WOOD7: “I tell the guys to play confidently and aggressively. We are here not to be afraid”

ODDIK became one of the unexpected stories of PGL Astana 2025. The young Brazilian team qualified after an impressive victory over Imperial - and did so under the leadership of the experienced Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato, whom the arena has not seen for two years.

After a long career break, the captain returned to the top level not as part of a large organization, but with a completely new, still “green” team. But despite this, he is confident, charismatic and has a clear vision of the future.

I have been away for a long time. This period is a lot. And just to be back here, on stage, among the best, is incredible. I am happy. Very happy
Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato

ODDIK has been playing together for only sixteen weeks. And although there were difficulties at the beginning, the team now looks united and energized. Qualifying for the major was a real turning point in the team's internal attitude.

We fought a lot. We lost, we learned, we were sometimes nervous. But after qualifying, something changed. We are confident. We are really confident in our game
Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato

His task as captain is not just to make circles on the map. He is an older brother, a psychologist and a motivator for young players. And his approach is simple: don't complicate things.

I tell the guys: we play like in a pub. Confidently. Aggressively. We don't think it's a big event and everyone is watching us. We just play the way we know how. We're not afraid
Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato

There may not be another chance - this is what WOOD7 emphasizes. That is why the team refused to focus only on familiar rivals from Brazil. All the preparation before the major was aimed at studying European teams.

We worked hard to understand how Europeans play. We don't want to just be another team from Brazil that gets knocked out of the group. We want to grow - in every match.
Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato

Despite its ambitions, WOOD7 realizes that the most difficult thing is to cope with the psychology of large arenas. Most of its players are playing at this level for the first time. The atmosphere of a major can overwhelm inexperienced players.

The main threat is experience. They simply don't have it. The guys can get mentally down. This is their first LAN of this level. They may not know how to behave, how not to burn out. This is normal. But I'm here to help them.
Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato

The team's goal is clear and ambitious: to reach the playoffs. However, WOOD7 also sees a personal mission: to show that ODDIK is no worse than MIBR or paiN Gaming .

We want to be higher than other Brazilian teams. We want to be the best. If we do this, I will be very happy. It will be a signal for the entire region.
Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato

And even if ODDIK doesn't make it to the playoffs, every round played, every map, every day on stage is an investment in the future.

Every match is an experience. We have already gained something just by being here. But now we want more. We want to leave a mark. Even if we fall, we will fall with a fight.
Adriano "WOOD7" Cerato

PGL Astana 2025 is taking place from May 10 to May 18. The entire tournament is held in Astana, Kazakhstan , at the Barys Arena. Participants are competing for a prize pool of $625,000.