Jonatan “bobeksde” Persson spoke about Alliance run at FISSURE Playground 3, the loss to MIBR and the team chances of reaching the Singapore Major in an interview with HLTV. Despite the Quarter-final exit, Alliance gained valuable VRS points in China and moved up to 15th place in the ranking.
ALLIANCE LACKED INITIATIVE AGAINST MIBR
Alliance tournament run ended in the Quarter-finals, where MIBR defeated them 2:0. According to bobeksde, the team never managed to properly enter the series and lacked initiative from the beginning.
I don’t know if it was confidence or something else, but we lacked a lot of initiative, and I think it felt like we were just not ready to play.
Despite the disappointing final match, bobeksde considers the overall tournament a positive result. Alliance reached the Playoffs after victories over FaZe, TYLOO and magic.
I think our goal is the Major. So we came here hoping for a win, and then everything else was a bonus pretty much. I think overall it was a good event, but obviously it sucks now.
ALLIANCE BELIEVE THEY HAVE A REAL CHANCE TO REACH THE MAJOR
The run in China improved Alliance position in the VRS ranking, with the team moving to 15th place and strengthening its position in the race for the Singapore Major.
bobeksde believes Alliance are in a good position, although he does not want the roster to focus exclusively on the qualification race.
Definitely, I think we have a good shot. I think obviously it’s our goal, but I don’t think we should be focusing on it too much. I think we should take each tournament as seriously as that one. But yeah, I think we have a good shot at it.
Alliance also have several smaller LAN events ahead. After gaining experience from their recent trips to China, bobeksde believes the team are capable of turning one of those appearances into a tournament victory.
Definitely, I think everything we’ve gotten from experience and stuff like that in both our China events, I think we’ve come pretty far, and I think we should have a pretty good shot at winning at least one of them.
BOBEKSDE PRAISED THE STRUCTURE AROUND ALLIANCE
bobeksde joined Alliance relatively recently, but his first impression of the roster has been positive. He highlighted both the individual quality inside the lineup and the support provided around the players.
I think it’s a very good team with stability and a good supporting team around it. I think we get some good help from the outside as well, not only in CS. But overall, I think in-game as well, we have a really good AWPer, a really good IGL, really creative, and we’re just a strong rifling core.
He also explained the role of performance coach Pontus during matches. Rather than focusing primarily on tactical details, his job is to keep the players calm and focused during difficult moments.
He mainly calms us down during the matches, and in the pauses, maybe doesn’t say much about the game. Obviously, he knows some stuff about what we do and what happens, but I think it’s mainly to calm us down during the game and make us focus on the now, so to speak.
Alliance leave FISSURE Playground 3 in the Quarter-finals, but their victories in the group stage have strengthened their position in the Major qualification race as the final part of the season approaches.
