eSports: Aman reflects on first tournament in Roma colours

How did it feel to represent Roma in your first official tournament since the signing?

"It felt good to have the likes of Roma and FNATIC supporting me. Being able to do this just means a lot to me. Unfortunately, I didn't go far enough in the tournament to qualify for Berlin, but I'm OK with my performance. I still have a second chance going into Vancouver -- hopefully I can bring home the 'W' and take the win there."

Before the Miami Regional, what were you looking forward to most?

"One thing I was looking forward to was competing in my first EA event. The second thing was seeing all of the EA guys there. From the production team to the likes of ChuBoi, Spencer Owen and Jimmy Conrad, seeing all of them in person was really cool. Third, seeing the players and the talent that was there. It was great to see what these players were capable of because it showed how far the North and South American FIFA scene has come."

What was your biggest fear ahead of the Regional?

"I think one was just being tired or getting proper nutrition. I think I took care of that, but when you play so many tough games, you're going to have some fatigue going into the later stages of the tournament. That's one thing I definitely need to work on - I have to get my physical fitness levels ready enough to push through a long day."

You made it through the group stage. What was clicking for you throughout the group matches?

"Just playing my style of play and having good defense. In the third group match, I think I took my foot off the gas pedal a little bit. I think I should have pushed through and tried to get a 100% win record in order to feel comfortable going into the winner's bracket. I think that loss affected me a little bit mentally. So next time, I just want to push through and try to come out with a win in the third group match."

The commentators mentioned that you were the only gamer signed by a professional football club at the tournament. Did that make you more nervous or was it more of a motivating factor?

"It was more motivating. Other players are going to be on the same level soon, but I was just the first. We'll see a lot more European clubs coming in to pick up North and South American players. There's too much talent out here to go unnoticed."

How would you explain to the Roma fans who may not fully understand the FUT Champions Regional why you don't use Roma players in your team?

"We have the choice of using all of the best players in the world. I'm going to give myself the best possible chance to win in order to represent Roma at the highest level possible."

What were your thoughts as you headed into the knockout stage?

"I felt comfortable going into it. That last group match loss was in the back of my head, though. Going into the tournament, I felt unbeatable, but when I did lose, it affected me. The next few games after the loss, I felt like I was playing well. There's not much you can do about losing on penalties, it's just the luck of the draw at that point."

You came back from a 2-0 deficit to force a penalty shootout in your last match. What was running through your mind at the moment of your comeback?

"Just to score one goal at a time. I came into this tournament knowing that I would be going down a goal or two, but I didn't want to let that affect me. I just wanted to play my game, keep pushing for goals and let the cards fall how they may. I got a little bit lucky at the end of that game, but sometimes you need that to progress in tournaments.

After being eliminated on penalties, what was your initial reaction?

"I definitely think my opponent deserved to win - it was a fair result. I think he made better chances than I did. I did miss a couple in extra time, but he had two clear-cut chances that he could have scored on if [Manuel] Neuer didn't come up clutch in those key situations. I wasn't disappointed by losing, but I was hoping to do better and qualify for Berlin. I'm not mad or angry, just a little frustrated and disappointed."

Do you think anything less than a win was a failure for you?

"No. There's so much talent out here. People expected me just to come to Miami and run through the whole tournament, but that was not the case. I knew going into this tournament that it would not be the case, either. I knew I had to put in work. I'm going to have to put in work in Vancouver as well. I have to prepare and do whatever I can to get that extra edge in order to come in the top three in Vancouver and make it to Berlin."

Who was the best competitor that you faced and why?

"It was definitely rafifa13. Especially after going down a goal against me, he rallied back and scored four unanswered goals. It was close between us, though. It could have easily gone either way, but he was the most impressive opponent I faced. He played a couple of balls that I’ve seen before but didn’t expect from him – they came out of nowhere. He was really an effective player, and that’s why he’s in the Grand Final now. He played the most effective and surprised lots of opponents during his matches.”

What surprised you most about the Miami Regional?

“What surprised me most was the amount of people working the event: making sure players were happy, fed and everything went smoothly. It was probably the best event I’ve ever been to in terms of how it was run. That’s what surprised me most – they’re on a very tight schedule and they stuck to it.”

What do you have to change as you head to Vancouver for Season 2?

“Just practice more. I want to work on my fitness level so I can push through matches with endurance. That’s a big mental factor – can you stay on point later on in the tournament and will you still have fuel in the tank when it comes down to quarterfinal, semifinal, and Grand Final situations.”

Do you have a special message for the AS Roma and Fanatic fans who supported you on your journey in Miami?

“Definitely. I hope I made all of the Roma fans proud. I hope to bring championships to Roma, and I won’t stop working even after I win. I want to try my best to win and do my best to make all of the fans proud.”

What's next in the immediate future for you?

“The first thing is to get into the gym. Secondly, I want to get into the lab and start practicing for Vancouver. It’s only about month and a half away, so it’s going to be a grind. I also want to learn a little more about nutrition, just so I can have that extra edge endurance-wise throughout the next tournament.”

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