nitr0: "I do feel like we deserve a Major"

"We've got Apeks in the match up so we want that revenge on them from beating us in the best of one in the group stage. We're ready as a team to play in the arena, we love arena matches, you know, it's why we play the game and why we love Counter-Strike and all the fans and stuff, we're super pumped to be able to have the opportunity to play at the last CS:GO Major in the arena."

It's fair to say nitr0 is ready for today's game.

Team Liquid take to the Accor Arena for the first time today against a scary-looking Apeks team. While some of the Apeks guys are new to the stage, they've got a couple of people who are used to the spotlight.

nitr0 is making sure he and the boys don't underestimate them.

"Not really, I have the same amount of respect I had for them before, I think NIP choked that match really hard being up 14-3. It was crazy to watch the comeback actually. But it just goes to show you that they have a lot of resilience within that team, so it's gonna be a hard match up, and a harder match than when we played them previously because they're also as warmed up as we are."

So too is NAF, who is aware of the dangers of the international roster.

"Obviously Apeks are here in the playoffs for a reason, we can't doubt anything about them, they have good players who are popping of in terms of jkaem, jkaem's been around a long time, nawwk is playing pretty well. They have some new players that we havent really seen much about so, you know, they're playing great, but this time we'll just have to wait and see."

NAF is "feeling confident" about the match-up and takes some credence from the earlier loss, perhaps surprisingly.

Michal Konkol

"Honestly, the first day, individually, when we played them on the first day, I played like absolute shit. I think just as a team, we felt really off, and even with all those factors, and being down and all of those, it was still 16-12."

We didn't want it say it, but that was probably the worst we've ever seen NAF play. We couldn't get away with "absolute shit", though.

It is strange to see a player as consistently good as NAF struggle so much, and we don't think he'll be the same player today.

It's a good job he doesn't have them often, because he doesn't exactly take it well.

"If I had a bad performance it's on myself, it's on no one else but myself. So when I have those games, obviously I'm really hard about it on myself, I think about it a lot, and I just think about what I need to do better and mentally that I can't expect ever doing it like that ever again."

The biggest stage of all

No matter how many times you play on the stage, it never gets old - even for Team Liquid.

"I feel like when you play so many matches with the crowd for or against you, it hypes you up in the very beginning, the walkout and all that, but once you get into the server it's completely different," told nitr0 to BLAST.tv.

"You don't really think about it too much, you just, you know in the back of your mind that everyone is cheering for you and that kinda hypes you up, it's just like a feels good thing, it doesnt actually give you a competitive advantage I feel. It just hypes you up before the match knowing they're all here for you and cheering for you, but I feel like once you get into the server it's fair game."

NAF remembers the joy of playing in front of a home crowd - but is obsessed with the idea of being booed, seemingly.

Michal Konkol

"Seeing a sea of people wearing Liquid jerseys and just cheering for you after every kill that you get and all that. I think it just brings a lot more hype for your team and obviously the crowd can be a sixth man, you know, but yeah, obviously it's not our crowd, it'll be Vitality's so, if we come to that moment, it'll be very exciting and very crazy so, I don't know, I just can't wait to hopefully be there maybe. I would love to play Vitality in front of their crowd."

He also is aware that he can't just expect to get there, and has great respect for the prestige that a Major brings.

"I feel like what I've learned is that you can't underestimate any opponent at a Major because everyone should be on their best game possible, it's the biggest tournament of the entire year and especially this year with their only being one Major, everyone is really wanting to at least make playoffs and go as far as they possibly can."

The Liquid legacy

nitr0 isn't hurt by people suggesting that NiKo or ZywOo deserve a Major, but does believe that he and his teammates should at least be in the conversation.

"I think there's definitely a little bit of merit to it, when people look at NiKo or ZywOo, players who just have the best stats and they've been having consistent stats throughout their tenure in the game, people are just gonna naturally look towards those players and be like, oh they never won a Major but they had the best stats.

"I understand it, but I guess people aren't really looking at us three, I'm not sure exactly why, but I do feel like we deserve a Major, we've been playing the game for our whole adult life and I do think it's deserved, at least a Major. Especially with the Berlin Major."

The power, nitr0, is in your hands to change it. If you do win in Paris, almost nobody would suggest you didn't deserve it. Those who care don't matter, and those who matter don't care.

Michal Konkol

NAF is aware of why people don't talk about him in the same sphere as NiKo and ZywOo, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it.

"Obviously I think players like ZywOo and NiKo are more talked about because of their individual prowess, you know, the image they've been able to create since they started playing. I think they are obviously way more iconic players than myself, EliGE and nitr0, but obviously that's just why I think a lot more people talk about them, and for me, you know, I've always been more of like a quiet player that doesn't say too much, or say anything too controversial, or my playstyle isn't anything too crazy."

nitr0 believes it would be a "super good storyline" if he were able to complete it with the Major trophy.

"Yeah it would definitely be really nice to win. It would be a super good trophy to have given my career so far. It be nice for my personal storyline, switching games because of COVID, coming back, everyone has all these doubts and winning a Major."

Whatever happens this tournament, it starts with Team Liquid vs Apeks - and while they will be favoured, it's never that easy at the Major.

Find out how this story continues on BLAST.tv later today.