zont1x: "There's a psychological aspect, I don't think we're comfortable for NAVI"
They may have been met with disappointment at IEM Cologne, but after lifting their first trophy of the season at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2, Spirit are on the march once again.
With the BLAST Premier Spring Final winners now set to face NAVI as they look to lift another trophy at ESL Pro League Season 20, we spoke to zont1x about the team's shape, how they go from strength-to-strength throughout a season, and the psychological advantage Spirit has over the reigning Major champions, NAVI.
"[Liquid] can win championships with this roster"
You're at ESL Pro League right now, how's it going over in Malta?
It's okay, I haven't been in Malta before. There's always problems with practice rooms at almost every championship, but it's alright.
In terms of our performances, we're obviously not playing our best game, but we have time to practice and play better with every match.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenYou've said you're not playing your best as a team, why do you think that is?
We're a bit shaky, some of us probably aren't in the best individual shape, me especially. That's what's important when you talk about shaky or not shaky performances. I think that's the main factor.
I think we also need to play more, we have to play to get in shape and then by BLAST we'll back to our best.
In that sense, you've just come from Belgrade where you won BetBoom Dacha, what's the difference between that tournament and Pro League when the win in Belgrade looked comfortable?
Our performance there wasn't that good, but we won anyway because the level of teams there was pretty low, that's why it was comfortable.
I don't think anything has changed here in Malta, it's just how we individually feel the game. As you can see, we get better with every game at every championship we play, so we just have to play a lot of games to get in shape.
We have comfortable matches in Malta and with every match we'll get better.
In terms of requiring a lot of matches in order to warm up and feel the game more, it didn't feel like that was the case at the start of the year with the win at IEM Katowice but has become a thing as the year has gone on. Why do you think Katowice was different?
We played a lot of games in Katowice. When I say we need a lot of games I don't mean it in terms of preparation and tactics, it's just us getting comfortable with the game and each other, how we're performing and understanding the mistakes we are making.
In Katowice, we started in the Play-In, which meant we played a lot of games. In that sense, it's like Pro League if you're talking about the amount of maps played.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenIs it something that resets after each tournament? You played seven maps at BetBoom and you've already played 15 at Pro League, does it carry over or is each tournament a new beginning?
Of course it can translate from one to the next, for example, we won our first championship of the year which was the first event of the year, and then we won the last championship of the season as Spring Final. With every tournament you play you get more and more in shape, especially if there isn't a lot of distance between the events.
After Malta, we have Fall Final pretty much straight away afterwards, so our performances and shape will translate into that.
Your next opponent at Pro League is NAVI, how are you feeling about that?
It's going to be a good test for us, we haven't played a team like that for a while.
I think it will be comfortable for us despite that, because we have beaten them three or four times already. Every one of us feels better against better teams.
You've said you've had a lot of success against NAVI, is there something with their playstyle that makes you feel more confident?
I don't think so, it's probably just a matter of timing. Even though we've beaten them a few times, it doesn't necessarily mean we're a lot better than them, it's just the timing of when we played them.
There's also the psychological aspect, I don't think we're comfortable for them. They lost once to us, then again to us, and then it becomes a rivalry.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenYou just said you haven't played a team like NAVI for a while but you recently played MOUZ at BetBoom, do you not put MOUZ on a similar level to teams such as NAVI, Vitality, and yourselves?
If you look at this year, MOUZ are one of the best teams and on a similar level. But, the problem is that I felt like they're not in the best shape, and I was right, it wasn't the best game from them.
As you can see now, in Malta, they're really in a bad shape, so this is what I mean. Regardless, they're one of the best teams if you look at the projection of the whole year.
Let's talk about Fall Final, how are you feeling about the new venue for the event, will having the slightly smaller crowd change how arena games play out?
I don't think it affects it at all, to be honest. We were in Riyadh for EWC and there was 100 people maximum, but you just see people in front of you and it doesn't change.
But obviously, when you play a Major and there's 10,000 people there, it's like a football match. There's a difference then, but when you play and get comfortable in the arena, you don't think about it anymore.
You seem to have a good grasp on the teams you're playing, your opener in Copenhagen will be against Liquid, how are you feeling about facing their new team?
It's going to be interesting. We haven't played this roster and they're in great shape, so it'll be very interesting to see.
They have a very good team and I think they can win trophies with this roster.