Stepping into Stage 3 of the Budapest Major, FURIA rifler Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis is not hiding that things have not been perfect in the build up.
“I don’t know what to expect, we didn’t have the best bootcamp”
FURIA came into the event after a long stretch of tournaments and a short break, which made it harder than usual to hit the ground running in practice. The Latvian admits the bootcamp did not deliver the results they ideally wanted, even if things improved toward the end.
“We did not have the best result wise bootcamp, but we picked up the pace at the end, so I am in good spirits.”
The late upswing in form is one of the reasons he is not panicking. For YEKINDAR, a flawless bootcamp is not always a good omen as we’ve seen plenty of times.
“Even though it was not a perfect bootcamp or the best one… maybe thank God, because every time someone says they had an insane bootcamp they usually go 0-3.”
FURIA’s confidence also comes from their depth. The team has been strong in best of fives this year and YEKINDAR feels that carries over to the opening best of one against NAVI.
“I believe nowadays our map pool is very strong… we are ready to play any map.”
The first opponent could hardly be tougher. NAVI arrive in Stage 3 warm from a strong run in the previous phase, but YEKINDAR is embracing that challenge rather than looking for an easier draw.
“I am not afraid, I am happy to meet them… I enjoy playing against NAVI and I like how they strategize and systemize the game.”
A big part of that belief comes from how FURIA play. The roster is packed with aggressive players, yet still has closer types in Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato and Yuri “yuurih” Santos to finish rounds. That flexibility is what YEKINDAR points to when he talks about their identity.
“Our biggest strength I feel like is versatility and adaptation to the opponent.”
At the same time he is careful not to let a few trophies, or a strong year, warp expectations. FURIA are still a relatively fresh project compared to some of the other title contenders, and YEKINDAR is keen to keep the team grounded.
“We just need to stay humble and believe in ourselves… we know we can beat everybody, but it is not a given that we are going to beat somebody.”
Watch the full interview here:
