On Sunday, PCIFIC suffered against BBL Esports their fifth consecutive defeat in VCT EMEA Stage 2. After the match, Sheep Esports spoke with head coach Manuel "thinkii" Martínez about the team's challenging campaign, which ended with a last-place finish in Group Alpha. Despite their 0–5 record, he explained why he still believes in his players and discussed the team's biggest issues, their progress behind the scenes, and their realistic expectations for the Play-Ins.
How are you feeling after the game?
Manuel "thinkii" Martínez: “Not good, obviously, but I cannot figure out exactly why. I have a slight idea, but we are able to perform at a really high level on some maps, and then on others we simply don't. Mentally speaking, it's tough because even if we knew that the stage was already over for us, we still wanted to get the win. At the same time, we knew this wasn't the real thing anymore because we are already in the Play-Ins, and we need to be fully ready for that. I think it was something we knew could happen: us not getting the win today. So yeah, I think the guys are still in a good place and ready for the Play-Ins.
What do you think has been the biggest reason behind the struggles so far?
thinkii: I think it's been consistency, and that comes down to everyone. The coaching staff first, but also the players, because we're not really following our routines. Some of the things we learn, we tend to forget. We're making three steps forward. I think qpert (Mateja Mijovic) mentioned that every match we improve a little bit. But maybe we improve by 10%, then we forget some things, so it's not really a 10 anymore; it's more like a 7%. Instead of growing faster, we grow slower. We are always just a bit behind the opponent. Last week, the 0-2 might have looked like we got stomped, but the maps were really close. This time again, we lost 2-1 and had our chances. So yeah, it's all about consistency.
With that situation, how do you make sure the players don't let the external criticism or the rankings affect their confidence?
thinkii: I think we're all mature enough not to give a shit about what people from the outside think. Or at least that's what we should be aiming for. First, many of them don't really know the game. Second, they don't know what's happening internally. They don't know if someone is struggling with personal issues or if we're dealing with different problems. At least for me personally, I don't care. Speaking honestly, I really don't give a damn.
When you look at the team's day-to-day work, do you feel like there's a gap between the level you show in practice and what happens on stage?
thinkii: Yes, I would say there is. It could be because of a lack of experience since all five players are VCT rookies. It's their first year. Of course there's a gap, a little bit in everything. We try to make that gap smaller by working individually with the players. But as I said, we learn some things and then forget others, so it's difficult to grow consistently. Experience matters, learning speed matters, and it's not only the players' responsibility. As a coaching staff, we also take the loss. Of course there is a gap, otherwise we wouldn't be winless this year.
PCIFIC Esports before the game against BBL. Credit: Alexandre Weber/Riot Games
A lot of teams improve throughout a tournament by identifying their weaknesses. What are the main areas where you've seen PCIFIC improve, even if the results don't show it yet?
thinkii: It depends. For example, during Stage 2 I think we struggled a lot on defense at the beginning. Now we're showing much more consistent defensive rounds. Back in Split 1, though, I think our attack was exceptional. Our calling on attack was exceptional. We were probably the only VCT team that actually preferred attacking on Split rather than defending, and we felt really comfortable there. So from Split 1, I'd say our attack on Split, and during these recent matches I'd say our defense. Overall, what I like the most is the growth of the players. Even if it's been slow, I've definitely seen progress from January until now. Some players have changed a lot.
Do you still feel the team fully believes it can turn things around, or has the mentality changed after such a difficult run?
thinkii: No, I think the approach is still very positive going into the Play-Ins. On paper, we're going to face teams that are weaker than the ones we've played here. Also, now we're the veterans. We've already played on this stage, and we know what it's like. For many of those teams, it'll be their first experience on such a big stage. So yes, we're confident.
This year we've seen a lot of shifts in the meta. How do you manage to find the right balance -while constantly adapting to those changes?
thinkii: It's hard. When things aren't working, you change everything. Even if the meta changes, you start trying absolutely everything. I always joke that when things don't work, you even change your underwear brand. We tried playing Deadlock when many other teams weren't using her. We've experimented with a lot of different things. We don't really follow the meta blindly. As you saw today, we played without a dive Duelist. As I said, we're trying many different things. But I think we're pretty comfortable with our Chamber compositions.
You still have the Play-Ins ahead. What is the realistic objective for PCIFIC entering that stage, and what would you consider a successful performance?
thinkii: First of all, get our first win. Please, get the first win. After that, just make it as far as we possibly can. Unlike what happened against Vitality, we don't want to get stomped. Honestly, apart from that series, I don't think we've really been completely outclassed in a convincing 2-0. Sure, FUT beat us 13-1 on Ascent, but that was the third map. Most of the time we've managed to put up a fight until the very end. So I'd say the objective is to go as far as we can while always making every series competitive. I really appreciate it when teams tell us that we're actually a difficult opponent to beat, even if the results don't necessarily show it.”
