We had an opportunity to sit down and talk to Goliath Gaming after the team ensured their place in the semi-finals of DreamHack Delhi CSGO Invitational 2019.
TE: You guys took the win against Orgless Five but struggled against pro100 somewhat. What went wrong against them?
adaro: We stuck too much to our own game and didn’t adapt too much as a team. pro100 realized that and took advantage. Going into the Final day, we should just be ready for these things.
SloWye: I think we shouldn’t be afraid of playing our own game. These are bigger names than we are used to play against. I am not saying the pressure got to us but we need to play better and counter from the get-go.
TE: Is there anything the fans should keep an eye out for on the Final Day? Anything we haven’t seen and some pocket strategies?
adaro: Surely. I think we have a very deep playbook. There is a lot of different things that we have in our locker that the teams might not be ready for.
TE: How have you found it at an individual level? Do you feel confident in taking on any other player here on the server?
adaro: Definitely. We realized as soon as we came in that we can match their skill level. We South Africans already have good mechanics and aim.
SloWye: The South African scene in general has good aimers and most of us in the scene have mechanics to match players from these teams. It’s just that they have a bit more experience.
TE: As a coach, what do you think were the reasons for your loss against pro100?
LighteRTZ: They seemed more composed and we need to cut down on the mistakes from today. We have to be more prepared. We have to make sure we control the pace of the game. We control the pace of the game, we dictate it.
TE: How important is a coach and what does one have to do, especially in the case of fresh or temporary lineups like yours?
LighteRTZ: Just the basics. We need to make sure the players are comfortable and feel good as they get into the server. Keep the positive energy go throughout the game. I try and keep the technical aspect and flow of the game to the IGL and focus more on fine-tuning the mistakes. I have been coaching these guys for just 3 weeks and in general, for the last 3 years. I am still looking to absorb all the information and keep growing along with the team.
TE: You [massacRe] are pretty young for an IGL. What do you focus more on with this lineup? Is it more about defaults and structure or mid-round calls and rotation-heavy strats?
massacRe: In our team, the focus is on running our defaults and structure. We have a few rounds where we execute set strategies. But, it’s mostly about defaults.
TE: What does any budding IGL must focus on if he wants to improve?
massacRe: The most important thing is to be calm at all times because your emotions pour on to the rest of the team. Then another thing is to watch as many demos as possible, look at how other teams play.
TE: This is your [mango] very first LAN outside South Africa. Do you feel confident as individually and as a team?
mango: We are not very far behind. We just need to take it up a notch and we can compete regularly and push these teams to the limit. Individually, I feel confident in taking on any player on the server right now. I just need to get more experienced under my belt.
TE: You talked a lot about aggression. Both Orgless Five and pro100 had their own bouts of aggression on the server. What was the difference between the two?
ZipZip: Orgless Five’s aggression was more individual, so we were able to pick them off easily compared to pro100, who had a more synchronised way of going about things and made it difficult to take favourable trades.
TE: Anything you would like to say to your fans in India and all over the world? Any shoutouts?
ZipZip: Big shoutout to DreamHack and India. All the people here have been so kind to us; to the South African community supporting us from back home. Big shoutout to the sponsors and Goliath Gaming.
mango: Shoutout to my parents for allowing me to come here and support me in my gaming endeavours.
adaro: Big shoutout to my Mom and my brother – my two biggest fans. Also, to the Indian community. You guys have been very welcoming. Would love to come again.
SloWye: I would like to shoutout my teammates for always being there for me. Shoutout to the Indian community for making us feel welcome here. You guys have been amazing.
LighteRTZ: Shoutout to the Indian community. I have my own in Durban. All the samosas – love it. Shoutout to Goliath Gaming and everyone who helped us get here. Shoutout to Big5, my organisation. A big shoutout to my family and everyone in South Africa.
massacRe: It’s been great here; the people, the food has been amazing. I have never experienced it before. Shoutout to my family and Goliath Gaming.
