NAF: "We can beat teams around the top 10 but once it gets to the top 5 we have our struggles"

NAF and Liquid want to leave Copenhagen having broken the "barrier" of beating a truly top team with their new lineup.

Liquid are at an interesting place going into BLAST Fall Final. Their move to kick Casper "⁠cadiaN⁠" Møller and place Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken as in-game leader has given them a newfound consistency and top eight finishes at Cologne and ESL Pro League.

After a strained first six months of the year, the team's energy has also improved. "Everyone in the team gets along," Keith "⁠NAF⁠" Markovic told HLTV on the BLAST Fall Final Media day. "A lot of people share similar personalities and humor so that also helps to build chemistry."

But they are falling just short of contending for titles. Their four LAN defeats have come to top teams — FaZe twice in Cologne, and Vitality and G2 in Malta — and it is now that calibre of teams that NAF has placed a target upon.

In a group alongside Spirit, Vitality, and former IGL cadiaN in Astralis, there is plenty of opportunity to change that, and achieve NAF's goal: "I'd hope we could break the barrier of beating one of those top four teams, G2, Vitality, Spirit. We're hoping for at least a semi-final."

If you cannot see the SoundCloud embed above, listen to the interview here.

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You've been in this new Liquid roster for two months since the break, how has the start of the season been for you guys?

Overall, it's been really good. Our initial event was BLAST groups here to qualify for this event and we managed to beat the world No. 1 twice, so of course, it's a strong start for us.

For the most part, it's going pretty well. Everyone in the team gets along, a lot of people share similar personalities and humor so that also helps to build chemistry and all that. Team-wise, we're all pretty good. We had some ups and downs, Cologne was a tough one for us, but we're still a young team. We still treat it as having... not high expectations. We're trying not to have big pressure on our shoulders. So far, for the most part, pretty good. We just need to keep it rolling.

You made top 8 at EPL, how do you look back on that event? Did you meet expectations?

Our expectations were pretty much made, it seems like we're able to beat these teams that are around the top ten but once it gets to the top five we have our struggles. Cologne, we lost to FaZe twice. We lost to Vitality 2-1, G2 2-1. It's those top teams that we haven't been able to reach there just yet as a team. Overall, I'm sure we wished we would have made, like, semis but top eight, something we made prior at the last EPL, we're pretty satisfied with it.

Me individually, I had somewhat [laughs] shit form, a shit event. But overall playing with this team, it can be hard to get kills here and there because I've got ultimate taking them all on and doing super well, and all my teammates are performing well. Hopefully I can bounce back and get the kills I need during this event.

Talking about your playstyle, you're known as someone who doesn't take much space when it comes to comms or positions even, but has anything changed for you since Twistzz took over?

No, not too much, not really. I'm just always playing my game, those lurk roles, those anchor roles. It's very individual. There's been some little changes but not too much, I'm just doing what I need to be doing, doing what I'm told, trying to be that player, that teammate, for everyone.

You and jks are kind of similar players, both passive anchor players, did either of you have to take a step back from what you preferred or did it naturally fit in the gameplan?

Playing with Justin again has been really good. A lot of people have been sceptical in terms of him coming into the team, especially in terms of roles. On some maps he has roles that I used to play that maybe I prefer, but you know I'm down to share it at the same time.

On T sides it's not like we overlap too much, he's the other lurk on the other side, the other extremity player, so I don't play around him too much. And CT sides, it's pretty much the same, he's anchoring the A bomb-site and I'm on B, we're not stepping on each other's toes. Of course there is some overlap on T sides on some maps, but everything has gone well, I've enjoyed playing with him. It's nice to be back on a team with him, I always enjoyed playing with him. Everything's good.

I also wanted to ask about the IGL change. cadiaN, when he signed for Astralis, spoke about him wanting to call more on the fly, kind of indirectly mentioning that wasn't the case in Liquid. Is the team now more comfortable with the new playstyle?

When it comes to cadiaN and his style, it's not like he's a bad leader, bad IGL. His way of thinking and calling around the game just didn't fit some of the players that are on this team. There are going to be players out there that find his way of calling, that suit them and they're going to do well with that, and they're going to find other players that don't really like that, who want to do their own thing or think about the game in a different way.

It was nothing to do about... I don't know. I think it was just unfortunate. He's a good guy, a good player. It just didn't work out with the players, with the team, with him. It doesn't make anyone good or bad. Shit happens.

You have Astralis in your group, who will obviously, well, maybe, play with cadiaN. How will it feel to come against him?

Of course, it'll be interesting. I didn't have too many issues with him, as a person or as a player or anything like that. It's always fun in some ways to play ex-teammates. I'm sure it's interesting for him to play with prior teammates in stavn and jabbi, so if we come across him it'll be a fun game for him, and a fun game for us.

For Fall Final, you're a young team, you don't want to set expectations too high, but what would you be happy with?

I'd hope we could break the barrier of beating one of those top four teams, G2, Vitality, Spirit. If we're able to win against one of those teams, make playoffs. We're hoping for at least a semi, there's only eight teams.

Final question, I have to ask about the Astralis situation. Your IGL was part of the joint statement. Do you have anything to add from your personal stance about the situation?

I don't think there's too much for me to say. Of course if there's rules in place, and the rules are being bent, then what's the point of the rules? But I don't know [laughs]. I don't read the rulebook, I don't know what it says in there to be honest. If they're allowed to, then so be it.

Date	Matches
BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024
25/09/2024	Spirit 19:20 Liquid	Match