TL Spookz: "We’re good enough to compete against the best teams in the world"

2025 was meant to be the year Team Liquid’s project stepped up on the international stage and dominated their region. After a mid-season jungle swap and missing Worlds for the first time since 2022, a significant overhaul was decided. For the return of the LCS, three new players joined the six-time champions: Park "Morgan" Ru-han, Brandon Joel "Josedeodo" Villegas and Lim "Quid" Hyeon-seung.

Several teams around the league came looking for Jake “Spawn” Tiberi’s assistants, and Sheep Esports talked with Samuel “Spookz” Broadley, the man tasked with steering Team Liquid back to their winning ways. The former 100 Thieves assistant coach shared how coaching responsibilities have been delegated, Team Liquid’s strive-for-the-win mentality, and lessons learned during the KESPA Cup.

Samuel "Spookz" Broadley: "Spawn’s responsibilities as a Head Coach include maintaining the team's culture, managing relationships, establishing structure and timelines, overseeing various extracurricular activities, and providing feedback, especially for me, but also for all the staff. My role resembles a typical strategic coach. I will mainly focus on the draft process, reviews in particular, what champions we play, and what theory we work on. Both Spawn and I have experience on both sides of the coin, and are able to work together and give each other feedback.

Spookz: This TL narrative is in the past. Team Liquid is structured to the point of sometimes being reserved. I was the Head Coach of Golden Guardians, and my time at 100 Thieves was very similar: playing an aggressive style. When you’re not afraid to make mistakes, there is a chance of upsetting these Asian teams. If I can help start this environment, the players will feel like they can play their natural game and not feel too mechanical.

Spookz: This comes from your natural build behind the team. As a coach, you must identify the conditions under which your team plays best and provide an adequate environment, especially for our players: they’re grinders. We’re already building an environment of hard work, while ensuring everyone enjoys their time together. The season is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to avoid dissociating by the middle of the season.

Spookz: When you’re in TL, you’re expected to win. We will be disappointed with anything less than that result. We’re very confident in the roster and our staff. We know we’re good enough to compete against the best teams in the world. Although it’s hard to focus on the end goal, you must take it one day by day.

Spookz: The biggest benefit of Korea is that it allows relationships to develop. New teams need to quickly identify their leaders and players who speak up unless they’re involved. After the bootcamp, we figured out how we want to schedule our days, structure our reviews, and which champions to prioritize. These aspects improved as much as possible after a two-week bootcamp. KeSPA Cup matches were cool; they showed how this team would perform under pressure. We were more reserved during some key moments against Nongshim and hesitated on executing some plans from scrims against T1.

Spookz: It’s going to be fun! C9 has kept its core of Blaber (Robert Huang) and Vulcan (Philippe Laflamme), who run the game. We are familiar with APA’s playstyle and the champions he wants to play. We have to play very well to beat them. We’re confident, and honestly, it’s a pretty exciting draw to have in the first round."