Matias “Saadhak” Delipetro, the captain of LOUD, has spoken candidly about the recent VCT LOCK/IN match vs. NRG, which was an emotional rollercoaster. Following their victory over NRG in a marathon of a series that reached a new viewership peak for the competition, LOUD punched their ticket to the VCT LOCK/IN semifinals.
The game reminded me of the several matches the two teams fought in 2022 when most of NRG’s squad competed for OpTic Gaming. Three of the first four matches between the two were won by the North American team, but in the following two, including the Valorous Champions final, LOUD turned the tables on OpTic.
Saadhak admitted on his stream that going up against NRG, a group he called a “monster,” is challenging. He assured the audience, “They are outstanding.” “For goodness sake! The worst part is that we still have to play them in the Americas league.
During the NRG game, Saadhak “nearly sobbed”
Saadhak’s 0.89 VLR rating and -17 K/D put him at the bottom of the standings for the NRG series. The Argentinian captain claimed that because of his intense focus on leading his team to victory and developing the best strategy, his level of performance suffered significantly.
(Timestamp for viewers on mobile devices begins at 01:50)
“I observed that my performance was declining from the first map to the second and third because I had to put a lot more thinking into the strategy,” he remarked. “That shattered my mind. On the second map, I was on the verge of sobbing. I was at a loss for what else to do. You’ll notice that we did something different for each round if you pay attention, although it was very challenging.
Saadhak stated that it is “a delight” to meet an opponent that pushes him to his limit despite the toll the match put on him. A team that constantly challenges me is something I love, he remarked. And with NRG, that will always be the case. Between us, there is competition. They work together like a dream.
“I was happiest when my guys faced the ultimate test. When the stakes were the highest, and they had to be there, they did so while grasping, scoring kills, communicating, and never giving up.” For their semi-final matchup against DRX, which is slated for March 2 at 5 pm GMT/9 am PT, LOUD will have ten days to prepare.
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