Just days before the
EMEA Masters final,
Galions are eagerly awaiting their opponent,
. After defeating their
LFL rivals for the first time this year in the upper bracket final, the team secured a historic milestone by reaching the EMEA Masters grand final for the first time in its history, while also qualifying for the
EWC EMEA Qualifier.
As the team prepares to face LEC organizations in the upcoming event, jungler
will once again challenge teams from the European league, only a few months after making a brief appearance there himself. Ahead of the EMEA Masters final, the Spanish player spoke with
Sheep Esports about the upcoming events awaiting his team.
How do you feel about your matchup against Solary?
Francisco "Thayger" Mazo: “It's gonna be a really interesting match up, because they beat us a couple of times and we also beat them already, so I'm pretty confident going to the match for sure. We have been playing really well lately. Even though we lost some matches in the LFL, it's nothing that I worry about, to be honest. It was just some bad days, but I know we'll play focused as a team. I think we will do really well, so I am pretty confident.
As you said in the beginning of the year, you had some troubles against them, but you won your last match first in best of 3 in the upper final of EMEA and then in LFL. Do you feel like you have a bit of momentum now over them?
Thayger: Yeah, it's been like a couple of weeks now, but for sure we have the momentum on them because we won the last matches. I wouldn't like to be overconfident just because we won the last matches. I think they're a good team, so I wouldn't focus too much on that.
You reached the final of the competition with only one map lost against Solary in the playoffs. Did you expect it to be challenged more in the competition, or did everything go as you expected?
Thayger: No, to be honest, I think that there was only one top tier with us, Solary, and Misa. I think that the other teams are just below, and I didn't expect them to give us any trouble. I also didn't expect a lot of matches to be like that, I mean, it was on us, but at the end it was like 3-1. It could have easily gone to game 5.
What do you think you improved the most over the competition compared to the beginning of the year?
Thayger: I try to communicate more about my timers, when I can play, and when I'm strong in the game. I've improved even more by just being adaptive, and just playing for myself a lot, and overall being in a really good spot in the game. And then I think communicating around that and playing around the jungler is something I've improved.
Apart from the EMEA Masters, you didn't make the best start in LFL with three wins and three losses. Do you feel like you showed some weaknesses of your team during those first weeks, or do you think that can impact your confidence?
Thayger: Not really. As I said before, I think we were not too focused, let's say. I don't think we were like playing at our 100 % level, which is for sure something not good, but I don't think that's ever gonna happen in a best-of-five or in the final of EMEA. We're going to be focused no matter what. So yeah, I really don't care about losing those three matches. I'm disappointed for sure, but it is what it is. We were also trying some stuff on the comps, and I think we didn't play well individually, but yeah, I don't really care much.
You were also the first team to reach the EWC EMEA qualifier. Do you feel now your team has a chance, competitively against LEC teams?
Thayger: Yeah, for sure, we have been scriming them, and I think we can for sure beat them. You never know because officials are different from scrims, but I think we've been doing well so far, so I am pretty confident going into the EWC Qualifier.
For example, where would you place your team among the LEC teams right now?
Thayger: I think we would make the playoffs in LEC right now.
and
are the best for sure. And then we would go into
,
, and
.
You already made a short appearance in LEC last year. Some people say that when players get a chance in a difficult or poorly functioning team, it can hurt their reputation and make it harder for them to return to the LEC. Do you feel that applies to you?
Thayger: It's hard to say because it's not been that much time since I left LEC, and I didn't really have enough seasons where I can see if that matters, like the fact that they have a bad image of me after my last LEC split. I guess we will see in the next offseason if that's the case. But I for sure think it affected me, like my image, you know, that split for sure. I'm pretty sure the teams think I'm worse than what I am just because of that split.
Thayger: Yeah, for sure. People judge a player too fast, but you need to judge the context. For example,
is an insane player. But look at the teams he's been playing for. He has played for BDSA, which was the best team in the ERL. Of course, he was playing insane, I'm not saying he didn't. And he has been playing for G2, but I would like to see if you put him on SK or any bottom tier. I'm sure many people would criticize him. You need to see the bigger picture. You cannot just criticize one player just because of one split this is not fair.
Right now if you were returning to LEC, do you feel like you would have more chances to perform than you did the first time?
Thayger: Yeah, for sure. I think I will do better than last time I was in LEC. I also had more time to fix my mistakes and play better as a team than when I was in LEC. So I'm for sure more confident and I think I'm also a better player.
If you get another chance in LEC, will you think twice before joining a team in LEC with an hard project for example?
Thayger: Yeah for sure I'm gonna think twice before joining a team that maybe I don't see myself winning. I think it's really important to go to a team thinking that I can actually compete. When I went to NAVI, I didn't really have much time to think about it. I made a choice, which ended up not being the best. But next time I will for sure give it a second thought.
Talking about NAVI, you might have the chance to play against them or Team Vitality. Are you a bit excited about the potential matchup against your former team?
Thayger: Yeah, for sure. It's really fun to play against them. I think that they also have a similar playstyle as us. And yeah, we've played against them sometimes in scrims and it's really fun to play against them. They're pretty good every time I play against them and It's always fun to play against
. Yeah, it's gonna be a really interesting match, I'm sure.
There has been a lot of banter between Solary and Galions, when one team wins or the other one does. So for the last question, would you like to send a message to Solary before the final?
Thayger: I hope they are prepared because we know how they play and we know each other now. I just hope they are prepared because I think we are going to stomp them.”
