VPEsports caught up with Fernando “fer” Alvarenga at IEM Chicago where his team made a run into the semifinals where they fell to ENCE 2-1, surprising many with their performance.

The aggressive Brazilian player spoke with us about the teams ambitions, their “reset”, coldzera’s departure, and Team Liquid.

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VPEsports: Getting into this event in particular, how high were the hopes for you guys coming in? You definitely played loose, you looked happier, but did you really have high hopes? Were you just like whatever happens happens?

fer: So actually we are just rebuilding the team. Not only our lineup, but we’re trying to rebuild everything. We’re starting from the bottom, starting from zero, you know? So we are just like, guys, let’s just have fun and if we win we, win we, if we lose we lose. But let’s go there and do our best and have fun. That’s why we’re doing it. So we have no high hopes or something like that. We were just trying our best and let’s see what happens.







VPEsports: Do you think that this had to be done given the downward spiral of the team and then coldzera wanting to leave? Do you think that this is the only way for you guys to kind of just hit that reset button?

fer: So actually I think after France, EPL in France at Montpellier we had a conversation and then we just started thinking we are not like the team we were, LG or SK, the top one, and stuff like that. And you’re not the same people. I mean people change, right? So we’re major champions and we won a lot of titles but people change. So we just had to have a serious talk.

Everyone could speak what they think about each other and stuff. And we just said look guys who wants to stay here? Let’s just stay here and focus and start from the bottom, from zero, from the start. coldzera decides to leave the team and we’re like, yeah, that’s fine. I mean we just have to respect him. We’ve played with him for a long time and he feels like our brother, like family to us. So we have to respect his decision. So we were just like guys now we have Lucas, a brand new guy and I would have liked to bring someone else but we have to play with zews at the Major so let’s just have fun. Let’s start from the zero, let’s reset our team and rebuild and recreate our team and ourselves. So that’s what we are doing.







VPEsports: Do you think that, as weird as it is, that this was probably the best time for coldzera to leave cause you guys had already kind of said let’s reset everything and you’d rather that happen now than in like six months when you guys are in the middle of it? Do you think now was actually a better time than six months from now or you know 10 months ago?

fer:

I mean it’s hard to answer this question because he wanted it to leave before one year ago or something like that. So I think this kind of decision was on his mind for a long time. So he probably wanted to leave the whole time, you know? But he was doing his best of course.

But I think he has this thing in his mind and I mean I don’t know if it was the best time to leave because we have the Major coming up. We had la lot of tournaments coming up and we had the Major lock so we couldn’t pick someone else to play instead of him. So I don’t think there was a good time for us. If he did leave before the Major lock we could put someone else in play so it could be better for us. But I just have to respect his decision. It is hard for us to play with zews, not playing for four years or something like that. But at the same time I know it’s hard for coldzera. He knows it’s not the best time to to do it, but for sure it was hard for him as well. So I just have to respect and let’s move on.







VPEsports: For this event in particular, when I was interviewing kennyS last night, he mentioned that he thinks one of the reasons that you guys turned things around, you know, they beat you in the first best-of-three, you guys took them out of the tournament, was just your approach to the game in that you guys were so loose and just having fun. Long term, is that how you guys want to play all the time or is it a let’s play like it now but we’re going to have to be a lot more serious once we find our set five?

fer: I mean of course we are playing serious but the main point is we are underdogs right now. Right? So we have nothing to lose. That’s why we’re playing this way. We’re not just trolling the game. We’re just playing like underdogs. Like if you lose, that’s expected, you know. So we’re just like, let’s just go there, let’s take the duels, don’t be afraid of doing your plays. If you want to do something just call someone to go with you and do it, it doesn’t matter. We just default and we have freedom to do whatever we want. So when your are underdogs you have nothing to lose.

So that’s why they felt the pressure because when you’re playing against underdogs and they start winning against you, things go through your mind like “dude, I shouldn’t lose to those guys.” So you start making too many mistakes that you never do. That’s the bad thing about playing against underdogs.







VPEsports: Would you say that it’s reminiscent of when you guys made your initial success coming into the international scene? For a period in the beginning you were underdogs and then you guys just kind of shot up. Would you say that it’s kind of similar in how you’re playing?

fer: It is kind of similar. I mean it’s not the same, but it’s kind of similar because when we were underdogs, as Luminosity, we were trying to win tournaments because we were pretty new team. We were practicing a lot, we were working our ass off, but it’s kind of similar.

But then we started winning tournaments and when you’re winning tournaments, you’re not the underdog, but your confidence is so high that you don’t care as well. You’re just doing everything you want to do, you know? So that’s like the extremes – when you’re an underdog, you do whatever you want because you’re an underdog, have nothing to lose. But when you’re winning, you have your confidence so high, there you can do it.

When you’re in that middle area, you can’t go to take risks because you could lose and so you’re kind of like, “dude, I shouldn’t do it.” When you’re winning you don’t care, you’re going to do it and it’s going to work, you know?







VPEsports: On that note – would you say that’s what’s happening with Liquid right now? They’re on that confidence high so they’re taking all their fights? And also, as a competitor, as somebody who has played at the top, which team would you rather play against Liquid’s current firepower or the insane team play that Astralis had during their run?

fer: Like I said in one interview, when I play against the Liquid, I don’t feel like they’re doing special things or anything like that. But they’re so good individually that it doesn’t matter. Someone is going pop off and get multi-kills every round because individually they are so good, they don’t give a fuck. They’re just there to kill people. But against Astralis you feel like they are good individually of course, but they have like the fundamentals on point, you know, so they don’t do mistakes. They don’t take risks when they don’t have to take them.

So it’s harder to play against Astralis than to play against Liquid. You feel like go against Liquid. If your aim is on point and your individuals are good, you’ve got a fight against them [Liquid]. It’s not equal, but you’ll have a better fight. But I guess with Astralis if you don’t have your fundamentals, if you don’t play smart, you’re gonna lose for sure.

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