karrigan: “Three matches remain until victory at the Major in Cologne”

We played very well on Dust2. To be honest, I was surprised that we got Dust2. In my opinion, that was a mistake on their part. It’s a map where everything works for us. Of course, we sometimes lose on it, but I’m very proud of all the work we’ve put into Dust2. Today, it paid off. We were very well prepared for it and would have even picked it ourselves. So we had practically no preparation for Mirage, and we just played our game. I think we’ve played 13 or 14 Dust2s with this roster already. When I joined the team, I saw that they were having problems on this map.

This year has been really tough overall. And now, on a personal level, for the first time in my life, I feel the pressure of everyone watching me, tracking my stats, hating on them, and all that. But the team really trusts me.I constantly say during debriefs: “I played like shit again today. This can’t go on.” I try to do everything I can to support the team. The last two days I’ve been yelling so much, trying to get them fired up, that I’ve lost my voice. As a leader, you have to understand that you have, maybe, five different responsibilities, and you can’t control all of them. I can’t control my own gameplay. But I can control my energy; I can control how I lead the team. When I do all that right, all I can do is hope that the gameplay will follow. And right now, I’m glad I can take a little break for a few days.

I think his biggest hater is himself. After Mirage, he was really upset that he was constantly being targeted and punished. Well, I know a thing or two myself about what it’s like to be the main target in official matches. In moments like that, you feel responsible for not playing your best. But the way he stepped up afterward, especially on Anubis, was incredible. He’s one of the key pillars of this team. Yes, people don’t talk about him much, but I’ve spoken with him a lot. He has to be flexible. He has to open rounds. He has to close rounds. He has to hold key positions. In my system, he has one of the most flexible roles. Sometimes I play around him. Sometimes he plays around someone else. Sometimes he lurks without a bomb. It’s not an easy role, but he handles it at a very high level, and I’m very proud of him.

It’s a wonderful feeling. I’ve played a lot of tournaments here. I think the LANXESS Arena is one of those places where I’ve only had one Grand Final, but over the years of competing in Cologne, I’ve made it there many times. I think I’m the only player who’s participated in almost every tournament in Cologne. There was only one I didn’t qualify for. Let’s just say that was unfair. But now I’m here, and I’m incredibly grateful for this chance. We’re three matches away from winning the Major in Cologne. It’s a dream come true. We have a few days off now, and I’m very proud of how we beat NAVI today. I think anything is possible.

I told the guys: “At every Major where I’ve made it to the finals, we’ve never been at our peak during the group stage.” You shouldn’t breeze through the tournament too easily. You have to fight for every map, for every match. That’s how you build the resilience that helps in the playoffs. Take today: we were down 7-11, the situation looked bleak after a great start, but we still managed to get back into the game. And against a team like NAVI, which has good setups and often saves its weapons, you have to win a lot of difficult rounds on offense. If we bring that experience to the arena, it could help us. Yes, we’ve already played in two Grand Finals. Of course, winning the Grand Final is a whole different story. But first, let’s get there.