Liquid Beats Aurora at IEM Beijing

Liquid opened IEM Beijing with a 2-0 win. The team avenged their loss to Damjan "kyxsan" Stoilkovski's squad in the PGL Masters group stage a week earlier with this victory.

Coach Viktor "flashie" Tamás Bea told HLTV after the match that they felt they had to win the first encounter in Bucharest. He said they were less nervous this time and got the job done.

Flashie said he sees Johnny "JT" Theodosiou's game as very similar to his own, which is why there is clear direction within the team. He added that the previous roster was not on the same page and had six different ideas about how to play the game.

Flashie also spoke about young rifler Georgi "Jorko" Mitev. The coach said Mitev is very talented mechanically, but he is still very young and it will take time for his potential to fully emerge. He added that Jorko needs to improve his focus and composure. He also said Jorko constantly receives advice from experienced players such as Jon "EliGE" and Keith "NAF".

Flashie said they struggled to close out matches in Bucharest and failed to convert many advantages they had gained. He said closing out rounds is one of the main focus points at this tournament as well.