autimatic: "We have a shot, it’s not like we’re throwing Hail Mary’s to try to win"

Evil Geniuses came out of their opening matchup riding high, defeating the veteran Imperial squad to take a crucial 1-0 seed in the RMR. While the work is not done, avoiding a 0-1 position is imperative, as that would leave EG one game away from elimination. After the game, Ryan Friend talked with Timothy "autimatic" Ta, an instrumental element in Evil Geniuses' victory.

Nobody expected Evil Geniuses to be here today. They were only given this spot by a freak coincidence which saw Detonate concede their slot in the tournament. By the rules governing the event, EG were handed the spot and came to Monterrey with just a few days notice. In the middle of possible roster changes and general fervor surrounding the organization's Counter-Strike division, they were suddenly thrust into a golden opportunity, and have made the most of it.

Obviously we weren’t supposed to be here. It sucks that Detonate weren’t able to come here and try to qualify. Either way, we’re really grateful for the opportunity. We’re just trying to make the most of it.

With just a few days of practice, EG are nowhere near as prepared as the other teams in Mexico, who are all looking to cement their names in the last CS:GO Major. That's not even to mention that other teams qualified normally, while EG were eliminated from the qualifier to this event.

I definitely think that we have a shot, it’s not like we’re throwing Hail Mary’s to try to win. At the same time, I think that some of the guys feel pressure since we weren’t supposed to be here in the first place. Jadan [HexT] is on EG Black now, so we’re just here trying to play our game and leaving it all out on the server.

While sitting in the 1-0 pool is obviously a blessing, the next matchup will be more difficult, with matches against Liquid, FURIA, and Complexity on the cards. (Since the time of this interview, EG's 1-0 match has been confirmed to be against FURIA)

They’re obviously very good teams, but they’re also teams that we watch a lot. I think that we have a good shot against them. We’re not the favorites, obviously, but it would be cool to play against them.

Over the past few months, autimatic has emerged as a fragging leader in the new Evil Geniuses, routinely topping the scoreboard. In addition, his years of experience, including a Major title, make him an established veteran for the overall young squad. His experience in high pressure situations like this RMR could be the difference maker that allows this EG squad to maintain its composure and possibly make it to Paris.

I don’t think about it too much. I just think about what we could be doing better in-game, and trying to fix our mistakes. That’s really all I focus on. If I’m able to bring any experience, that’s just a bonus. For the most part, I just focus on in-game stuff.

Evil Geniuses now sit 1-0, with their next match taking place against FURIA later today at 03:00PM. They still need two victories to qualify for Paris, while two losses would eliminate them from contention.