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MUTiRiS about EPL’s group: “Accessible”

Rafael Ferreira

Rafael Ferreira

Counter Strike 2

Counter Strike 2

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#ESL PRO LEAGUE SEASON 19
MUTiRiS about EPL’s group: “Accessible” cover image

SAW is ready for its second appearance in the EPL.

SAW is preparing for its second experience in the ESL Pro League (EPL) and esports.gg spoke with team captain Christopher "MUTiRiS" Fernandes.

The team's last participation was in Season 17 with Tiago "JUST" Moura from KOI on the team. With Rafael "arrozdoce" Wing on the team for a year, MUTiRiS said that SAW is going through its best moment ever.

"We'll have Major, EPL, and BLAST. This is tier 1. With these tournaments, we start to normalize these things, but [what] we are doing is not normal. This is SAW's and [the] Portuguese scene's best moment. We are at this level, but we want to step forward, and that's the most difficult part."

SAW is having the best year of all time (Image via João Ferreira/PGL)
SAW is having the best year of all time (Image via João Ferreira/PGL)

MUTiRiS and SAW's last-minute invite to EPL

It’s a historic moment for both the Portuguese CS2 team and scene. For EPL Season 19, SAW was invited at the last minute due to changes at Cloud9. After Cloud9 chose to leave the competition, the Portuguese team was chosen as the replacement based on the rankings.

The news reached the team a week before the competition started. For MUTiRiS, the late EPL invitation only meant good things.

"Can only be a good thing. If we [do] well, it's good for our evolution to see that the things we are doing are correct. If [we] don’t [do] that well, it’s time to analyze and see what we are doing well and bad. For me, it's always positive. It's different when you know you have a tournament in a month or a week. We tried to give our best in the last week. What we defined as our main goal was going through the group stage."

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SAW's EPL group stage

For MUTiRis and SAW, the EPL group is "accessible." It's a group that brings together European teams that know each other very well.

"It's a good group. We’ll play against 3DMax. We know they are a good team [since they] won against us two weeks ago. Although, we know it will be a balanced match. [Despite previous results,] we know we have more quality. The group is accessible because we already evolved as a team, and we think we [are at] a good level to play against these teams. This is all blah, blah, blah. What really matters is in [the] server."

A Major experience

Participation in the Major was a historic milestone for SAW and the Portuguese scene. In the Opening Stage of PGL Major Copenhagen, the team was 2-0 and just a best-of-three (Bo3) away from progressing to the next stage. Three consecutive defeats left the team 2-3.

It was an experience that could be traumatic for the team and should be taken into account for future competitions. For MUTiRiS in this EPL, "time heals everything."

"Time heals everything. In [that moment, it was] very frustrating to everyone. We were very close. Today, no one remembers the Major. What we can do is [see] what we can improve. The young players reacted very well. For me and rmn as more experienced [players] looking for the young players, they can have more EPLs and more Majors. For us, our career will be shorter. We are already 31. For me and rmn, it’s harder because I never know when it will be my last tournament. I try to play as it will be the last and enjoy these types of events."

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest CS2 news and updates.