The MongolZ saw their impressive run at BLAST Open Rotterdam come to a bitter halt in the quarter-finals following a tough defeat against Aurora. The Mongolian squad had successfully navigated the tournament up to this point without their head coach, Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat. However, his absence was deeply felt on the stage when the team needed him most.
The price of a no-timeout strategy
The MongolZ employed a highly unusual strategy throughout the Rotterdam event by playing without taking a single tactical timeout. According to Sodbayar “Techno4K” Munkhbold, this was a calculated move designed to deny their opponents the opportunity to converse with their own coaches. As the series against Aurora began to slip out of their control, the lack of a guiding voice behind them proved costly.
I think today’s match, that’s the only time we needed our coach, I guess.
The turning point of the series was glaringly obvious to the rifler, who pointed specifically to a collapse during the second half of Inferno. Without maaRaa to call a pause and reset the team’s mental state, the rounds simply evaporated.
At Inferno second half, we lost many rounds,” Techno4K explained. “At that moment, we could have taken the timeout with the coach and it could have been discussed. But however, sadly we lost that map, also same as Mirage too.
When pressed on why the players themselves, such as in-game leader Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren, did not simply call a timeout on their own to stop the bleeding, Techno4K doubled down on their overarching anti-coach strategy. He noted,
We don’t want to let them talk to their coach as I did before, and that’s all.
Moving past the underdog label
Despite the quarter-final exit, The MongolZ leave Rotterdam with their heads held high. The tournament was arguably a massive step forward for the roster, featuring statement victories over tier-one heavyweights like MOUZ and Team Spirit. For Techno4K, the results speak for themselves, and he is thoroughly exhausted by the narrative that his squad is merely a dark horse.
I don’t know why people think we’re still underdogs or the bad team compared to them,” he stated firmly. “We have so many losses against them, but we could do better.
Fortunately for The MongolZ, they will not have to play at a strategic disadvantage for much longer. Techno4K confirmed that maaRaa, who also missed EPL Pro League Season 23, will finally reunite with the roster for their upcoming tournament in Bucharest. With their coach back in their corner and the ability to utilize timeouts fully restored, The MongolZ will be looking to prove that their giant-slaying run in Rotterdam was only the beginning.
You can see the interview with Techno4K down below.
