zorte: We need to focus on how we play as a team

BETBOOM advanced to the playoffs at IEM Beijing by beating Liquid. After leading 9-3 on Nuke, BETBOOM lost that map, but they won the decisive map on Mirage.

AWP player Aleksandr "zorte" Zagodyrenko said he came through with the ace that secured match point thanks to the trust of captain Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhailov. Although Boombl4 had missed a crucial shot on B site in the previous round, he asked zorte to take the AWP. zorte said that with a $7,000 economy he could have bought an AK-47 and a rifle, but he trusted his captain's belief. He interpreted the ace not as a miracle, but as the result of opponents pushing into open positions and failing to play correctly.

After taking the lead on Nuke, zorte attributed their loss of the map to Liquid's exploitation of the A site and their own failure to adapt to it in time. He said they lost their economic advantage and, when the score was tied, they grew tense and could not deliver the performance they wanted in critical moments.

As the Singapore Major approaches, zorte noted that goals such as making the top 10 and receiving tournament invitations have been achieved. He said the team's priority now is how they play together rather than their points calculations.