Going into the 2019 Magic World Championship from the Grass Roots
Image Copyright : Wizards of the Coast
Sebastian Pozzo showed great performance in constructed Magic during the 2016-2017 season to become called the Standard Master, and was also the first Argentine to get a seat in the World Championship. He is called the “Engine room of the South American team” from his insight, and is playing in the front line of professional Magic with his ally Luis Salvatto who is also from Argentina.
However, he has constant good results but no titles, so getting into the top 8 of the Pro Tour must have been something he wanted desperately. He practiced hard and challenged in the professional scenes although the bitter season for him was long. The indomitable fighting spirit inside him burned powerfully and persistently, with a Latin-American-like cheerful heart. This season his efforts have been rewarded at last. He achieved Top 8 in the 2019 Mythic Championship VI Richmond!
He got in the top 4 players that had the most Mythic Point among Challengers by getting constant results, like playing on day2 in the 2019 Mythic Championship V, and was invited to the 2019 Magic World Championship.
When Wish Comes True
――You resulted in top 8 at Mythic Championship Richmond 2019, but your path towards it must have been a hard one. What did it mean for you?
It was a tournament that had a really important meaning for me. I had been challenging to get into the Top 8 of Pro Tours for a long time. The Mythic Championships were practically the last Pro Tours so I’m very happy that I achieved it. The fact that I achieved it means that it’s a start for a new challenge.
Learning from Defeat
――How do you keep yourself motivated when you could not get the results you expected?
Image Copyright : Wizards of the Coast
“Whenever you don’t get good results is the chance for improving. If you focus on the results too much, you get discouraged and will be difficult for you to keep motivated.”
“You should change the viewpoint and think that a chance to improve yourself has come. You have realized a weak point so all you need to do is to concentrate on that point.”
Two Sides of the Same Coin
――I think I saw a video of you dancing on Twitter. A serious professional player and a cheerful Argentine. Which one is your real self?
“Both of them are myself. I can unify my body and mind by dancing. In competitive magic we mainly use the mind, but in important scenes the body and mind can get split apart, making it difficult for you to make the right decisions.”
“I can face the professional scenes, not only by playing well and building physical stamina, but also by unifying my body and mind.”
The Competitive World
――New players will challenge in the world of competitive Magic, and there would be many players wishing to play like you do. What should they do to achieve their goals?
“You shouldn’t aim too high from the start. It’s better not to focus on match results too much too.”
“If you are stepping into the world of competitive Magic, first of all you should enjoy playing Magic competitively, learn many things from Magic, and enjoy yourself getting better. No one is outstanding from the start. Understand your failures as a chance to become a better player, and improve one by one.”
The Next Challenge
――The Rivals League starts this season and you have been chosen to be one of the first members. What are your aims as a pioneer?
“It’s important that you set a goal but you shouldn’t get too focused. You need to be able to respond flexibly whatever happens.”
“I want to be in the Top 12 of the Rivals League to get to play in the MPL Gauntlet, aiming for the MPL. Even if I couldn’t do so, I want to continue playing in the Rivals League.”
The Second Top 8
Although he had a 0-2 start in his day1 draft, Sebastian Pozzo won his way through. His fighting spirit didn’t go down in adversity and by focusing on what he can do led him playing his best. As a result, his name was in the top 8.
He faced Seth Manfield in the match that decides who will make it to the glorious Sunday.
The thrilling mono-red aggro mirror ended with Seth as the winner.
I'm finally out of #MTGWorlds, I'm super happy with my result and overall play. I have a ton of room for improvement and that's amazing! What a great game! Thanks everyone for the support. Tomorrow I will be rooting for @KbolMagic to finally hold a well deserved trophy.
— Sebastián Pozzo (@sebastianpozzo) February 16, 2020
The challenge ended on Saturday for Pozzo, but the result was a brilliant World Championship Top 8. He still humbly said that there is something he can improve.
The indomitable fighting spirit of HareruyaPros aims for the top of the mountain, going step by step, never stopping walking. We would see Pozzo going to the next level in the Rivals League.
