cogu: "The pressure is on Astralis; we are doing the most we can with the time we have"

The Brazilian legend discusses MIBR's preparation for the BLAST Premier Fall Series as they face a baptism of fire against Astralis.

MIBR will return to action from a two-month break this afternoon with a mammoth task to shoulder as they will face the No.2-ranked team in the world in a double-elimination group that also contains fellow Brazilian side FURIA and a G2 team reinvigorated by the signing of Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač.

MIBR travelled to Serbia in hope rather than expectation after they picked up three stand-ins to complete their roster for the final stretch of the year. The clash against Astralis will mark the debut of Leonardo "⁠leo_drk⁠" Oliveira and Vinicius "⁠vsm⁠" Moreira for MIBR, and also a very special moment for Raphael "⁠cogu⁠" Camargo, the team's manager and coach. The 35-year-old competed under the iconic tag across multiple spells between 2004 and 2009, playing a crucial role in the ESWC 2006 victory, which helped put Brazilian Counter-Strike on the map.

In this interview, cogu opens up about his first days on the job and how he's been trying to take some of the weight from the shoulders of in-game leader Vito "⁠kNgV-⁠" Giuseppe. He also shares his expectations for the clash with Astralis and discusses the possibility of a Brazilian derby with FURIA.

Can you walk us through the preparation for BLAST? What has it been like to figure out a style and get all the basics covered in such a short amount of time?

This has been a very fast process in which we've had no time to waste. We arrived here with the mentality that if a problem came up, we wouldn't waste time talking about it, we would think about the solution. We have been practising every day. It's 8:20 pm right now, we finished our last map at 8 pm and we've been here since 11 am. Today [Sunday] we got here a little bit later than usual, we usually get here at 10 am, sometimes 9:30. We've been practising a lot and everything is very intense, but it's going well, there is a good vibe in the team, everyone is sharing ideas, everyone is on the same page, there are no issues. All recently-created teams are this way, right? Things have been going as they should.

LUCAS1 is very experienced and has played for MIBR in the past, but this will be a new experience for leo_drk and vsm. Playing for MIBR, the most famous team in Brazil, is by no means easy. Are you worried that they might feel the pressure?

No, because from the first day we've done our best to make them feel at home. We want to make them feel comfortable. leo, for example, contributes with a lot of ideas, he is someone who watches a lot of demos and he is a smart guy, so we gave him room to bring things to our game. He has some plays that he likes and wants to do, and he shares them with us, we modify some things so that it's all in line with our style, but in essence, we're using his moves. By doing things this way we are not shackling anyone, we are trying to explore the most that everyone can offer.

What about vsm? He's a huge talent, one of the best in Brazil. How do you think that he will do?

I think that if vsm plays the way he knows and the way that he's been playing, we will win. He is very good, he's just outstanding. All jokes aside, everyone is bringing positive things, but vsm really is something else. If there's something that I can do to help him with his ban... I don't even know when he got it... I think he is a wasted talent.

What are your thoughts on the match-up against Astralis, a very tough team to prepare against?

I'm going to be very honest. We know we are going into the match as an underdog. The pressure is on Astralis. We are doing our thing, we are practising and doing the most we can with the time we have. I am confident. I know it won't be easy, but inside the game, it will be a battle, and I have to believe until the last round that my team can do it.

How are scrims going?

The first time we entered the server and played, I could already see that our synergy was very good. That really surprised me, I didn't think that we would mesh this quickly. Before we came to Serbia, we spent four days at kNg's house, and we were already bonding. We had lunch and dinner together, we were already exchanging some ideas about CS, about some things that we could do. This is why we've been doing well at least in scrims. But of course, we aren't winning every scrim, we're losing some, too.

kNg was leading the team before FalleN, fer and TACO left, and he's still calling the shots. Throughout your career, you played under many IGLs. How do you think that he's doing?

kNg is very focused on what he wants, which is to win. I think everyone is used to seeing kNg as someone harsh, which is the way he is on social media, but once you get to know him you see him for who he is. I see in him many of the things that I saw in myself many years ago. He is really eager to win, he's giving his best for the team. He's not just the AWPer, he's also the captain, he has to carry out media activities and to do interviews, and all this has been very heavy on him, but he's handling it. Whatever happens, I'm at his side, I will help when the matches come. If I see something that I need to address, I will, I won't hold back. And I think the way we've been doing things is the right one. I'm happy.

You came into the team as a manager and coach after playing VALORANT for a while. Are you more of a motivational coach, trying to keep everyone hyped up, or do you also contribute when it comes to strats?

I have to say, first of all, that before being a coach I am the manager. There are many things outside of the game that I have to deal with, such as hotel, shuttle and media activities. All that goes through me. I'm trying to shield the players as best as I can so that nothing that isn't related to CS gets to them. The second part [of my job] is being the coach. That is the part that I enjoy the most and that I really identify with. But I know where I am right now and where I was three, six months ago. I know I was playing a different game. I'm doing my best to learn from these guys, I'm sharing ideas in scrims, things that I see, and sometimes we change some things, sometimes I help kNg with some tactics, especially when it comes to calls at the beginning of rounds. kNg and I talk a lot, and it's been very good for me, a huge learning experience. I am very dedicated. Hopefully, I'll be able to be just a coach in the future to really dive into demos, into these software programs that we have today to analyse stuff. I want to improve as a coach and to really help these guys out. I am a humble guy, my mind is open. I trust my potential.

One of the biggest talking points in Group C is a potential clash between MIBR and FURIA. Are you staying in the same hotel? What do you think about this clash?

We are staying in different places but we run into each other sometimes and we chat. To be honest, this is the first time that I've thought about it. For us, it's been all about the match against Astralis. We are taking it one game at a time.