Falcons nearly stumbled in the first round of BLAST Open Porto, but coach zonic saw a positive side in it.
After winning the Cologne Major, the Falcons failed to carry their momentum into the fall season—they lost to 100 Thieves in the BLAST Bounty Season online tournament and were then defeated by Legacy in the EWC quarterfinals.
After the match, zonic was asked in an HLTV interview why the team struggled against lower-ranked opponents. He acknowledged that the team does have problems but also mentioned seeing signs of progress.
"We still get too easily affected emotionally when facing teams like this, but when we play against those top teams, I believe that won't happen. We have to be better in this aspect," said the Danish coach.
zonic also discussed the Falcons' unstable start to the season. He disagreed with the notion of a "post-Major hangover," but acknowledged that the team is still finding its form. "I wouldn't say it's complacency after winning the championship," zonic said, "but we are still adjusting, especially with karrigan joining. Some players also need to rediscover their motivation after the win, which takes time."
Q: You won, but this probably isn't the way you wanted to. What are your thoughts now?
zonic：This is obviously a topic we've frequently discussed within the team lately — historically, we've been prone to issues when facing such opponents. Honestly, I'm quite pleased because I know how we can handle these situations, at least make a comeback, and this is a step in the right direction. I'm not too concerned about who the opponent is.
Of course, there is a lot to improve, but I can also tell that today was not our best day—individually, in communication, and in all aspects. However, it's a good thing that we can turn our mindset around.
Q: You're about to face Legacy soon, a chance for revenge. What are your thoughts on this matchup?
zonic: On paper, this is indeed a revenge match. Hopefully, things won't happen a third time. Honestly, they are really strong right now and quite annoying, but the five of them are truly in sync, and they aren’t afraid of my team. However, we have a score to settle—we had a good chat after the EWC, and it starts from there.
Q：You've talked after the match, and now have had time to reflect on that EWC loss. Do you have confidence in bouncing back?
Zonic: Of course we have confidence. We won the Major, and previously reached the finals three times in a row. It would be ridiculous if we collapsed now. I know the start of this season hasn’t gone perfectly, but we’re still very confident. The key is to show the best version of Falcons while acknowledging that the opponents are indeed very strong.
Q: Many people might say this is a "hangover" from winning the Major. What do you think is the reason for the slow start to the season?
zonic: We've discussed this matter before. Some players—obviously one in particular, but in fact the entire team has been striving for this Major for a long time. For many of them, this marks a new chapter in their careers. Take kyousuke, for example; he probably never imagined he could win a Major at his age. I truly believe it's essential to find what motivates each player, both on an individual level and as a team. This approach has always been effective.
I wouldn't call this an "after-effect." We really wanted to perform well at EWC; that tournament was important to us, not just for the team but for the organization as a whole. I wouldn't say it's an unacceptable start to the season, but it is somewhat disappointing compared to our results in Cologne last season. Ultimately, we're still a relatively new team in certain aspects, and there's still a lot we need to refine.
Q：Where do you think the problem lies? Is it a matter of strategy, or the "quality" of the team?
zonic: It's hard to say. I think some teams definitely have playstyles that counter us, especially those who don't respect our "reputation"—they deserve credit. But part of it is also our own mindset.
We still get too emotionally carried away when facing these teams. Against top-tier opponents, I believe we wouldn't react this way. We must improve in this aspect. Normally, we conduct matches and reviews via TeamSpeak, but this time we might really need to sit down and talk face-to-face (laughs)