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The VCT Americas League concluded its second week with five extremely intense games. Fans were excited to see how the regional teams performed as rosters like NRG, LOUD, and 100 Thieves came out victorious in their games. In the third game of Week 2, NRG played against Sentinels, with the former securing a promising victory against the NA giants.
Sentinels offered a tough fight to their opposition, although the NRG roster managed to seal their victory with a solid 2-0 scoreline. Both teams have more games to come moving forward in the VCT Americas League. Fans are now rooting for their favorite teams as the rosters take a break to reallocate their plans for next week.
NRG FNS shares his thoughts on facing Sentinels and more at VCT Americas League
Pujan "FNS" Mehta is a professional Valorant player from Canada who is currently fulfilling the in-game leader (IGL) role for NRG. The Canadian has made his mark on competitive CS:GO before, where he has played under various rosters.
In an interview with Kushal Bhattacharyya of Sportskeeda, FNS was asked to share his thoughts on the game against Sentinels in the VCT Americas League, alongside his experience in the tournament so far.
Q: How much do you think NRG has improved since the VCT LOCK//IN event in Brazil?
FNS: I think we have improved a lot. Obviously, the LOCK//IN event was to see where our chemistry was at. And to know where we are at a base level. But we haven't gone over a lot of different things that we are going over now. We haven't done a lot of the overall structure that we are doing right now.
We didn't give everything to make sure our structure was perfect, because obviously, the team was new. We were kind of gaining chemistry with Sam and Ardiis, so now that it's kind of settled, we are definitely out of the way for more things, so I'd say the improvement has been significant.
Q: What were your expectations ahead of facing Sentinels at VCT Americas League after LOCK//IN?
FNS: We knew they were a strong team with strong players, so we did not underestimate them by any means. We have read through Split a little bit, and we have improved our lotus a lot throughout the last week. We just did the best that we could with very little information we had. Since they haven't played Lotus yet, we made sure we played our game plan to perfection.
Fortunately for us, we were able to get nine on the attacking side and close it towards the end, but our Lotus is by no means perfect. But I'm kind of glad that we were able to get through that hump because we were very confident in Icebox. My overall expectation was to win, but i thought it would be a little bit closer.
Q: What are some of the mistakes that you capitalized on to gain an edge over Sentinels today in VCT Americas League Week 2?
FNS: Our re-clears were really strong, especially on Icebox, we were able to figure out where they were going before they executed. We were able to overstack a lot of bomb sites, especially A. We were able to get a lot of information on B. Sam was able to jump-spot a lot.
We were able to retain a lot of information, something a lot of teams don't have. We were collectively able to gain the correct information to be on the correct side of it.
Q: After seeing how teams have been playing so far in the VCT Americas League, what do you think about the current level of competition in the Americas when compared to EMEA or the Pacific?
FNS: I definitely think that both regions are extremely strong. They all have different looks and communications. But overall, I think it's even because I know if I played one of the best teams from Europe, they will probably feel the same way. In terms of skill level, I think both regions are pretty even.
But when it comes down to tactical edge, I think European teams now are doing a better job at being tactically advanced.
Q: Judging from NRG’s past performances, it is evident that the roster is strong. What do you think sets NRG apart from the other teams here in VCT Americas League?
FNS: I think my relationship with Chet and our chemistry as a core, in general, are very strong. I'm not sure maybe other people don't have that. But for us, it's our strength. We are able to play off of each other really well. Chet and I are usually on the same page, consistently.
As long as the game is going smoothly we are able to close it off. Also, we have really good game plans going into games. The comms flow really well, with Ardiis and Sam settling down, it made us more complete.
Q: You will be facing MIBR next week. What are your thoughts on that matchup?
FNS: Definitely not a team to be underestimated. A very strong team. We have played them in scrims a couple of times, they definitely have good protocols, they do a good job of faking bomb sites, or at the very least, taking map control. It's definitely going to be a challenge.
Q: What are your thoughts on Bind replacing Icebox in the new map pool? Would you rather see it replace any other map considering you had a great showing on Icebox today?
FNS: I don't mind it too much. I feel like Icebox in general is a poorly constructed map and they need to rework it. Bind coming back is good news for me and my team. I have always liked Bind and calling on it.
We have had a lot of success on it. Hopefully, that continues and if there's another map that could replace Icebox, it will probably be Fracture. I'm not really a fan of how that map plays.
Q: Which team are you the most excited to face in VCT Americas League?
FNS: Definitely LOUD, I feel like the game will have its own intensity for obvious reasons. We have played them for so long, and that rivalry still continues. So it's LOUD and then 100 Thieves, because it has been forever since I played that team. I think that would be a good match.
