tge on win over Vitality: "It's an indescribable sensation"

9z's coach believes that the addition of MartinezSa helped to keep the team cool in stressful situations.

9z entered IEM Dallas looking to make up for a poor showing at their previous tier-one outing, IEM Chengdu, where the side exited in last place after losses to G2 and HEROIC.

The Latin American side have more than made up for their poor showing in Chengdu, securing a place directly in the semi-finals in the Texan event after taking the scalps of MOUZ, Liquid, Vitality.

After his team's stunning 2-0 victory over Vitality, 9z's coach Gustavo "⁠tge⁠" Motta spoke regarding the match, the process of integrating Antonio "⁠MartinezSa⁠" Martinez and his style into the squad, and whether the possibility of winning IEM Dallas has now crossed his mind.

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Editor's note: Questions were asked via a translator, and tge's answers were translated by Portuguese-speaking HLTV staff.

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That was a phenomenal game. Can you tell me a little bit about how you're feeling after taking down Vitality like that?

It's an indescribable sensation. There's no way to express what I'm feeling. I'm very proud and happy for this moment.

One of the most important things in that win is how you guys played Dust2. That's your tenth Dust2 win in a row; why do you think you guys are so successful on it?

Dust2 is a map we've always been comfortable on, ever since CS:GO, and I think we understand it very well. I can't tell you the secret, but it's a map that everyone understands very well and we work very well as a team.

Your last big international outing was at Chengdu, but you guys didn't do so great. I talked to buda earlier and he said that the big difference was "reaching your own style". Can you explain the difference between Chengdu and this event?

I believe that what has changed the most is our mental game. We've been working on that a lot, together with our psychologist. We're putting in a lot of effort, a lot of work, so that we can get where we want to go. I think we're reaping the fruits here.

I wanted to ask about MartinezSa; buda also told me he brought a slower, European style with him to the team. What has it been like working with him and bringing that style into the team?

He's brought this European style, which is calmer, especially in close situations. We've been working on being more structured, especially in those close situations, we've been playing well. What he has also brought is his coolness, a more European feeling.

You had a pretty tough start to the year, missing out on the Major. Does this result help to make up for that a bit?

I think we've been working well and with the right mentality. Regardless of the tournament we play or the opponent we face, we always need to have a good mentality.

With this result, you guys are now in the semi-finals. Is winning this event now a possibility that has crossed your mind?

We're going to think game by game. We're not going to think about winning. We're going into this semi-final focused. We've been showing good CS and we're going to work hard to be able to play the same way, so that we have a shot at winning the tournament.