Liquid player Keith "NAF" Markovic reflected on his team’s performance at the recent ESL Pro League Season 20 held in Malta, where they finished in 5th-8th place. In an interview with HLTV, Markovic expressed that he personally did not perform well at the event.
"Our expectations were mostly met; we seem capable of beating teams in the top 10, but we struggle when it comes to the top 5. We lost to FaZe twice in Cologne and faced defeats against Vitality and G2, both 1:2. These are top-tier teams that we still can't reach as a collective. Overall, we aimed for a semi-final spot, but a top-8 finish is what we achieved in the last EPL, and we’re satisfied with that.
As for my own performance, let's just say it was subpar. I didn’t play well at the tournament. It can be challenging to shine in this team when ultimate is taking out all the enemies and my teammates are performing at a high level. I hope to regain my form and secure the necessary frags in this tournament."
The Canadian esports athlete also shared his expectations for the upcoming BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024, which kicks off today in Copenhagen.
"I hope we can break through and defeat one of the top-4 teams: G2, Vitality, or Team Spirit. If we can beat one of those teams, we’ll make it to the playoffs. We’re aiming for at least a semi-final appearance, considering there are only eight teams."
The BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 will take place from 25th to 29th September in Copenhagen, Denmark. The total prize pool for the tournament is $425,000, to be shared among the eight teams, with the top team also securing a spot at the BLAST Premier World Final 2024.