ruggah after Major elimination: "Inexperience hit us like a truck at this event"
After a hard-fought battle against GamerLegion, OG are the latest team to depart the BLAST.tv Paris Major. Although the team showed promise, difficulties closing out games and costly mistakes ended up being the difference maker.
Following their elimination, we spoke to their coach ruggah about their time at the event, the future of the roster, and the apparent inexperience that cost them dearly.
Interview with OG ruggah
Michal KonkolThis loss means you've been eliminated, what's the atmosphere in the team?
ruggah: "As you can expect, we're very flat and disappointed. I feel like we could've done so much better, but unfortunately I think inexperience hit us like a truck at this event. At the RMR we bounced back and could cover some of these things, but today and the other days we've just been too inexperienced and making too many reoccurring issues we've talked about. If it happens on the biggest stage you're not supposed to go to the next stage anyway."
When you say inexperience, do you mean that of niko in the IGL role?
ruggah: "No I mean overall from the team. I think every one of them today had moments where they lost their heads and over peek, or overcommit to something, basically misread everything that's in front of them.
I think especially the Ancient CT side, it was allover the place and unfortunately it has been a little bit up and down with that CT side because sometimes we lack the answers in mid to late rounds, and there is normally where experience helps. It's the small details, the 'what do we do here, and here', 'where are they on the map?' these kind of things."
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenIs that an issue that can only be fixed over time and with more official games?
ruggah: "Yes and no. We have talked about it so it's no surprise, but in the heat of the moment when there's a lot of pressure on you, you need to have experience. Let's say today, NEOFRAG has a couple of rounds where if he kills one or two on A, maybe the round flips and instead it's 8-7 for them. It's a little bit inexperience and a little bit not being ready mentally."
As the coach, what's it been like working with niko as an IGL?
ruggah: "niko's a good guy, he's very smart. He remembers a lot, he still remembers tactics and smokes from when I had him back on OpTic in 2018. Everything I tell him he understands, if not the first time then definitely the second time when we go into details about what I want him to do. I think he did a tremendous job calling throughout the event. The T sides were on point, the CT sides were not good enough so I give kudos to him. He's a good player."
Can you share any details about the future of the team? Will niko be sticking around?
ruggah: "Right now it's up in the air, we still need to find out post-Major. Sometimes when you're further down the chain something happens that might or might not affect you so we just need to wait and see."
