After their defeat to Falcons in the lower bracket quarterfinals of ESL One Birmingham, Team Liquid’s captain, Neta “33” Shapira, reflected on their tournament performance and exit. He acknowledged that Falcons were the superior team on the day, but also expressed his disappointment with ESL.
Team Liquid’s first match of the day was against Heroic, which they won 2:1, advancing them to the quarterfinals. In an exclusive interview with Online Esports, Neta explained that the team felt prepared for their game, having a plan for their draft and accurate expectations of their opponents. He also expressed satisfaction with Team Liquid’s dynamics, particularly in terms of balancing each player’s unique abilities and strengths.
As a player, Neta is known for his mechanical and micro abilities. He feels comfortable translating these skills into his role as captain. He explained, “I just do what feels natural to me, and I don’t try to force myself to do things that I don’t feel come easy. Even though I’m captain, I don’t try to overstep and take responsibility away from other people. I don’t like to dictate the state of the game all on my own. It’s a game with five players, not one.”
Despite Neta’s confidence in Team Liquid’s abilities, their subsequent elimination by Team Falcons was a bitter disappointment. Recognizing that they performed worse than they did against Heroic, 33 admitted, “nobody feels like we really played our best. It felt like the odds were stacked against us, but we do not make excuses. I guess we just feel a bit disappointed that we couldn’t play at maximum ability.”
The team’s frustration stems from ESL’s venue and game management. Neta explained, “It was a very long day for us. Because the hotel is so far from the venue, we had to stay here all day. For the practice room, we didn’t have the best area to sit in and wait until our game.”
Another concern was the lack of privacy. Neta mentioned that Falcons were in the room right next to them, and they could hear each other talk. This was frustrating as they couldn’t discuss the games without being overheard by their opponents.
With Dota 2’s intense need for strategy and tactics, it’s understandable why players felt let down by the arrangements, especially when they had to play multiple series in one day and spent over 10 hours on-site.
Neta hopes that their experience will guide ESL’s future tournaments to ensure players aren’t affected in the same way. He suggested that the hotels and the venue should be closer to each other, and there should be a comfortable resting area in the venue. He also emphasized the importance of privacy.
He concluded with a note of respect towards ESL as tournament organizers, understanding why these difficulties occurred. However, he hopes that his suggestions are taken into consideration for the benefit of his team and the competition as a whole.
Online Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more.
