Caps on G2's below-par performance versus Flyquest: "If we play like that against TES, we will probably lose"

G2 Esports secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Flyquest in the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup, paving their way to face Top Esports in the semifinals. Following the intense match, we at Strafe Esports had the opportunity to interview G2's star mid laner, Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther, to get his insights on their performance, upcoming challenges, and the tournament's atmosphere.

The atmosphere in Riyadh

We began by asking Caps about the atmosphere in Riyadh. Caps responded with enthusiasm acknowledging the crowd, showing optmism about going all the way to the end in the tournament but also recognizing that some aspects of the team were off today:

“I think today the arena was just crazy, the amount of cheers we had for us was really insane and appreciate that. It felt like we were talking over each other a bit. Maybe because there was so much pressure, I think we got a bit nervous. I hope we can reset for tomorrow and show up a bit more calm and cleaner, because then we can definitely go further in the tournament.” 

Preparing for Top Esports

Looking ahead to their semifinal match against Top Esports, Caps provided an in-depth look into their recent performance and the preparation required for the upcoming challenge. He was clearly impressed by TES performance, noting how they defeated Gen.G, a team considered as the top contender for the tournament:

"From what I watched, they were doing very well, and they were beating Gen.G very hard, which was a team that I thought was the team to beat in the tournament. So them taking it out was definitely a surprise. I think if we play like we did today, we will probably lose, so we will need to prepare well for tomorrow and get some good rest so that we can come in and take it all the way to the final."

Esports World Cup vs. MSI

We then asked Caps about the rumors that the Esports World Cup would replace MSI. Caps was open to the idea but cautious as he believes changes are needed for that to happen, considering that MSI has more teams and more room for mistakes, compared to EWC where one loss eliminates you from the tournament:

“I think it could definitely be a thing. I don't know how it would work out schedule-wise, but I think if it becomes a longer tournament, it could definitely be a thing. Right now it's been a lot of fun, but it's also a very short tournament. And especially with Gen.G already being out on the second day, I think it feels kind of crazy, right? So yeah, I think maybe if it gets a bit longer, I think it could be pretty cool.”

Caps consistency in the LEC

We highlighted Caps' consistency in the LEC, to which Caps attributed his success to hard work and dedicated teammates across his 10 years in the league. He also stated that, despite being close to the top all this time, his ultimate goal is yet to be achieved:

“I think a lot of getting very good at the game is just grinding, you know, putting in that extra-solid game. I've been very fortunate with a lot of the teams I've been on, and I've always worked with very hard-working people who really put in their whole life to this. While we haven't won Worlds, we haven't gotten the final push for our performance, we're definitely aiming for it, and it feels just great to play with teammates who want the same as me."

Mentality after starting behind in the series

Regarding the team's mentality after losing the first game against Flyquest, Caps noted that their stress led to mistakes and emphasized the importance of staying calm and playing cohesively, specially for the rest of the tournament:

“I think first we had a bit of varied energy, it was a bit low, so we tried to get it up. But then we also made sure that we did some breathing to just calm down. Some of the fights we were winning, but then we went way too deep or we were throwing some of our leads. If we just played more together and not overextended, then we could definitely win. It was a bit scary because we were quite stressed and we just really had to try calming down as much as possible and just play like we usually do. Because if we play like we usually do, we can definitely win, but if we are overextending, if we are screaming over each other, then that just kills the game.”\

Predictions on the Meta

We inquired about Caps' predictions on the meta and potential hero picks. Caps noted the prevalence of specific junglers and also speculated on the impact this might have:

“I think we saw some fun picks like the VI the other day and now the Mundo, so that's definitely been a few fun surprises. I think with the meta being a lot AP junglers, I can definitely see some unconventional AD mid laners getting picked. We saw a bit of like I think Ezreal and Lucian in a few different regions, maybe some Kai'Sa. Maybe some people will play like an Assassin to try and deal with AD carries. There was like a bit of Naafiri going around, so maybe we'll see some of that, but yeah, we'll see.”

What winning the Esports World Cup would mean to Caps

The mid laner shared what winning the Esports World Cup would mean to him, specially given the fact that he would also play against other top tier teams from around the world like they did at MSI:

“It would mean a lot. I think we just came off of MSI where we did better than we've done in the past, but definitely not good enough for ourselves. To then now have like every match against TES would definitely be like, 'okay, we beat them at MSI and we beat them again'. It was not just about being on a good day. It's like we can actually be better than them. Going into the final against either T1, which was the team we lost to MSI or if it would be Team Liquid, I think that would also be funny because they beat Fnatic twice and I wouldn't mind giving them some rest.”

Shoutouts to the Fans

As the interview concluded, Caps expressed his gratitude to the fans:

“Big shout out to all the fans for supporting us in the arena. Even at the hotel, it's been awesome to visit and I really appreciate the support. It really gives us the energy, especially when we lose game one and everyone's feeling a bit down to just have all the support. Yeah, thank you.”

With the semifinals on the horizon, G2 undoubtedly wants to continue their journey and make history at the Esports World Cup. As Caps and his team face Top Esports, their fans' unwavering support will undoubtedly be a crucial factor in their quest for victory. Stay tuned to Strafe for more information on the Esports World Cup, as well as our Social Media for updates on the event as a whole!

Feature image credits: Inven Global

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