BIT: "If we can consistently return to the playoffs, I believe that one day, we will win a tournament championship again."
The Brazilian coach admitted that, after recent poor results, the team has started to doubt itself.
At the Thunderpick World Championship in Malta, 9Z pulled off the first upset of the tournament. They defeated world No. 5 Aurora 2:0, sealing the victory with a near-perfect performance on Nuke.
For this South American team, this was a much-needed victory. After a period of poor form, 9z has finally regained some confidence.
Since winning the XPL championship in Guangzhou in July, 9z has only won 4 of 13 matches, and its global VRS (Valve Regional Standings) ranking has dropped to 17th.
After the series, BIT said in an interview with HLTV:
“This victory is important, mainly because we had started to doubt a lot of what we had been doing before, including how we handled certain rounds, tactical setups, and calling decisions. When you can't reach a consensus in matches and can't stay on the same page, these issues start to have an impact.”
“Although we won some matches in the EPL (ESL Pro League), it has been a long time since we last beat a truly tier-one team. We beat a very strong BETBOOM and also defeated TYLOO. Both wins were important, but I think we haven't beaten a truly tier-one team since July.”
“So, this match is very important. Now I am optimistic and believe we can achieve more victories like this.”
According to HLTV's latest prediction, 9z has a 60% chance of advancing to the second stage of the Singapore Major. However, BIT said that, compared to the qualification outlook, he is more concerned about whether the team can find consistent form. He believes that as long as they focus on the present, everything regarding the Major will fall into place naturally.
“In the first half of this year, we had a pretty good period, reaching the knockout stages of tournaments multiple times.”
“Now, of course we enter every tournament to win the title, but we have to take it step by step. If we can consistently make it back to the knockout stage, I believe that one day, we will win a tournament again.”
About Defeating Aurora
Reporter: Congratulations on winning the match. First, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this game. You recently lost to Aurora in the Pro League, and now you've faced them again — what do you think about this match?
BIT: We played really well today. We tried a different strategy this time. The last two times we faced them, we picked Dust2, but had basically no chance of winning. Then we switched to Inferno, which gave us the opportunity to take an early lead in the series. Winning the first map at the start of the series also gives the team more confidence, and that's exactly what we've needed lately.
Aurora also changed their map pick this time. They usually picked Mirage against us in the past, but today they chose Nuke. We know that if you start on the T side (attacking side) on Nuke and the tactical execution doesn't go well, this map becomes very difficult to play. I think we successfully imposed our own pace of the game on our opponents.
Today the players' individual performances were also outstanding. HUASOPEEK performed very well in the pistol rounds, and luchov also played well... Everyone had their highlight moments and made the right calls. Combined, these factors can make a huge difference.
How important is this victory to the team's morale?
Reporter: As you said, after a series of disappointing results, you needed a win to rebuild confidence. Aurora has been in pretty good form recently, finishing third in the EPL. How important is this victory and your performance today for team morale?
BIT: This victory is very important, mainly because we had started to doubt many of the things we had been doing, including how we handled certain rounds, tactical setups, and calling decisions. When you can't reach a consensus in matches and can't stay on the same page, these issues start to have an impact. Although we won some matches in EPL, it has been a long time since we last beat a truly top-tier team.
We beat the very strong BETBOOM and also defeated TYLOO. Both wins were important, but I think we haven't beaten a truly Tier 1 team since July. So this match was very important. Now I'm optimistic and believe we can get more wins like this.
Mistakes and Mentality Issues on Inferno
Reporter: In the second half of Inferno, you lost several rounds you had a chance to win, including a 5v2 situation. Do you think the players were a bit nervous?
BIT: Yes, there were many rounds where we were indeed too aggressive in our commitment. We had a huge advantage at the time, yet we chose very risky, almost all-in positions, which ended up giving our opponents the chance to win those rounds. I don't know if it was because things were going so smoothly for us in the match that we started to become more confident. You know, that can definitely happen.
To beat these strong teams, maintaining sufficient confidence is very important. You must have excellent aim, actively look for openings, and secure kills. But at the same time, you must also know, especially in such crucial moments, how to utilize teamwork, how to support each other, and how to use the information gathered to make decisions. So, I think both factors play a part.
At times, we did become a bit impatient, but luckily, we managed to stay calm in the end. We never completely lost our patience at any point, nor did we blame each other for why a teammate got killed, or why we lost those rounds where we already had the advantage. I think being able to do that is very important.
How did 9z adjust after consecutive losses?
Reporter: Let's talk about 9z's start to the season. After winning the title in China, you had a string of disappointing results, including EWC, BLAST Porto, FISSURE, and Pro League. How did the team deal with those results? What did you mainly focus on to stay confident and keep believing in the work you're putting in?
BIT：
I have played for many teams, and I know that every team has a different mentality and way of responding. Some teams fight hard, while others can turn things around in different ways. We are a team that stays grounded and calm. We will try to find new solutions, adjust players' positions, and approach problems with a different mindset.
We have been working very hard and have always been looking for new solutions. We must keep trying to make changes to see how far these adjustments can take us. I believe that one day, we will welcome the moment when things start to go smoothly. We have great confidence in this.
The final stage of the Major qualification race
Reporter: We have now entered the final stage of the race for Major qualification. You still have this tournament and the one in Bucharest ahead of you. What are your goals for this tournament? I think, at this stage, securing qualification for the second stage of the Singapore Major should be your top priority, right?
BIT: As a coach, I'm involved in almost everything related to scheduling, and I've been keeping a close eye on the race for Major qualification. At least at this stage, we are no longer putting all of our focus on Major invites. We are now more focused on the tournaments we are playing in. We hope to make the playoffs of this event, as well as the playoffs of the Bucharest event, and keep moving forward from there.
Obviously, I don't know if we still have a big chance to advance to Stage 3, but we will still fight for a Stage 2 spot. I think we don't spend that much time dwelling on the Major anymore. We focus on each tournament we're playing in and try to do well in the current competition. As long as we do these things well, everything related to the Major will eventually fall into place.
Is reaching the semifinals the main goal of this tournament?
Reporter: So, for this tournament, reaching the semifinals is your biggest goal, right?
BIT: We hope to make it back to the knockout stage. In the first half of this year, we had a pretty good run, reaching the playoffs of tournaments multiple times. Now, of course we enter every tournament to win it, but we have to take it step by step. If we can consistently return to the playoffs, I believe one day we will win a tournament title again.