would say that it was us who changed something, rather than them doing something different.

The casters seemed to say that you expected them to make mistakes rather than playing your own game. Do you agree with that?

juicy: I don’t think so. I would say that we were forcing things a bit. We were playing too fast and rushing a lot when we didn’t need to.

Do you see a difference between this 4-3 and the 4-3 against Vitality at the Paris Major?

juicy: I don’t remember much about Paris, so I wouldn’t really know. But I would say they were a lot less good than they were in Paris today.

Tomorrow, it’s Falcons in semis. How do you see the match? Is it the biggest opponent of the competition?

juicy: The winner of this match wins the tournament. That’s it. For me, the winner of this match wins the tournament.

There are three major competitions coming up back-to-back: the Paris Major, the EWC and Worlds. How do you see it? What do you think about the schedule?

juicy: The schedule is okay. What was a bit annoying for me, and for all the teams, was the sequence after the Paris Major. There were 2v2s and 1v1s played one after another, without a break.

You have people like Zen (Alexis Bernier), for example, who didn’t want to play anymore. I didn’t want to do the 1v1. I mean, I wanted to do it, but after the Paris Major, you want to take a break and really get back into shape, whether it’s for scrims or tournaments.

And in the end, you play 2v2s, 1v1s, etc. So I would say that if they put a bit more time between the events and didn’t have them played one after another, I think it would be better.

So you think it’s annoying for the tournament?

juicy: Yeah. For example, for me, I took the 2v2 seriously. I tried hard and everything, but you don’t necessarily play the hours you usually play. For example, in the afternoon, you do 2v2 sessions, etc. I just didn’t feel like it. Same for the 1v1. And for the 1v1, I was lucky; I didn’t do it.

Do you feel that the time invested by all the teams in the 2v2s and 1v1s has had an impact today, whether in terms of strategies or preparation?

juicy: No, not at all. Actually, there was a huge break, I would say, between the 2v2s, the 1v1s, and then the EWC. So I’d say it was 50-50. It really balanced the whole thing.”