tOfu on dealing with failure: “Everyone needs to feel confident in themselves”

Team Liquid support Eric 'tOfu' Angel, in an interview at the Esports World Cup 2026, discussed how to cope with a bad start in the tournament, and also spoke about the importance of trust between teammates.

I think there is a difference between how to deal with a bad start or a bad game - that is, being able to reboot - and how to prepare for matches in general. Preparation can consist of very simple things: waking up on time, eating properly, warming up before the game, maintaining balance, sticking to the usual routine before and after matches.

There is also a gaming side - expanding the pool of heroes and analyzing repetitions to become better. And, of course, just play with the right attitude. This is especially true for the first game at a tournament - you need to get used to a new environment, a stage, a different setup. All of this can really affect people.

But at the same time, it is important to constantly support each other, to remind each other: “We can do this. We believe in each other. We deserve to be here. We're a good team." Everyone needs to feel confident in themselves. I think we did a good job.

I wouldn't say that we have any problems with this, unlike other teams who, let's say, never finish in the top 3 in tournaments. In this case, doubts begin to creep in and as a result, you lose trust in your teammates. Of course, depending on how much time we invest in preparation, our results can be either better or worse. It also depends on how motivated we are at the moment. But we know we have what it takes to win tournaments, so I think we have a basic level of trust and confidence in ourselves.

And if, for example, we take Level UP or another tier-1.5 team, then for some of the players this is the first tournament. And even though there aren't many spectators during the group stage, the excitement is still there. It’s enough just to look at the stage and setup. For us, for example, all this is already familiar, so it is, of course, much easier for us to play in such an environment.

Team Liquid was defeated by Team Spirit in the second round of the survival stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 with a score of 1-2 and finished the tournament in 9th-12th place.