Brollan: "There was just a lack of ideas from everyone"

The Swedish IGL didn't hold back. "It's just one of the greatest things that has happened to me," he said of making the playoffs after starting 0-2 in Austin and grinding back to 3-2.

MOUZ had to duke it out with Legacy in a three-map series in the 2-2 pool of the BLAST.tv Austin Major Stage 3 that included a comeback from 3-9 down at the half on the decider, but in the end Ludvig "⁠Brollan⁠" Brolin and his men made it through to the playoffs.

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MOUZ inch past Legacy into Austin Major playoffs

The Swede took some time after the match to talk about the relief of securing a spot in the playoffs, the struggles the team had in the group stage, and how he expects the team to be better on stage at the Moody Center.

You can listen to the interview, here.

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You had to sweat it. You lost the first map, brought it back... It was pretty tight. Tell me about the load that you just got off your back.

Being down 9-3 and coming back, and yesterday's comeback, and now in the third map and qualifying to playoffs... It's just one of the greatest things that has happened to me, to be honest. I'm just really happy, there are a lot of emotions and yeah, after being 0-2, as well. We were in a really bad spot in match points, we should have gone out of the tournament, so yeah, I'm just really happy that we made it to the playoffs now.

Speaking of comebacks, I heard xertioN say that he was so tired of these games, that he can't take them anymore. It has been rough for you guys, you came as favorites and now just scraped by. Where's your confidence, is it a bit shaken after such a tough group stage?

No, I think the confidence is still there, especially on the first day, it was two best-of-ones and then we went to the elimination matches instantly. Of course, it's going to be an elimination match in the playoffs now, as well, but it's something new, something different, we'll be in an arena, so we just need to enjoy it. The goal is always to win the Major, of course. There shouldn't be a different goal.

I noticed torzsi and xertioN are both calling a lot. How's that dynamic. You're a bit more quiet than in the past, maybe? Has that changed or how is it working?

No, I think it's mostly me and xertioN calling on the T sides. I mostly anchor on CT, so it's hard for me to call, and sometimes I try to come in with some input, but mostly it's xertioN calling. But yeah, it's mostly that, and on the T sides it's been a bit rough this tournament.

On an individual level you've been struggling with entries. What isn't working? Why is it harder for you to get those entries and get those 5vs4s and so on?

This tournament, especially, I think there was just a lack of ideas from everyone and maybe we're too focused on what to do and not focused on the crosshair and you get killed because of it, basically. Today, especially. They pushed us to the limit on the CT side. They were pushing, B pushing, everything, and it took us off-guard sometimes — it was really hard to play them, to be honest. It was a different approach because we haven't played them before.

You were at one point the studio merchants, but you've put that behind you and you get to play in the arena in front of the fans. Do you think shaking up the atmosphere will be good for you guys after this group stage?

Yeah, of course. You want to win the Major, but I feel like going from 0-2 to the playoffs, now we have everything to win. Because we were 0-2 down, we said that we should have gone out of the tournament, but now we just enjoy the moment and have the goal to win, and just push forward. Push, push, push, all of the time, and we want it, basically, more than the enemies.

Give me some thoughts on Legacy, themselves. They weren't supposed to be here and made it from Stage 1 to here, and almost the playoffs. A lot of people realized that these guys can shoot pretty hard and play some good Counter-Strike. What can you say about this team?

It's always fun. There's always a team that comes up in these 2-2 matches, like MIBR in Shanghai, and I believe it was playing in Copenhagen, as well, so it's always going to be tough match-ups, but I instantly saw that Legacy was on another level compared to the others. They're shooting really hard and their CT side is really tough to play against, to be honest.

We know how they play now because we played them once, of course, but I think these teams are really tough to play against when you play them for the first time. Of course we read a few things, but they were really sharp today and at the tournament, overall. They beat Vitality and these things, as well, so they should be really satisfied, although of course they wanted to go playoffs.

At some points it felt like you weren't as sharp as usual with trades, positioning, and some of the basics. Why do you think you haven't been as sharp as usual, here?

I think a little bit with the pressure... I didn't really recognize it before the tournament, but when we started playing, since VP in the first game, it was really rough, as you said, like trading and playing together, basically, because it was just stutter-stepping sometimes and yeah... I think it was that. We're really good on it, but we just need to show it. Maybe in this tournament we've been thinking about it, because we've been lacking in doing it, but we just need to work on it. It's some days now to the playoffs and we'll have time to talk about it.