While I wouldn’t expect MIBR to come out guns blazing and lift the trophy in the Cathedral of Counter-Strike, I do believe we’ll see a spark of potential with this lineup.

The squad recently added Lucas “LUCAS1” Teles from Luminosity in place of João “felps” Vasconcellos in an attempt to redirect a ship that seemed to have stalled in unknown water. Bringing the all Brazilian roster together once again after an unsuccessful foray with Jake “stewie2k” Yip and Tarik “tarik” Celik, hopes were high. Results would be improved but still not live up to the legacy of the players and organization resulting in a need for change that was prefaced in player interviews – someone had to go.

LUCAS1 has been a top performer for Luminosity and has an opportunity to create a new Brazilian legacy alongside the likes of Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo and Marcelo “coldzera” David. The question remains, however, is one player change enough?

I do believe we’ll see a spark from the Brazilian side at ESL One Cologne, a glimpse of a team that feels more comfortable with each other in and out of the server. We can call it the honeymoon phase. While some may subscribe to the idea that you don’t have to like each other to work together when that dislike comes from mistakes or lack of discipline within the game it can damage the team’s overall performance and results. Even if the team gets along, if one player is out of sync the rest will suffer. A well-oiled machine requires all parts to work in unison.

An issue openly talked about by members of the team has been a lack of synchronization in terms of aggressive and passive plays across the map. This caused holes in the map or allowed the enemy team to step out of a trap set up just before it was sprung. If LUCAS1 can be brought into the team and get on the same page quickly enough, this will see an immediate improvement in performance on a round-by-round basis.

Again – I don’t think they’ll win the event, but a playoff appearance would be a success in my book given the roster swap and strength of the lineup of teams attending. If MIBR put on a strong quarterfinal or even semifinal appearance, I think a boost in confidence in this roster is greatly needed and could prove vital to their long-term success. I’d give this lineup a few more months to see just how well they’ll mold together overall but a strong start wouldn’t hurt and may be more impactful than some think.

Can they keep a grip on the Brazilian CS:GO market as FURIA continue to steal away shares?

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