IEM Cologne Stage 3: Coaches on momentum, recovery and rematch

At IEM Cologne Stage 3, three coaches spoke on recent results and upcoming matches. Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam blamed execution lapses on Mirage and a costly second-round forcebuy after his side lost to 9z.

XTQZZZ said the opening map went according to plan but the team “was not there” on Mirage. He added the final map began well before a string of small failures, and singled out the second-round forcebuy as “a big issue right now for us.” He also credited 9z for carrying momentum: “They played well on the momentum, so props to them.”

B1ad3 framed his team’s win over Legacy as a response to their earlier loss to Spirit, with a focus on restoring energy and in-game communication. He described the objective as waking the squad and reactivating vocal leadership and micro planning, noting the lineup’s experience and ability to identify fixes. “Yesterday we didn’t play how we can play, and I didn’t see us being super fired up, super enthusiastic,” B1ad3 said, adding that the team expects to improve match by match.

sAw previewed a rematch with FUT and pointed to tactical adjustments and psychological elements after recent meetings. He described FUT as an aggressive, young team that forces reactive, XvX scenarios where fast decisions and individual firepower matter. sAw noted: “You know their style and when you have this recent matchup, it puts a bit of a twist into everything,” and added he was glad to have won the previous encounter.

Coaches at Stage 3 highlighted momentum swings, specific tactical issues and short-term adjustments. Full interviews will be released later with expanded comments from the staff involved.