Today at Sheep Esports, we have the pleasure of interviewing Víctor "Machuki" Machuca Segura, current Head Coach of Los Heretics. The Spanish team is the only team in a major ERL that remains undefeated, and today we've had the pleasure of speaking a bit with their coach to get some insights into the team's feelings.
Hello Machuki, first of all, thank you very much for accepting the interview.
"No, thanks to you guys for inviting me."
So without further ado, let's get straight to the point. This year, you're the Head Coach of Los Heretics. Among all the options you had and discussed during the offseason, why Los Heretics and not another team?
"During the offseason, I believe that the organization offering me the best esports project was this one, plain and simple. Because of the Heretics' name, the facilities they provide, the infrastructure, a bit of everything in general."
Clearly, in terms of competition, there are no complaints so far. The only undefeated team in a major league. The topic I wanted to ask you about first is, whether the results are your own merit or the league's demerit.
"Well, going 8-0 always has a bit of our own merit *laughs*, although there may be a lot of superiority on paper between teams, surprises can always happen. In the end, that's how competition works, and you can always lose, that’s why I think that it is more our merit than others' demerit."
Do you think you could have replicated these results in any other leagues?
"In the LFL, I think it would be much more complicated since there is a higher base level. In the Prime League, it could be possible."
Since you brought up the topic of the LFL, do you think the level gap between the Superliga and the LFL has increased a bit this year?
"Undoubtedly, on paper, in a league where you put a "salary cap" and in the other, you don't, you're opening the gap *laughs*. It is true that at the beginning, the gap was greater in terms of training, but today, at least the last results we've had against LFL teams are much more evenly matched. Against top LFL teams, we are competing on equal terms, and I don't think there will be such a big gap from now until the end of the season."
Which opponent has surprised you the most while training against the LFL?
"BKRog and BDS Academy. I would say BKRog, I don't know… *laughs*, they have a solid project again like last year, Hans SamD is making a bit of a difference in that team, and then, I think BDS Academy plays very well as a team, they play together, they are on the same page, and I think in that aspect, they are one of the best teams."
Let's talk a bit about you, second split as Head Coach. Is this the role you think suits you best?
"Hmm, I don't know, I haven't given it much thought. Regardless of the role, whenever I'm on a team, all I want is to win, so I adapt and mold to the role and the situation that the players and the project require. I think I have a facet that is more similar to that of a Head Coach than an Assistant, but I measure the role based on its usefulness, and whether as a Head Coach or Assistant, I contribute to the team, and I don't restrain myself into a specific role."
Speaking a bit about usefulness, last year you were with Marhoder, then alone, and finally with Naru. Has Naru surprised you in any way?
"He has been better than expected, honestly. I think Naru is someone who puts a lot of heart into what he does and is quite meticulous in team matters and such. In him, I see a clear Assistant role, for example, because of his way of being and interacting with the players. He has pleasantly surprised me since before entering the project; I didn't know there were aspects that I could delegate, and now I know I can delegate them to Naru, and I am completely confident that they will be done well, and that's what you always look for in a duo."
Speaking a bit about the past, you are known for working with rookies or players with a more unknown facet, and now you're in a team with a more veteran aspect and very recognized players. Has it been a bit challenging for you to adapt, or have you changed anything in your work methodology due to it?
"Not at all. In some of these very veteran players’ cases, the working philosophy that I have implemented has surprised them. The working philosophy I have is not something only for rookies, it is applicable to any player because, in the end, it's about knowing how to work and working well *laughs*. I don't think the age and the stage of the career you are in can affect that."
The team's sensation, Carlsen, why a rookie in such a veteran team, and how does he fit into your equation?
