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In Week 2 of the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, G2 Esports faced SuperMassive Blaze in their Group B matchup.
After defeats in their opening matches, both sides were hungry for a win. G2 and SMB engaged in a Bo3 thriller that ended with the former claiming consecutive maps to earn a victory.
SMB got off to a great start on Split, bagging an 8-4 lead in the first half. However, once G2 got on defense, they picked up their pace and sealed the match with a 13-9 scoreline.
The encounter that followed was not short of struggles. On Haven, despite both teams' efforts to claim the map, SMB's attempt to curtail G2's attacks was hindered as the latter won the map 13-10.
As Week 2 of VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers concluded, G2 stands 4th in Group B whereas SMB occupies 5th place.
keloqz discusses G2's performance at VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers
In a conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Adarsh J Kumar, G2 Esports' Wassim "keloqz" Cista gave insight into the recent roster changes that G2 went through and the team's performance so far at the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers.
Q: G2 had a rough start in the VCT EMEA Challengers Group Stage. However, after this win, G2 is back on track. How do you think the team performed today?
keloqz: I am happy that we won today. We needed this victory.
Q: What do you have to say about your individual performance against SuperMassive Blaze?
keloqz: I'm not satisfied with my performance, but the team's primary goal is to win the match. I hope I can play better in the next official game.
On Split, I wasn't confident in my skills during our attacking half, which is where we were down 8-4. On defense, however, I felt like myself again, and we managed to make a good comeback.
As for Haven, my role was to push C-site to gain information. It didn't work well in the beginning. But once it started working, my teammates started feeling much better because we had more information to rely on.
Q: Despite a defeat in consecutive rounds, SuperMassive Blaze put up a great fight. How do you think your opponents fared in your matchup?
keloqz: They played great. They started the match in Haven with a 4-1 lead. Whenever we entered A-site, they were just waiting for us to make mistakes. Once we figured out what they were doing, we just adapted to it really well.
Q: SuperMassive Blaze ended their defensive half on Split with an 8-4 advantage. Where do you think G2 faltered in attack that led to this early lead?
keloqz: Our main goal in Split was to control B-main to gain entry into the site. We knew their B-site setup was weak. However, they adapted to us on time.
When our B-site execution failed, we went to the A-site. They were great individually and managed to stop us in our tracks.
Q: G2 has made several roster changes recently, with your return to the main squad being the latest. Can you describe G2's efforts to re-establish their roster on such short notice?
keloqz: Initially, Mixwell played on the main roster instead of me. However, things didn't go as planned in the VCT EU Challengers 1. Hence, I recalled to the team. I had to adjust to everything within three days. We had no strategy and were playing on the fly.
We managed to win every match in the EU Challengers 2. Now that we are at the Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, we are prepared as a team. Since the EU Challengers, we have had two weeks of practice, so our teamwork has improved.
Q: PipsoN arrived in December 2021 to fill in the role of the team's head coach. How influential has he been in the restoration of G2 since his arrival?
keloqz: Since I had to join the squad on short notice, pipsoN helped me a lot. He taught me several things I didn't know. I think it's great that we have him.
He was a good player before he became the coach. Now that he's training me, I feel like I will improve a lot. We will be good enough to win the Valorant Champions this year.
Q: In Week 3 of the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, G2 Esports are set to face the Turkish side, BBL Esports. What do you think about BBL based on their performance so far in the tournament?
keloqz: I am yet to watch their previous matches, so I'm not aware of their playstyle. They're here at the VCT Challengers; that proves they are a good team. We will just play our game and see what happens.
Q: G2 is scheduled to meet two of the strongest teams in Group B — Acend and Guild — over the next few weeks at the VCT EMEA Challengers. What do you think about both sides, and how confident are you in G2's victory?
keloqz: Both are strong teams. As we know, Acend is the reigning champion of VCT 2021. Even though they are a great team, cNed had Covid-19, which disrupted their practice sessions briefly. So I hope that helps us in our matchup.
Guild Esports has koldamenta as their IGL. He's excellent in the role, so it will be a challenge for us to face them. Nevertheless, it will be an exciting game, and we hope to emerge with a victory.
Q: After two matches, G2 is 4th in the table with four games left to play. How confident are you in winning your remaining matches and earning a spot in the VCT Stage 1 EMEA Challengers Playoffs?
keloqz: We just think about playing every match, as we try to enjoy every moment. It doesn't matter if we qualify or not. We will just play our style and hope to make the necessary impact. It's fine if we don't advance, as there's nothing we can do about that.
More than winning, it's important to enjoy the game while being a professional player. This reflects a player's ability to succeed.
