headtr1ck on B8's close losses on LAN: "I'm sad that this happens over and over again"

B8's AWPer is disappointed his team keep slipping to close map losses on LAN and squandering chances to accrue VRS points.

B8 were a team in the ascendancy at the end of last season, hitting their peak HLTV and VRS rank amidst making a run to Stage 2 of BLAST.tv Austin Major.

Tides have taken a turn for the worse for B8 since the player break, the Ukrainian side having won only two series since their Major exploits whilst their activity has dropped off significantly. In their first match of StarLadder StarSeries Fall, they suffered yet another loss.

"I felt that we could have won Train," Daniil "⁠headtr1ck⁠" Valitov told HLTV when reflecting on his team's overtime loss in the first map against PARIVISION. "It could have been all different in terms of our confidence on the second map."

Confidence is something that B8 are finding hard to come by says headtr1ck, as their schedule has been incredibly bare in recent months. "When, for example in the first season, we play a lot of officials, we feel way more confident.

"You can have a lot more understanding that you have a lot of chances to show yourself. It's sad for us, I think it's pretty important to have this."

headtr1ck sat down with HLTV after his team's opening loss in Budapest to reflect on the game with PARIVISION, his and B8's recent struggles, and the negative impact he feels the VRS system has had on his team.

Listen to the full interview here.

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How are you feeling after that series?

Mixed feelings. Obviously sad because I felt that we could have won Train, and it could have been all different in terms of our confidence on the second map.

What do you think went wrong for you on Train?

I think we lost a crucial round at 13-13 and it was very important, and also I think on T side we didn't have good connections between calls, which was also important. Overall I felt that we could have played much more confidently.

You've not played a lot of officials recently, especially compared to a team like PARIVISION. Is that affecting your confidence at all?

I think so. I feel that when, for example in the first season, we play a lot of officials, we feel way more confident. You can have a lot more understanding that you have a lot of chances to show yourself. It's sad for us, I think it's pretty important to have this.

Obviously there's no one to blame but ourselves. We had two LAN events, now we have one more, which is very important for us because of the VRS system. You feel better individually when you have more officials to play.

Why have you not been playing so many officials? Is it because you've had these LAN tournaments?

Yeah, it's because of VRS points. If we, for example, would play better in some of the LANs, maybe we could feel way more confident in terms of points.

Because of the VRS system you are playing these LANs, and they are quite important in terms of VRS points. Does that add pressure to you as a team to perform?

I think at the back of the mind, yeah, because you know that you can gain a lot of points at the LAN events, and when you lose you kinda don't have a lot to play. It just feels bad to not have a lot of chances to show yourself, but as I said, we had some close games and it's only ourselves to blame I would say. We really had chances on previous LANs and in this game. I'm just feeling sad that this happens over and over again at LAN events, but at some point I think it should stop.

Do you feel confident about qualifying for the Major?

I don't know right now, these next two LAN events will be the most important. I don't try to think about it too much recently, I just try to play, but of course with this new system you just need to feel a bit different than before. Before you had only one Major qualifier tournament and you could just focus on that event, and that's it. Now you need to show a great game during the season, which maybe makes sense, but also affects at some point… for example we are a young team, so maybe it is better for us to play more online events.

Your own form in officials has been shaky recently. Do you feel that in the server?

I feel that it's a tricky question. In some games it was very sad obviously because yeah, I feel that I've been kinda underperforming recently and I'll try to step up. I think it also comes with less officials because I individually feel more confident when I have more chances. It's a mental part that I need to fix, but as I said, overall our team game right now is not at the point that it was before, where we could beat great opponents and feel great individually.