SSG Zach to his former self: “Just don’t retire.”

After the loss to Team Falcons in the grand final, Zach joined us for an interview to discuss the team’s EWC performance, what worked against KC, and what he would say to his former self.

zach competing at EWC. Credit: Esports World Cup

“We gave 99%, but sometimes it’s that 1% that you leave out there that causes the loss.”

Despite falling to Team Falcons in the grand final, Spacestation Gaming had a successful Esports World Cup run, reaching the top two after defeating Ninjas in Pyjamas in the semifinals. Following the final, Zachary “zach” Stone joined us for an interview to discuss the team’s performance, his first international event final, SSG’s status, and what he would say to his former self.

What do you think about the team's performance overall today?

Zachary "zach" Stone: “We had good moments during the NiP series. We had enough to win, but we definitely didn't play perfectly in all the games. Against Team Falcons, none of us really played. We could have shown much more, and we feel like we left a little bit on the table.

Did you expect to face Falcons in the grand final?

Zach: After they beat Gentle Mates, we definitely knew they were playing well. From scrims before the tournament, we could tell they were playing well, so it wasn't really surprising to us that they made the grand final.

Would you have preferred to face KC, considering you might have had a psychological advantage against them?

Zach: No, we feel like we had similar chances against both teams. If we played like that against KC, it probably would have been a similar result. It was much more about us than the team we were playing.

What did you do against KC that you didn't do today against Falcons?

Zach: Kind of everything in general, but probably mostly a sense of calmness and composure. We were very calm, composed and focused against KC, and we didn't really bring that against Falcons. There were just a lot of bad mistakes overall that resulted from that.

This was your first international final. How did you feel going into it?

Zach: I felt super confident, and we were all confident as a team. We gave 99% but sometimes, it’s that 1% that you leave out there that cause the loss.

Did you feel any extra pressure because of it?

Zach: No, not really. It felt pretty similar to all the other series going in. For whatever reason, we just didn't go in with the right mindset completely.

What are the main lessons you take from the final?

Zach: Just how important it is to stay completely, 100% or 110% focused on the game, on winning, and just being calm and confident in everything that we need to do to win. Hopefully Worlds will be good for us.

Do you think there were points in the final where your mental shifted and it became harder to focus?

Zach: No, I think Game 1 was the best game we played, but it still wasn't great. It’s not really that anything changed, just that after Game 1 they got a lot of confidence and we kept playing the same so it got worse and worse.

Do you think your status in the eyes of the public has changed after this performance?

Zach: I would imagine that we're going to get more respect, especially from international fans, and that they'll see us as legitimate contenders now.

What would you say to the Zach from one year ago, when you decided to retire, now that you're here in the final?

Zach: I don't know. Just don't retire, I guess. I don't know.

Are you proud of the journey you've been on?

Zach: Yeah, absolutely. And I don't think that journey is done at all. We didn't win, so we still have more work to do.

Do you think this could be the beginning of something bigger for you?

Zach: I would just say it's a continuation of everything we've worked on since I came back. We started in Paris Major, then improved to get here, and hopefully we can keep working and keep improving for Worlds.

What is your mindset heading into Worlds preparation?

Zach: We're just going in with the most confidence possible. We always knew how good we are and how good we can be. Now that we've shown that on an international stage, it's just even more credibility to our belief in how good we are.”