Sycrone credits xertioN after MOUZ reaches final

MOUZ defeated Spirit 13-11 on Nuke at Spodek to reach the final after surviving a series of missed post-plant opportunities. Spirit repeatedly retook sites after MOUZ planted the bomb, but MOUZ held its lead and closed out the third map.

Coach Dennis “sycrone” Nielsen credited in-game leader Dorian “xertioN” Berman with maintaining his composure and continuing to call effectively under pressure. The coach noted that xertioN returned to prepared strategies at the start of each round, making small changes based on Spirit’s reactions.

“One of the big things in my opinion is that xertioN called a great, great game,” sycrone said. “He always kept composure and he kept calling instantly when the spawn started with a simple direction and I think he propelled us forward a lot.”

Sycrone described the match as a test of MOUZ’s mental strength after the team had previously struggled in similar situations. “Everyone has seen MOUZ crumble in this moment 20 times, and now this time we would win and we make it to the final,” he said.

The coach also praised Lotan “Spinx” Giladi for continuing to take aggressive positions around the ramp after missing a one-on-one fight. Oldřich “PR” Nový also drew praise for his attacking play. Sycrone described PR as a more aggressive player than former MOUZ member Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo, with greater freedom to make plays but less consistency due to his limited experience.

MOUZ’s defensive plan also restricted Spirit star Danil “donk” Kryshkovets. The team focused on denying him the space and timing he typically uses in Spirit’s default rounds.

“We try and bully the space. We try and make him not so comfortable,” sycrone said. “We hit the timings that he usually likes to do, and then you force them to a game that isn’t their comfort zone.”

MOUZ will face Vitality in the final, renewing a matchup that caused the team problems in 2025. Sycrone described the current team as different from last year’s version, noting that MOUZ can now use its full roster and has integrated young players PR and Jimi “xelex” Ngalina into its system.

“We are at a very different place right now,” he said. “It’s going to be a new matchup tomorrow. Finally, we can play the full roster, and let’s see how it goes.”

Sycrone explained that MOUZ’s established core has supported PR and xelex while expecting them to adapt faster than previous newcomers. The coach said the team accepted some uncertainty when adding the young players because it wanted to improve quickly.

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