After securing a victory against Karmine Corp during the third week of the VCT EMEA Stage 1, Team Heretics keep their hopes alive for the remainder of the Group A, with one win and two losses. With the arrival of Martynas “Koshmaras” Namikas, who appears to have brought a new dynamic to the roster, the team still needs to win its upcoming matches to stay in the tournament.
To discuss the recent changes made to the team over the past few weeks, head coach Neil “neilzinho” Finlay spoke with Sheep Esports about what lies ahead for his squad in the coming days.
What’s your first feeling after this game?
Neil “neilzinho” Finlay: “Relief, happiness. It was a difficult game. There was a lot at stake for both teams. You obviously go into it hoping that you're going to win 2-0 and it's going to be quick, and you go home, but we had to really dig deep. And I'm honestly really proud of how they reacted after the first map because it would have been really easy for them to give up. But we didn't.
How was the preparation before these games? We knew the game would be intense, since it could be decisive for both teams, as you were both0-2.
neilzinho: It was hard to be honest. We changed pretty much everything. We were also playing a comp before that was solely based around the players that we had and ComeBack (Berkcan Şentürk) style. So Chamber is not an agent that we were big fans of; we just did it to kind of try and get the best out of the players that we had. So we brought “Kosh” in to play Neon. We could have done it last week if we had time, but actually, he flew to Berlin in, like, not even 24 hours before the Liquid game. So changing five comps in that amount of time was just impossible. So yeah, we worked really hard. We changed our style around to fit the players that we have, and we got the results of it.
You showed a more convincing face starting from game 2. Did you feel like finally everything went as you wanted it to?
neilzinho: Yeah, honestly, it just came down to me shouting at them and firing them up a little bit and making them realize that they're not washed. I've seen so much crap about them. “They're washed players and they're bad and this, this, this”, but they're rightfully under a lot of pressure. We're supposed to be one of the best teams in the world. And you don't just turn bad in the space of three months. So that's the first time after that talk that we just had after map one. It's the first time I've seen my team, honestly, since probably last year from the core four. And Kosh did a really good job as well, fitting in. So yeah, I'm just happy.
You said you were relieved by the result today. Do you feel like it can be a kind of reference game for your team that can unlock the momentum for the rest of the season?
neilzinho: Yeah, 100%. That's something that we did last year before we played in EWC. We were in a very tough spot, and we turned a very hard game around, and we used it as a reference. We literally said it today. That's what I asked of them after the first map. I literally said, “I need you to dig deep, need you to give us the spark, I want that spark and we're going to carry that spark and turn it into the biggest fire, that's our plan”. So I asked for it, we've got the spark, we're going to go home, we're going to work even harder, and we're going to run with it, and I believe that.
You decided to make a change in your roster, replacing ComeBack with Koshmaras. What did you like particularly in his profile to pick him up in the main team?
neilzinho: The main reason was just the style of his play. Obviously, when we picked up ComeBack, he was primarily an Operator player, and we knew that. It's something that we never really had before, but we wanted to try and make it work because ComeBack is honestly a generational talent. The individual skill that kid has is insane. But we were looking for someone who was able to play a bit more for the team. He didn’t have that experience yet, and obviously, with his communication not being great, it was really hard for him to fit in.
So we were primarily looking for someone who could speak English fluently, which we got in Kosh, and we didn't have the option to buy anyone because no one's going to sell us a player during the season. So we were looking at free agents, and honestly, we were so impressed with Kosh from the first scrim that he played. He was just a very nice, calm guy, very selfless as well, like he doesn't care about his stats, he just plays for the team. Every bit of utility he throws, he uses it to achieve something. And if he can't achieve a kill for himself, he'll back up his team, like he made some really good plays tonight to bail us out. So he's just a really good teammate and someone that has a ton of potential. That's what we were looking for.
From what you've seen from last week and this one, do you think the change has already brought a new type of dynamic in the team as you expected?
neilzinho: Yeah, 100%. It's a faster-paced playstyle, which is something that we ran for two years. As I said, we weren't used to playing around the OP, and I was very transparent in my interview last week. I gave a lot of reasons why we decided to part ways, and a lot of it was playstyle. So we got the playstyle back that we are used to playing. And yeah, it's going to take time, it's not going to be perfect. We didn’t have that much practice on the maps obviously, because we've changed a lot. So it's just back to the ground pretty much. But from what I've seen so far, I couldn't have asked for more. We had a hard first map, and we fought back. So I'm really happy with it.
With the results you had from the beginning of this year, people have started to consider that you're no longer a top team of the region. Do you feel like it's justified?
neilzinho: Of course. I'm not going to live in the past. I think what we've achieved over the last two years is incredible. No other team in VALORANT had done that, like bringing up rookies from nothing and achieving what we did in 2024 and 2025, is one of the reasons we're considered as one of the best teams in the world, because we're consistent. And we have not been consistent this year, so it'd just be pure ego if I was saying that we're one of the best teams in the world right now. We have a lot of work to do, and that's the most important thing. We have to accept that we're not where we want to be, and we have to work hard.
The thing is, the players we have are incredible. We've still got the core four who are world-class players when they're playing to their full potential. You literally saw how quickly it can change. Within ten minutes of a quick talk and making them realize that they are still one of the best players, or some of the best players in the world. They have it in them. They showed it in those two maps. KC, yes, they're struggling, but they're not a bad team. They have some top players. And it's not easy to do what we did tonight. So yeah, we can't be considered a top team right now. But our goal is to just keep winning. And if we keep winning, we'll be up there, because we still have the players for it.
You have two games left in your group against Gentle Mates and FUT Esports. How do you see the match-up against those teams, and what would you say to the fans and people to keep the hopes of playoffs alive?
neilzinho: They're going to be very hard games. Every single game for us right now is a grand final, honestly. It's going to be a test. It's going to be difficult. If we can, again, play to the level I know we can, as we did in those last two maps, we can beat anyone. I truly believe that. So we need to focus on ourselves. We need to iron out the mistakes from today and keep improving. And for the fans, there are a lot of them that have been supporting us even through the tough times, and this is when we need it the most. We've proven over the last couple of years what we can do, especially with this core, and we can do it again. We just need to grind it out and focus on ourselves.”
