Stepping into their first crucial match at the World Championship (Worlds) 2023, the Team Whales players faced little pressure. The VCS audience understands that this is the first time for many of TW’s names to breathe the atmosphere of Worlds. However, putting forth their best performance is what everyone is looking forward to, especially after the Vietnamese LoL community was so disappointed with GAM Esports in their previous match against LOUD.
And the TW players did not disappoint their fans. Of course, in the victory of the “Whales”, the players, especially Artemis, must receive the most credit. The AD Carry of TW played incredibly maturely, even though it was his first time playing at a World Championship throughout his career. In fact, Artemis somehow only got taken down twice in all three games. But there is another crucial factor that contributed to TW’s victory. None other than SofM – the coach of the Vietnamese LoL team who recently participated in the ASIAD.
In the post-match interview, Artemis shared: “When we went to China for the ASIAD, we got to compete against strong teams and received a lot of guidance from SofM, so we gained a lot of experience to fight at Worlds this time”. But it doesn’t stop there; international audiences discovered that just before TW began their journey at Worlds 2023, SofM was appointed as the advisory coach for the “Whales”.
Prior to this, there were rumors that SofM also met with TW players in South Korea when Lily shared that SofM was hanging out in the land of kimchi. Many VCS fans also hope that SofM can help Vietnamese LoL teams have a promising journey thanks to his experience. SofM’s “magic touch” was evident at the ASIAD when he helped his students play extremely confidently against the Chinese LoL team.
Of course, the credit still goes to the players and the official members who have long been associated with TW on the coaching bench. But SofM’s presence has likely contributed significantly both in terms of expertise and morale, helping TW members feel more confident in this tournament.