FURIA have been playing a lot of Counter-Strike. And it's obvious both in the server and out of it, that it is beginning to take its toll.
The team are still fighting to make the most out of their last few months with Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo, but uncertainty over their future without him is now combined with physical and mental exhaustion.
Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato emphasises that the team "love this life", that they "are made for this life." But that doesn't mean it is always easy.
Yuri "yuurih" Santos spoke to Dust2 Brasil about players 'complaining' far too often. And when FalleN was asked on the ESL Pro League broadcast about which player was best for the team's mood, he replied, "I don't know who is the good one, but all of them can be the bad one."
"It's hard for us," KSCERATO admits — and going through 3-2 means the team doesn't even have a day off, due to a media day on Thursday, much to the Brazilian's displeasure.
He added: "When you see frustration, you cannot handle it like you used to handle it. Because you're so tired mentally that it's like a snowball. So with this tournament we improved it, especially in this match, but we're still complaining a little bit and losing our focus
Congratulations on beating 9z. It seems like you've got their number as a team now.
Yeah. I'm so glad that we won this match, and also we qualify for Spodek, will be my first main stage in Spodek. I never played the Katowice stage, so I'm pretty happy.
And what's the mood going into the tournament been like? Because we know you have that crazy travel schedule, and then trying to focus on this. What's it been like?
It's been hard, bro. Not going to lie, it's been hard to be focused, because it's so many stressful tournaments, so many matches, traveling. So it's been a little bit hard, but we're trying to fix it with not too much practice, trying to also be true to yourself, and chill a little bit because it's been really hard. But it is what it is, and we love this life. We are made for this life. I'm so proud, and that's it.
How does it affect you in the server? When you're just subconsciously tired almost all the time, does it affect discipline and things like that much?
I think it affects decisions more. Not rested enough to make the best decision that you can, you need to make. So we talk a lot about decisions in the team, because it's hard when you're tired mentally. But we try our best. It is what it is.
And just on FalleN's retirement and everything, I think the thing I'd compare it to is when Liverpool, when Jürgen Klopp announced he retired six months before he actually did, it felt like it gave the team an energy boost short-term. But long-term, it made it hard to be motivated almost. Is that how it feels now?
I'm so tired of talking about FalleN retiring, bro...But, I mean, it depends how you see what his decision made of you. I feel that I'm giving all I have to be the best end of career for him and try to win a trophy is the most important thing. But I think we're just living normal. Just day by day, and one day it will be over, unfortunately.
And how does it affect you? Because we know you've been in FURIA for what is coming up to 1700 maps. But your contract is next summer. Does it affect you at all, that uncertainty?
Well, we have to see. My contract ends in the mid, summer, in the break in the next year. So it affects... I talk with FalleN a lot about it, and we'll see what happens. We don't know about the future, but I hope that my heart will choose right.
Okay. Thank you. And on the in-game stuff at the moment, how is the team feeling map pool-wise? Because we know with all this travel and everything, you're playing a lot of maps now. What's it been like?
It's hard because we don't have much time to prac. We had, I don't know, 10 maps of practice these days, in the last month. It's hard for us to prac because we're always traveling to tournaments, so what we're practicing is during the game. We don't have much time to prac the strats and all that shit. So it's been hard, but I think we are pretty confident. Even though we don't have time to prac, I think we come with the [mindset] that it's going to work, and then we make it work.
And on molodoy, I spoke to him before this event, and he kind of said, 'I want to be more aggressive again.' How has the team dealt with trying to keep his aggression, but also trying to make sure he's making smart decisions at the same time?
I feel that it's okay for him to be more aggressive, but he has to set the team for this plan. If he's doing it alone, it's just hero, hero things. But he's getting better each day, and I think that we are understanding more about how he wants to play. And also we try to help him to do a play here, do a play there, and set the team with it.
And there was another interview I read, on Dust2 Brasil, where yuurih, and I think FalleN just said this on desk as well, where sometimes the team complains too much in game almost. How has that been this tournament? Has it been improving with the atmosphere in game?
As I said, we are playing a lot of tournaments, a lot of travel, so mentally we are... It's hard for us. So when you see the frustration, you cannot handle it like you used to handle it. Because you're so tired mentally that it's like a snowball.
So with this tournament we improved it, especially in this match. But we're still complaining a little bit and losing our focus, not focusing the next round or the next step. But yeah, I think we just need to understand ourselves. We had a very good talk yesterday about it, and today was way better.
Okay. And playoffs, you get one day off at least. What would you be happy with leaving Katowice?
Well, bro, it's not day off because I have fucking media day. But it's okay. We're going to rest a little bit. What did you say about Katowice?
Just as in, what would you be happy with leaving in terms of a result or performance, whatever.
I want to win this tournament because it's the only tournament that FalleN doesn't have, so it would be good, eh? Finish with all the trophies.
Danil 'molodoy' GolubenkoPast 3 months
FURIA
Gabriel 'FalleN' Toledo
Yuri 'yuurih' Santos
Mareks 'YEKINDAR' Gaļinskis
Kaike 'KSCERATO' Cerato
Danil 'molodoy' Golubenko
Sid 'sidde' Macedo
Gabriel 'FalleN' ToledoPast 3 months
Yuri 'yuurih' SantosPast 3 months
Kaike 'KSCERATO' CeratoPast 3 months