"They are an exec heavy team and I think we let them run their execs very easily." - 100T Derrek on loss against Sentinels

In the opening matchup of VCT 2023 - Americas League, it was Sentinels that took the win against 100 Thieves after an intense faceoff that went the distance and ended up going to overtime on Ascent, the decider, for the final verdict. THESPIKE.GG was granted the opportunity to sit down with Derrek "Derrek" Ha for his thoughts on the game and individual performance involved.

Derrek unsatisfied with individual performance

THESPIKE.GG: The loss was pretty unfortunate, but it was an extremely close one nonetheless. What were your immediate thoughts?

Derrek: It was a frustrating loss. We were up 8-4 at one point and were super close to winning the game but we had to fight hard for every round and there were a few rounds where we could have closed it out but at the end though, we will just have to learn from this and come back better next week.

THESPIKE.GG: 100 Thieves had the game point at Overtime but couldn’t convert. What do you think went wrong in that instant?

Derrek: I think they were playing the rounds really well. We had a game plan of getting cryo on the op line mid and then just going out to try getting picks on the extremities. But they played the map super well. I mean, they sought us out and TenZ just kept entering. So, it felt like we definitely could have closed out some rounds while they were doing that, but some rounds just didn't go our way.

THESPIKE.GG: For Fracture too, you had the lead up with 11-10 but couldn't close out. Did you notice that pattern being consistent in today’s matchup. Have you been able to diagnose it and if so what changes can you make to improve?

Derrek: When the game’s close to ending, I feel like the pressure for both teams is pretty high and when it comes down to it, it comes down to the team plays and sometimes even solo plays. We're going to have to watch back our plays and see where we went wrong.

THESPIKE.GG: How do you think a year individual play amounted to in today's game? How do you rank how do you rank yourself out there today?

Derrek: I think I would rate myself probably like six and a half. I feel like there were a lot of rounds where I could individually helped the team secure it. There were also a few kills that I would’ve probably won some other day. I think I was mid rounding well on Split. I think me calling a lot of plays bumps up my number, but based on aim mechanics alone it wasn't my best today and I will try to fix that for next week.

THESPIKE.GG: Your role with Breach on Fracture has been quite limited too. How comfortable do you feel playing him? How impactful is he to the lineup?

Derrek: I'm very comfortable on Breach. Obviously the score doesn't tell the whole story. There were times rounds where I was planting the bomb every round and I'm just put in a position where I am pretty much ready to die for my team. I think as breech players on any it's really just setting up your team to do the best that they can do. You're not using your utility for yourself most of the time.

THESPIKE.GG: Despite this loss, how optimistic are you about the future matchups ahead considering how impactful each game is for placement?

Derrek: There’s nothing else we can do today besides just learn from our mistakes. We will go watch back and try to counter their playstyle since they are an exec heavy team and I think we let them run their execs very easily. The rounds that we were winning were ones where we disrupted them early. So yeah, we'll definitely be ready for them next time.

THESPIKE.GG: How different was the experience playing in Los Angeles as opposed to other international venues. Do you think the travel prior to such events impacts gameplay?

Derrek: It’s definitely better playing from home. I've lived in California my entire life. So, it was definitely nice to hear that the League was going to be in LA. I definitely do think it's a big bonus, not having to get used to jetlag, but there's a lot of things a lot of outside things too, like the food and the overall environment. I love traveling to play tournaments obviously but playing from playing at home is the best thing that you can possibly do and it is a huge advantage.