MATYS: "We know we can beat anyone here"

G2 is on the right track to prove a lot of people wrong.

After removing SunPayus to sign r1nkle, most people were skeptical. SunPayus was a reliable presence on the team, and his replacement hadn’t shown much of anything. Yet so far, r1nkle has shown flashes of life and has been used in a way that fits sAw’s public ask for more aggression.

To find out more about his addition, the way G2 is advancing, and sAw’s influence, we spoke to MATYS at BLAST Open Porto; here’s what we found out:

Well, first of all, I already asked you privately, but for the interview. How are you feeling?

Feeling good, think, since it was a very close game, the last game against Aurora. I think one small slip away, and we could have gone out, to be honest. We didn't even have to be here. So I think... because we kept a good mentality.

And even in the last round, remember on Inferno, it was, I think, we won two before. So I think the right mentality, they managed to fight through, and we are very happy, I think, obviously. It was a good opportunity for us to go through again.

That game got so close, I was actually gonna ask about it. How do you stay locked in during something like that, because your whole tournament life's on the line? You were down. They had won the first half. How do you stay in that zone?

Honestly, one of the main things we said to each other before this event was to stay way more patient than compared to events before. Obviously, in the EWC, we've managed to also playoffs, and we had the chance to play even deeper, but I think the game was not going so smoothly, or the games were not going so smooth compared to now, obviously.

Maybe results-wise or score-wise, this event also was not the best, but I think the mentality we kept, that's why we managed to pull it through, to be honest, so many times again. Remember that we're losing five zero, one six, or losing, you know, twelve nine, one round away going home.

So I think the biggest difference was that we try to really focus on the mentality and the patience. We... if we are in scenarios to be patient, let's be patient and let the enemy make the mistake, and that was the most important for us in those scenarios.

How much does sAw contribute to you guys' ability to stay calm in the server? Because he strikes me as a really cool and relaxed guy.

He does, but he takes control of a lot of things, to be honest, that you cannot really see on interviews or from outside. You know? It takes a lot of responsibility, and, yeah, I think that's all.

I think what you see is one out of 100, I would say, which people see from outside and how much he not, like, fully takes control of course because we are... at the end of the day, are the guys playing here. He guides us and he helps us a lot every day no matter what. So big respect to him.

I mean, it is very hard for us to see what coaches do. Feel free to tell me a little bit about what makes him special as a coach.

Like, I think the hours he puts into the game, his analysis. Think this is his biggest strength. I think analysis and understanding of the game, the players, I think this is the biggest factor.

Obviously, probably he's not the only guy in the world that is kinda similar when it comes to analytics and hardworking, but for me, he's I think he's sure exceptional in this part when it comes to analysis, changing stuff, understanding what's most likely gonna happen, what's the best most likely to draw in those scenarios.

Well, about him, he obviously had that quote that went pretty big about the aggression on the team. I was curious how you felt about that, because you've been more aggressive in the past than in your current role. Same for NertZ as well. How do you feel about the way your aggression is on the team, both in your own sense and as a team as a whole?

Obviously, it's not the easiest. I think sometimes, in some scenarios for me and also for the team, especially when the games are going, like, not in the best-case scenarios. Let's say then all of a sudden, you see people advancing more in their areas. It can also be me because I'm naturally more aggressive than maybe other people.

But even though it's definitely depends now what spots I have on the map, obviously, and I've learned how to be more patient, especially the last few months since my roles. And some of the positions change, obviously. So I think it's not the easiest sometimes, but I really try to work hard on it.

And, obviously, it's not my main or natural spot, but since I think I understand the game kind of well, I think I know a lot of times what to do. And if I fail, it's up to me. You know? When I, let's say, under pressure, do something extra that is not supposed to be. I usually try to learn from it and understand it and do better next time. That's sometimes what happens, like, when I do mistakes, or sometimes I overcompensate or things like that.

And now you obviously had a tournament and a half with r1nkle in the team. He is a bit different than SunPayus, a little more chill. How does that change the way you're playing on the server, now that you have someone who's willing to take a bit more of an opening? Because on Inferno, one round, you guys sent him through the mid smoke to try to take a fight. How does that change the way you're playing?

I think we are trying to balance it was the same with SunPayus a bit, but it's a bit different now, of course. But we are trying to balance to kind of figure out also rifles so he can support us, but at the same time, also space for him if he wants to pick somewhere, just go on, and they will try to be good around you.

So I think they're just trying to have the balance, correct balance, you know, so he can have space. But also as a rifler, especially in this game, it's a bit more advanced when it comes to, like, rifle and CS2 compared to CS:GO. Obviously, it depends, very much depends on the scenarios in game. But I think, yeah, they're just trying to have the correct balance, and it will take a bit more time, obviously. But, yeah, I think we are going in the right direction.

Now, game tomorrow, pretty tough matchup. Do you guys have any expectations coming in? Are you expecting to just try to win anyway, or do you accept that maybe it's gonna be a tough matchup and take your learnings?

We know we can beat anyone here. Again, it was the same for the Major. Like, no matter who goes in front of us, you know, we can beat them no matter. But I think now we have the same feeling in the mentality. But we know it's not gonna be easy at all. I know all our opponents are thinking the same about us, like we are thinking. So I think we'll just have to have the correct mentality and see how it goes.

And now we have all the good pieces now to beat Falcons, to beat Spirit, even though it's not gonna be as I said, easy at all because they are both very good teams. They have good individuals, you know, good captains. So I think it's gonna be hell of a game, and we hope and we know we can pull it through because compared to the past, I think we almost always lost the Falcons with this roster, even the roster before with SunPayus. So I think we have a lot to, like, take back. It was the same when we beat NAVI last time. It was the same thing.

And then my final question for you. Let's say I downloaded one of your demos right now, and let's say I download one of your demos at the end of this year. What do you hope to see that you've improved on in the rest of this year?

Patience, I would say. I think that's the most because, yeah, since I joined G2, I think my gameplay switched a lot compared to what I was used to for so many years.

And I think the patience would be a big way to see, you know, to stay more calm in those scenarios where I don't have to think of my teammates in this specific second, and I just focus on myself. You know? Don't try to extra help others and just focus on my spot because that's the only responsibility I need in this specific second. That's what I want to say.