luchov: “We’ve had an absolutely great start, because we have three chances to advance.”
Dan Kleiman
9z Team CS2 rifler Luis “luchov” Herrera, commented on the team’s victory over Team Vitality in an interview at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, talked about the legendary status of his gaming mouse, and shared his thoughts ahead of the match to advance to the event’s playoffs.
On the victory over Team Vitality
I don’t really have much to say, to be honest. We started the game extremely poorly, just like in our last match against Team Spirit, but we communicated a lot to “reset” before the second map. I think everything worked out great for us. In the end, that’s exactly why everything turned out so well.
On my mouse
Yeah, I’ll definitely never switch out my mouse—it’s my lucky charm, and there’s a certain magic to it. I don’t even know how to put it, but it’s become a sort of talisman for us here in Argentina.
On the team’s mindset after a successful start in the third stage
Undoubtedly, we’ve had an excellent start because we have three chances to advance. But it’s not over yet, because we could lose three matches in a row, and our current achievements would mean absolutely nothing. So I think the most important game for us at this stage will be the next one.
Yesterday, 9z Team defeated Team Vitality in a second-round match of the third stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 with a score of 2-1 in a best-of-3 series. Today, Luis “luchov” Herrera’s team will face Team Spirit for a spot in the championship playoffs.
Photo — PGL.
Dan Kleiman
