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“If you’re not ready to fight them head on, then you’ve just lost half the battle” Paper Rex take down LOUD to secure tournament life at Madrid
Paper Rex continue their run at Madrid after taking down none other than LOUD in the Lower Brackets of Madrid. In Playoffs of VCT Masters Madrid, only 3 teams remain after Paper Rex eliminate LOUD from the competition in 2-0 fashion.
Paper Rex 2-0 LOUD
In a bold opening move, Paper Rex become the second team to challenge LOUD on Ascent, pushing the Brazilian core into a closely contest map. Paper Rex’s unique composition on Ascent allowed them to squeak out a 13-11 victory against LOUD, with a crucial 4-round streak to overtake LOUD and close out the map.
Heading into Sunset, Paper Rex carried over their momentum from the first game to quickly score a 7-5 half on defense. On Attack, the sheer volume of utility afforded them by their composition made it tricky for LOUD on defense to take control of the game. A game winning 1v4 by Mindfreak became the deciding factor to allow Paper Rex to snowball into victory.
A Return to Form (Again)
Paper Rex’s up-and-down form has the been the subject of conversation at this event. At times they look incredible against some of the best in the world. At other times, it looks as if they have no answers to give. However, yesterday’s series against LOUD was one of the former thankfully.
Coach Alecks rated their previous day’s performance against Gen.G as a ‘disaster’, stating that they had tried something, and it had gone horribly wrong. When asked to rate their performance against LOUD, he had this to say:
“I think today we played the best we can possibly get at this tournament. It would be really great if we could play around this form. I know it’s hard because there are a lot of factors, but this is as close as it gets. I think we read the game well, we made the right moves, we made it difficult for them to take space, we challenged them at the right timing. We made some good confidence plays to catch people off-guard. We did as well as we could and the game was still really, really close.”
He also spoke on what he believed was the defining factor for their victory on the day:
“I think confidence in any sport or esports, it’s a prerequisite for you to stand on the stage with such opposition. If you’re not ready to fight them head on, then you’ve just lost half the battle. A lot of what we do is in the mind, I think it’s one of the most important things.”
LOUD have been eliminated
LOUD’s IGL Saadhak also reflected on their Master’s journey post-elimination.
“So, I would say, I think we faced a lot of Asian teams this tournament. Which is a good change. Last Champs, we faced so many European teams. So, it’s a good change for this Masters. I would say that yeah, we’re still evolving, we’re learning a lot. Facing these Asian teams have given us some insights into what we have to adjust and adapt. So, just keep grinding, you know?”
When asked on his insights into the differences between regions he’s faced, he was frank:
“I’m going to be honest; I have no idea. Because EMEA teams right now have changed. I haven’t faced them since last year. But last year, EMEA was a bit more predictable in a way, if I can say so. Like we understood really well what they wanted to do on the map, and it was kind of like simple to understand. Now with these Asian teams, it’s a little bit more crazy. We played against China, super crazy but we had a good read. Then we played against Paper Rex, which are 5 crazy guys. And then we played against Gen.G, who has like a really good set-up of what they want to do each round, so it’s kind of hard to understand sometimes what they’re trying to do. So, yeah, I mean, the difference would be one is more unpredictable, and one is a little more predictable. But as I said, I haven’t faced any EMEA team this Masters, so I won’t say for sure.”
LOUD have been eliminated from Madrid. Paper Rex will have to take on Sentinels today for another chance at Gen.G.
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Credit: Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
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