M8 Snaski: "Each game has gotten better, and we're ready for Karmine Corp"

Everything went according to plan for Gentle Mates during the group stage of the Rocket League Paris Major. Winners in Boston, M8 began their pursuit of a consecutive Major title with three victories in Group D without dropping a single game. The team therefore secured qualification for the upper bracket of the playoffs, where they will face Karmine Corp this Saturday at 2 PM CET in what already feels like a final before the final.

To further elevate the occasion, the match will take place in front of an electric crowd, with both organizations competing on home soil at La Défense Arena in Paris. The team’s coach, Nicolai “Snaski” Vistesen Andersen, reflected in an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports on the team’s successful start to the competition and the highly anticipated meeting ahead.

Nicolai "Snaski" Vistesen Andersen: “We feel very good. I mean, as I said yesterday in another interview, the most important thing for us was to start off on a strong note. On top of that, we’ve gone back and done some reviews, so that we can continue to get better and better. I think we’ve lived up to that: each game has gotten better, and I think we're ready for Karmine Corp.

Snaski: I don't think so. I'm quite lucky with these players. All three of them, from the get-go, have wanted to do more than win one Major. So when we won in Boston, it was not a matter of slowing down, it was about speeding up to make sure we come into Paris even stronger.

Snaski: We're so excited. Our dream was to play KC in the final and... we could get a rematch there, but this will be a nice little test on Saturday to see how we both handle the crowd and everything. Luckily, we both have a second life. So honestly, I think it's going to be a great series because both teams can just go in a bit relaxed and know that we have a second chance.

Snaski: Dodging demos. Especially if Atow.’s (Tristan Soyez) feeling it. I watched him play yesterday against Vitality, and it looked like he was really feeling it. And when he's feeling it, it's hard to stay alive. So that's gonna be the key.

Snaski: Last year in Lyon, we had Radosin (Andrea Radovanović) on the roster, and we got a little preview of what it's like to be the favorites at home in a French crowd. I can't wait. I honestly cannot describe how excited we've been. Since we made the roster at the start of the season, this LAN in particular was the one that everybody wanted to do well at. And yeah, I don't even know how to describe how excited I am.

Snaski: Honestly, from what I’ve seen so far, I think KC, maybe Twisted Minds. TWIS has been looking good as well. Those are the main two from what I’ve seen so far this tournament. I think they’re going to be the toughest competition here. Vitality has maybe looked a bit weaker*. Still, they could come back strongly through the lower bracket and maybe regain some confidence. That’d make them a strong contender, as always.

Snaski: I think it’s pretty similar. [Pauses] Yeah, that’s a great question… I would say that the level of competition is probably matching expectations. There’s a bit of a gap after the best four or five teams, though. You could see it a bit in our group—all three of our opponents potentially fall into that category just below. So I think the level is probably the same as Boston, but it’ll become better and better as the weekend progresses.

Snaski: The hardest part is to get three players who are willing to get on the same page and are capable of doing it in high-pressured situations. I’ve coached for seven years now, and I think this is the first time in my career where I have three players who are all understanding of the way we want to play, and also willing to make sacrifices in order to play that way. Maybe they won’t always look good, because sometimes it’s your teammates that are shining instead of you, right? But all three of these players are happy to let their teammates shine in front of each other. So I think that’s the hardest part: getting them on the same page and getting them to do it under enormous pressure.

Snaski: There are a couple of things to it. One of them is the way you structure a team and how you play off each other—that’s a major component. A lot of teams depend heavily on individual ability and don’t really have as much structure as a team, kind of depending on individuals to carry.

We’ve gone a bit the opposite route. We make sure we have a solid foundation and structure behind the individual level. So when the players do shine, we look amazing as individuals, but on the days where we’re not feeling it—day one of the group stage was potentially one of those days where the individual level wasn’t the highest we could get—our structure was still good enough to beat teams who are a bit behind us.

Snaski: Oh my god. Can I pick Itachi (Amine Benayachi)? [Laughs]… Ah, between the three? I haven't even seen any of them play. I think I've seen Gotaga play a bit of Rocket League. It would have to be Gotaga then.

Snaski: We’re going to do everything in our power to win for you, and we’re so excited to see you in the arena.”