torzsi on EPL exit: "It hurt me a lot that we lost because of me"

torzsi reflected on MOUZ's recent disappointments at BetBoom Dacha and ESL Pro League after their return to competition in Rio.

Since they went out early at ESL Pro League Season 20, MOUZ have had nearly a month to get back on their feet and prepare for their next outing at IEM Rio.

Their return to competition has been far from smooth in Brazil, but they passed their opening test against paiN by the skin of their teeth, edging past the local squad thanks to a 1v2 clutch from Ádám "⁠torzsi⁠" Torzsás in the final round of regulation.

Following the match, HLTV spoke to the AWPer to find out what the team has been up to to address their recent poor form. He spoke about why it was hard to accept the group stage elimination in Malta, changes Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek and the coaching staff have brought to the team in the aftermath, and facing FURIA for a spot in the playoffs in Rio.

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Congrats on the win — a little closer than you would have liked by the end of it?

Thank you. Yeah, it got a little bit close, but I also think they are playing really good. paiN is pretty good lately, we lost to them in BetBoom I think, so I think they are playing pretty well.

Talking about BetBoom and some of those results recently, you had an earlier exit at BetBoom than you would have liked, and at EPL as well. Can you tell me about the mentality of the team coming into this event and what went wrong at those ones for you?

In those two events we didn't perform how we wanted, and as you said we had early exits. There were a lot of thoughts going on inside the team about leadership, about the coaching staff and... things like that. Right now we are in a really good mood and we are ready to come here to Rio, we want to redeem ourselves because this is a great chance to show that we belong here and those two events were just accidents and shouldn't have happened. I'm really excited how the tournament will turn us around. We're here for the trophy and we want to win it.

Can you give me any more insight into those conversations you were having with the coaching staff and about leadership?

I'm not sure if I want to, or how much I can say, but... the coach Danny [sycrone], our sports psychologist, also Andreas [Xyp9x], they took things in their hands and started to have talks with people in the team. Also Kamil [siuhy], after those two events he brought a lot of stuff to us to talk about and changed how we play a little bit. It's working pretty well for us at the moment, and right now everyone is happy in the team because we changed ourselves as a team a little bit which maybe was needed.

Can you share insight into what you changed, like I saw xertioN had his CT position changed on Dust2, playing Long, but are you talking about internal changes on a perspective on the game or what?

I wouldn't say it's too much about internal stuff, it's a little bit more in-game stuff about how we play the game. The roles didn't swap or anything like that, it's more in-game, how we look at the game, how we move around and things like that.

I was behind you guys before the game started and you were comming in the warmup (torzsi laughs). Is that a new thing, something you've always done?

It's not really a new thing, sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. It's the first game of tournament and we need to get inside of the game, so we just started to have comms for fun to talk to each other a little bit.

xertioN had a really good game, with his swap, can you tell me if that has helped you and the team in general? What difference did it make for you in this?

Yeah, xertioN had a really good game. On T side we also played really well, we got five rounds, but I felt like we could've gotten more. I think we did a good job on T side but nobody really shined. I didn't play my best game to be honest, but on CT side everyone stepped up. I had this spray transfer, me and Jimmy on B site played really well, and in general as I talked about, we changed how we play a little bit. This makes us really comfortable, everyone in the team has their own thing to play, and also it's combined as a team. It's not just solo plays, everyone can shine.

Touching again on the EPL exit, the last game was a hard one for you individually. Coming back into this event, can you tell me about your mentality, bouncing back personally outside of those team conversations?

After that game and EPL, I was pretty down because I didn't play good. I took it harshly upon myself because it was an early exit as a team and I played pretty bad. That game was on me and it was hard to accept a little bit. But sometimes that's how it is, you need look at the reality. It hurt me a lot that we lost that because of me, but after we had these talks I was just wanting to get back, come here to Rio and show that...

I don't want to talk too much about me because it's a team game. I want us to succeed as a team again like we did in the first season of this year. I'm just looking forward to that, to go to Singapore, to come here to RIo, to go to the Major. Even though we had these two tournaments with early exits, I still think it is in our hands to write the history. We have a good shot, and in answer to your question, I'm really confident now and just happy to be here.

Before this tournament we had this update come in with animation changes. What has that been like for you, especially as the AWPer?

Actually, we couldn't practice because of the situation in Israel, xertioN had to move, so we couldn't practice too much in the last 2-3 days. I still played individually, but to be honest I didn't recognize too much about the change. I'm not sure what it is, but strafing and things like that is the same. I didn't recognize or feel the change too much.

Not much of a difference for you then, but did anyone else in the team say anything about it?

The coach said that he feels the same as me, he plays a lot of Wingmans and matchmaking and he said he also doesn't feel it. I'm not sure about the others.

Touching lastly on the start to this tournament, Bo1 openers isn't something a lot of players like, you've won but you also have another match later today, a best-of-three to make the playoffs. Can you tell me about your feelings on the tournament format starting with those Bo1s, but also your next match against FURIA?

I don't like it too much, as you said players don't like it because it's the first game of the tournament, Bo1 is a lot of pressure and you can't make mistakes. It helps the underdog team because they don't have pressure to play a better team, they can just play freely, and I think it can help a lot to start a tournament like this.

It is what it is and we are kinda used to it already. The next game vs. FURIA, I mean I'm surprised that they beat FaZe, but it's their homeland and I think they really want to get to the arena, they are really hungry to win. I'm just excited, I think it will be a good match and we have practiced a lot in the last weeks against each other. I'm excited for what they will bring, what we will bring, and I think it will be a great game.

You said you're surprised that they beat FaZe, why?

Because I feel like FaZe also didn't have their best tournaments lately, they had some early exits as well, and I thought they would come here really prepared. I'm not saying they are not, but I thought they would come here and want to start with a good headstart. But they still have a chance, they can still make it to the arena.