Pirate Galaxy » .Many people were happy

Second place has been a curse for Team Liquid. Other squads might look at the consistent top-four placements that Liquid has achieved as goals to aspire to, but for Liquid its always been disappointing coming in just shy of the top prize.This teams first and most recent major LAN victory in 2016 was at Epicenter this past May. That hard-won 3-2 victory against Newbee is a high point the five members of Liquid would like to achieve again, this time at The International, Dota 2s biggest tournament. How are the players handling this challenge?For now, we are slowly shaping ourselves to the form we were at Epicenter, which was our strongest point, said four-role player Jesse JerAx Vainikka.Back to boot campTeam Liquid isnt a new name in esports, but this fresh-faced lineup is new to the banner. Picked up wholesale by the organization last October, the former 5Jungz squad has been further reinforced by the know-how and tools available to an established brand. This includes knowledgeable support staff and intensive boot camps.JerAx points to coaches William Blitz Lee and Lee Heen Seung Gon, as well as team manager Mohamed Morad, saying the team is lucky to have [them] and that they help by bringing up key points for improvement. That support, according to now-former coach Blitz, has been a catalyst for the teams success.The team has all the skill in the world, Blitz said. Having a good support staff just allows them to fully utilize their potential.Of course, Liquid is no stranger to large tournaments. This lineup has played in almost every major and premier in 2016, and always performed at a high level. The pre-TI boot camp is different, though, and Liquid is going at it with much more determination.Before, [for] previous tournaments, we felt like the boot camps were extremely useful for the team, but lasted only for a week, which we found too short, JerAx said. Before TI, we are going to stay together for a straight month, with some days off here and there.This level of preparation is crucial for The International. Eighteen of the top teams in the world will be competing for a massive prize pool. Money and status ride on the line, and every team will be focusing, preparing for any and all opponents that might stand between them and the cup. Its a lot to manage, but Blitz says the focus is on the team, and not outside factors.At boot camps we work primarily on improving ourselves and less about reading our opponents, Blitz said. Things like working on communication and chemistry are the most important factors to us.Writing a new playbookThe plays of Team Liquid are fast, coordinated and sometimes appear effortless. The cohesion of this team is something to behold, and its a factor that has pushed it ahead of many other teams in the pack.If youre looking for a standout player, it might be JerAx. Most well-known for his Earth Spirit play, JerAx was adept at playing the rolling roamer, making aggressive plays in the mid and side lanes, and securing space for his carries.According to JerAx, though, his role has changed a lot since the days of first-pick Earth Spirit.That used to be the old days of Liquid, when we played extremely aggressive, he said. Right now [Kuro KuroKy Salehi Takhasomi] is playing the roamer, and Im sticking to the safelane with [Lasse MATUMBAMAN Urpalainen].That switch-up might seem odd, given JerAxs skill at executing roaming ganks. The four-role player seems used to adapting to new mindsets though, as its something he says hes had to do against discerning opponents. I used to switch things up a lot when I went into new games, when people figured out what Im doing, he said.His lane companion, MATUMBAMAN, also has a wide pool of heroes. In just The Summit 5 alone, the most recent tournament the team attended, Matu played eight different cores across 13 matches. Morphling, Huskar, Drow Ranger, Timbersaw, Storm Spirit and Anti-Mage all comprise a highly varied pool, and it doesnt even include what might be his best-known pick, Lycan.MATUMBAMAN told me that when looking for new picks, he looks to places some might see as odd. Whenever I develop new heroes, its a combination of pub games and other pro game replays I have watched, he said. Obviously I might [mess] up, but thats life.Switching roles, getting new pick ideas from pub matches, and staying in the same house together for an entire month might grate on a lesser teams nerves, but for Team Liquid, the squads bond trumps all of those concerns. These five have been together a long time; theres a level of trust and a shared commitment to the goal that keeps them going.We are definitely friends with each other, JerAx said. And I think it plays a huge part when we stay together for multiple weeks at boot camps and tournaments.Team Liquid has seen the highs and lows. It has put in the prep time. On the precipice of TI6, MATUMBAMAN summed up his goal for Seattle: Leave the venue knowing that I and my team did everything we could to produce the best performance. Cheap Off White Vapormax China . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Nike Air VaporMax Plus Black Gold . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-vapormax-2020-clearance.html . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Off White Vapormax Clearance . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. Nike Air Vapormax Plus Black+White . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Hoang Xuan Vinh heard the cheers. The Brazilian fans wanted a Brazilian to win Olympic gold and let Felipe Almeida Wu know it with every shot.They could chant Wu! all they wanted. Hoang wasnt listening. He was focused, on breathing, relaxing muscles, squeezing the trigger at just the right time.Hoang shut out the hometown-hero noise and focused on his target of bringing home Vietnams first Olympic gold on Saturday, rallying to beat Wu on the final shot of mens 10-meter air pistol.Many people were happy, but I only try to shoot, Hoang said.Wu was the clear crowd favorite as the only Brazilian in the field, serenaded with chants of Wu! and the Brazilian national anthem.He led early in the elimination finals of his first Olympics, but Hoang was more consistent, building a 2.3-point by the time defending gold medalist Jin Jongoh of South Korea went out in fifth place.The crowd became more raucous as Wu rallied, roaring after he hit 10.2 to HHoangs 9.dddddddddddd to take the lead on the penultimate shot.It was touching and really helped me greatly with my performance, Wu said.Wu, the No. 1-ranked shooter heading into the Olympics, hit a solid 10.1 on his final shot, giving the Brazilian fans hope of their first gold of their hometown games.The 41-year-old Hoang wouldnt let them or Wu have it, hitting 10.7 to earn his countrys first gold and third medal overall. Vietnam previously won silver in weightlifting in 2008 and another in taekwondo in 2000.I am very happy to bring back first gold medal for Vietnam, said Hoang, who was fourth in 50-meter pistol at the 2012 London Games.Hoang raised his arms in triumph following the final shot and the Brazilian fans sent Wu off with another chant.Pang Wei of China, the gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Games, captured bronze. ' ' '