"There was a point in the offseason when we only needed to determine the Top laner. I asked for VODs from Top laners whom I considered talented and such, but well, the final decision was between Maynter and Carlsen, and after watching the VODs, I told Alvar that if we could sign Carlsen tomorrow, we should do it tomorrow. I also talked to Myrwn, and he is someone who doesn't directly say that anyone is good, it's usually the opposite. In Carlsen's case, he had no bad words, which is like saying he was good, I had no doubt *laughs*. The fact that he is a rookie didn't matter to me at all, I want to build the best possible project and have people who understand the way I want to do things, and so far, that's been the case."
Do we still have more of Carlsen to see, would you say?
"I think he hasn't yet shown his best level in official matches. I've seen an image of him in scrims that is even better than in official matches, by competing with LEC Top laners or playing against other top ERL teams. But I'm not worried about it, honestly. I don't think he has reached his peak level yet, what’s more I think he's still far from his peak level, and that's good news for the league."
Speaking a bit about the rest of the team, all with very veteran profiles already, who would you say leads the team's voice a bit?
"I think it's pretty uniformly distributed, everyone has their own section, depending on the moment a little bit. For example Xerxe in the officials always steps up, that's something that Guillhoto told me back in the day and it's completely true. Zwyroo transmits a lot to the rest of the team, he for example is the one who dedicates a few words before starting each game to the group. Whiteinn in the game contributes a lot by creating opportunities or being the first to start fights and so on. And then Jack is the voice that stabilizes everything, he doesn't talk a lot but when he speaks he is heard and that's the most important thing."
Let's talk a little bit about something that is gaining more and more strength and that is the 18-0. How do you approach all this and how do you prepare the team for a possible defeat if it happens after all?
"Let's see, we had a series of objectives at the beginning of the season and one of them was to be dominant in the league. Being dominant can be expressed in many ways, with an 18-0 with a 17-1 with a 16-2 or with whatever result, but our main goal is to be dominant; the result is a consequence. What we want is to be satisfied once the regular season is over and I don't care if the result is clean or not, as long as the overall feeling is that we are dominant. I think that if we had lost any of the previous eight games we would have had the same feeling we have right now, and that is what is important. That's the important thing. That's the way we face it, if we lose tomorrow we will still be dominant, so I don't think the team's mood will drop."
Who do you think has more chances to take that win streak away from you?
"Mmmmmmm, it's hard to say, on paper it should be Movistar KOI as they have the best team on paper to face us but there are always teams that can surprise everyone. Obviously Ramboot has a playstyle that can always surprise, UCAM is also improving these last few weeks, for instance, but it's not something I even stop to think about. I prepare my team day by day, more than preparing the team game by game, I try to make it a battle against ourselves, more than against other teams. I have to worry about the improvement of my team day by day."
If you were allowed to give a piece of advice to your past self of 3 years ago, what would it be?
"Mmmmmm, to read more, book club *laughs*. I would tell him to watch more LoL but he already did that a lot so it wouldn't change much, but I would tell him to start reading more. It's a dynamic that has helped me personally and as well as professionally, and I try to pass on what I learn to the team actively with activities or passively."
Before we go, I have two more hottakes for you. Firstly, a top 3 of players that have impressed you the most when playing against them. It can be both in scrims or officials.
"Caliste, Hans SamD."
You mentioned Caliste instantly, anything to remark?
"Caliste is... *laughs* I don't know how to say it, but Caliste is France's hope for the next few years. Similar to the 3 Spanish players that we have produced this year: Myrwn, Supa and Alvaro, that everyone has faith in, for France that player should be Caliste."
You have mentioned two ADCs, interesting.
"Yes, I think it's the most stacked role so far. And then if I had to tell you another one I would say BDS Academy as a whole."
And the 3 most disappointing ones?
"No, I'm not going to tell you any *laughs*."
And to finish the interview, who would Victor Machuca like to be the finalist opponent of the Heretics in the Superliga final?
"I would say Movistar KOI, due to the presence of Noname and Random, but especially for Random because then one of the two would break the curse of losing 3 finals *laughs*. I would say Random because of that, and because it's the derby and all that, but I personally don't really care."
