'Rush' Yoo Young-jin is returning to the finals stage after a long absence.
Having previously reached the finals in ASL Seasons 12 and 14, Yoo Young-jin defeated Lee Jae-ho 4-2 in Match 1 of the Google Play ASL Season 22 semifinals on the 5th at FreecUP Studio in Daechi-dong, Seoul, advancing to the finals for the first time in eight seasons.
Returning to the finals after a long drought, Yoo Young-jin shared his thoughts: "It's been eight seasons. It was really hard to get back to this stage. I'm glad I made it, and I'll prepare for the finals with a grateful heart."
After winning Game 1, Yoo Young-jin dropped Games 2 and 3. Reflecting on that moment, he said, "As I lost consecutive games, I thought I might actually lose the series. If I had lost Game 4, I probably would have collapsed. Winning Game 4 was crucial." He added, "I did my own training to build mental fortitude, and I think that paid off." Regarding Game 4, he revealed, "I didn't originally intend to go 2-Factory Vulture, but I felt my opponent was planning some strange trick, so I chose 2-Factory Vulture."
Explaining his preparation, he continued, "If I go Starport, I'm bound to lose out in center-map army power battles, so I focused heavily on practicing how to squeeze my opponent through army strength." Having reached the finals, Yoo Young-jin will face the winner of tomorrow's second semifinal match between Kim Min-chul and Park Sang-hyun. "If I prepare and execute as well as I did today, I feel I have a good chance of winning the finals as well," he said.
In closing, he concluded the interview by saying, "My mouse sensitivity felt weird at the venue today. Swapping PCs didn't fix it, but I'm so grateful to Goo-yeol hyung for solving the issue. I also want to express my thanks to the players who helped me practice and my family cheering for me at home. The stage at the Jamsil Ice Rink looks like it's going to be awesome. I'll work hard to win the championship."
