As the champion of the previous IEM Cologne, G2 had an unfavorable debut in this Cologne event, surprisingly losing to SAW team. However, in the loser's bracket, G2 defeated the strong opponent Spirit. In a post-match interview with foreign media, TaZ talked about the victory against Spirit and other topics.
“What I appreciate about this lineup is that we finally managed to play a very dominant game. But we absolutely did not expect to dominate the match. We anticipated it to be a very difficult and intense game because everyone knows Spirit is a very excellent team.”
In the first match against SAW, G2 lost with scores of 13-5 and 13-10 respectively. But in this match, G2 defeated Spirit with a big score of 13-3 and 13-1, keeping their hope of defending the championship alive. TaZ also talked about the differences in the team.
“There are many factors. Our communication was good yesterday, the team was well-prepared, and the players were energetic. Therefore, many factors influence achieving good results. I am happy to see the players perform well and very pleased to see huNter- reaching his potential.”
As the runner-up team of the e-sports World Cup, G2's journey to defend their title in Cologne is fraught with difficulties. But they will take it one step at a time, focusing on each match.
“For me, this is also a learning process. We need to learn how to maintain stable performance. I don't care if we lose, I just hope the team has given its all and done everything we discussed. Losing is not terrible; the important thing is to learn from the loss, but the premise is that we must give our all and do everything we discussed.”
In the blink of an eye, TaZ has transformed from a player in Cologne to a coach in Cologne, and he shared his feelings about competing at the top level for so many years.
“It is an honor for me to work in CS for so long and to gain the trust of G2 and the players. This means a lot to me. I always like to work hard and do my best for the team, so I am happy to work here.
From the outside, it is not easy; people try to undermine the role of the coach. But I think this is my job. I am not here to steal the spotlight or listen to others' comments about me; I am here to help the players. For me, if they perform well and are happy, it means I have done the right thing. That means everything to me.”
G2's new lineup
“Recruiting new players is the result of the team's collective effort. We communicate with the players and staff, allowing the team members to make choices rather than hastily gathering information from the internet. We also hope everyone in the team is clear about this, which is the most important thing in sports projects - to maintain transparency in the lineup.”
“I am very satisfied with Snax because I know his ability and what kind of player he is. In the game, all you need is a bit of confidence. You need to believe in your people. If someone doesn't believe in you, you can never perform brilliantly. Therefore, I am delighted to have malbsMd and Snax. They have brought tremendous energy to the team and performed excellently on the field. I am glad they joined the team.”
“For me to inadvertently influence malbsMd, it can be said that it is my honor. I heard malbsMd say he looked at my profile, which is interesting. Because he said when he joined the team, he had high expectations of me. For me, having a player with such a positive attitude and high technical level trust me, and feeling that he is happy and joyful here, makes me very happy as well.”
"That's the most important thing. If you're happy in your position, you'll give it your all. My job is to make him and everyone feel comfortable. When NiKo plays comfortably, he will also perform brilliantly."
