"For the first time, we have a real team. That's the biggest difference. We have five individuals who all want the same thing — to win. We have a good mixture of players, and they all put in the same amount of effort now", the coach explains.

kioShiMa has been one of FaZe's solutions.

"The difference [between winning and losing] is now in the details"

"No, the loss at ECS hasn't affected our confidence. We have analyzed our losses, and despite losing we feel that we played good in many of the matches. The difference [between winning and losing] is now in the details, unlike before when we had much bigger problems."



Traveling can be tough, but Dahlström sees silver linings.

"The current schedule is tough for a lot of teams, but you just have to make the best of it. We had practice computers at ECS, and as soon as we were eliminated we left and started to practice. Sure, the hectic schedule might affect the players' individual form, not having as much hours as we're used to, but we've practiced as much as possible."

"We know that we can win against all teams!"

"Sure, there are teams that are better than others in the qualifiers, but we're here to qualify for the major. It doesn't really matter who we play, we know that we can win against all teams!"

Since entering CS:GO, the FaZe Clan organization has had a hard time finding success despite recruiting some of the most talented players in the world. Throughout the year they've experienced more lows than highs, and twice in a year they have felt the falcon chest punch of being eliminated in a Major group stage. However, this means they have also successfully advanced from two Major qualifiers. This bodes well for the current squad, who are in the midst of a skyrocket rise in form and results.In October, the team recruited the Danish in game leader Finn "karrigan" Andersen from Astralis, and the French player Fabien "kioShiMa" Fiey, who had been on the bench for some time, was taken back into the squad the following month. Since then, the team has had some great results, and more importantly a sense of consistency. We caught up with the Swedish CS 1.6 legend Robert "RobbaN" Dahlström, who has been FaZe's coach since February, about the team's boost in form.After the current squad was set, the results came flying in. The team reached three straight semi finals, two of which were in the top tier tournaments Intel Extreme Masters XI - Oakland and the Eleague Season 2 finals. You might not consider reaching semi finals being, but keep in mind that prior to these results the franchise had never reached a top four placing in a premier CS:GO tournament. Ever.These results brought FaZe Clan up six placings on the HLTV.org world ranking. They are currently in 8th place, which on paper almost guarantees you a spot in a major, and a possibility of reaching Legend status at that.But FaZe Clan were hit with a small setback last weekend. They were eliminated in the group stage at the season finals of Esports Championship Series, ECS. However, they did share groups with both Astralis, who eventually won the tournament, and OpTic, who were defeated in the grand final. With less than a week left to the most important qualifier of the season, was this a kick to FaZe's confidence?The phrasedoes have a positive ring to it. In the previous squads, the big picture was too weak for details to really matter. This kind of fine-tuning demands a lot of focus though, something that might waver when you're constantly on the road.This week's qualifier in Atlanta will be FaZe Clan's fifth offline event in six weeks. All of the tournaments have been in the United States, which means both being far away from home as well as taking long trips. On top of that, teams might have a hard time finding time to practice when always either being on the move or playing official tournaments. FaZe's situation doesn't really stand out compared to other top teams' though. It's just the way the scene is right now.As we've covered the team's six week tour, we're brought to the current mark in the 2016 calendar. Tomorrow is the first day of CS:GO's most competitive qualifier to date, the Eleague 2017 Major Qualifier. FaZe Clan is looking to grab one of the eight spots for the million dollar tournament, which is held in Atlanta in January, but it sure won't be a walk in the park.Eight spots might sound a lot for a 16 team qualifier, as you only have to be a part of the better half to advance. But this week's participation's list is equivalent to that of a premier tournament. To give you a quick rundown, some mentionable opponents are NiP Gaming, Team Dignitas, OpTic, Cloud9, EnVyUs, mousesports, G2 Esports, TyLoo, Immortals and Godsent. Is there reason to be scared? Not really, if you're asking a confident FaZe coach.The Eleague 2017 Major Qualifier takes place in Turner's Eleague Studio in Atlanta, Georgia from Thursday the 15th of December to Sunday the 18th of December. FaZe will be facing the ESL Pro League champions Cloud9 in the first round of the Swiss format tournament, in which you have to win three games in, at most, five rounds to advance to the Major.