NAF: Liquid’s win over BIG built on CAC momentum

Team Liquid opened the Major with a 13-10 victory over BIG on Nuke, taking a 7-5 lead on the T side in the match opener. The result is notable after Liquid went 4-10 in best-of-one matches over the past year.

NAF attributed the win to momentum from Liquid’s recent CAC event and a focused bootcamp before the Major. At CAC Liquid defeated 3DMAX and came close to beating The MongolZ, outcomes NAF said gave the squad confidence going into the tournament.

He noted BIG had not played an official match for about five weeks, a break that could leave them either rusty or unpredictable on the main stage. Liquid reported feeling prepared and comfortable entering the opener after the bootcamp.

Liquid secured the pistol round and used a fast T-side pace to settle the map early. NAF said, “It’s always nice to start off strong.” He added that starting well on T side and winning the pistol helped the team find momentum on Nuke.

NAF reflected on the season so far and the expectations tied to the Team Liquid name, calling recent results disappointing and stressing the immediate priority of earning points. “The goal is just to get as many points as we possibly can,” he said.

On roles and personnel, NAF discussed his adaptation to an anchor position since YEKINDAR joined and praised malbsMd (Mario) for fitting the anchor profile. He noted both he and malbsMd have been performing steadily in those roles and that consistent performances from EliGE, ultimate and siuhy will be necessary for collective results.

Liquid’s next group match is scheduled against BetBoom, which has replaced s1ren with FL4MUS and brought back d1ledez. NAF called BetBoom a strong opponent led by Boombl4 and warned that CIS teams can be volatile in best-of-one formats. He said Liquid aims to build on the Major opener by maintaining preparation and focus.