Time for a change in NoA?

In late 2003 a new and innovative team burst onto the international counter-strike scene, this team consisted of some of the most well known players of the modern game from both Europe and North America. At the time all 5 members of the clan had proven themselves on a high level and on the international scene. This clan, was NoA.

One month later the names; bsl, Naikon, Knoxville, shaGuar and method were common place, winning a silver medal at the CPL in December 2003 only helped to strengthen their international domenance; as the years went by star players came and went; names such as XeqtR, destructo and element were only a few to grace the ranks of the NoA lineup.

Today the NoA team consist of the long-standing team captain XeqtR as well as zonic, prb, hpx and Paddy. This is a well-proven team, with some very good players, however in comparison with the old NoA lineup, only a glint of its greatness remains. After winning SHG Open in early 2006 nothing has really worked out for Team-NoA, a poor performance at WEG Masters and ISC has left the organisation with one big question. Is it time for a completely new line up?

In order to get answers to this question, we managed to get an interview with mba from the NoA management; here is what he had to say.

It is a public secret that the NoA players are near the end of their contracts. Will they be extended?

Could you elaborate which factors you are talking about?

SpawN said he is leaving leave SK-Gaming and many consider him the worlds best player. Is it not your duty to sign him or doesn't he fit the profile for NoA?

On a scale from 1 to 10; how satisfied is the organisation with the teams performance in 2006? You won SHG Open but the rest of the tournaments went rather bad wouldn't you say?

Before WEG Masters 2006 an interview was conducted with zonic, in this interview it became apparent that all was not well within NoA; zonic stated that due to issues within the team, and general lack on team-functioning within game, he was considering retiring from the e-sports scene if NoA did not perform to the best of heir abilities at WEG, a statement he later renounced due to the circumstances surrounding WEG, and the utter shambles of the long wait before the competition began.

In the same period this interview was conducted hpx stated that he would not play counter-strike without zonic on his team, this is not an issue for NoA as hpx and zonic are teammates, the only real concern for NoA is that during the same interview hpx also stated that he did not want to play without another of his former teammates, and current member of SoA, this being mJe.

NoA's problem seems simple, they have a team of strong players, however they have a huge legacy to fulfil, one greater than almost any other team of the modern e-sports era; over the coming weeks we will find out for sure just what NoA plans to do about the issues in hand; will they find new players? Is SpawN the solution? Will they give up altogether? Will they just allow time to take it's course and see what the future holds?