FURIA romped through Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major with a 3-0 record, completing their run to the playoffs with a dominant win over BetBoom.
It means that Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo will return to the LANXESS Arena one last time before he hangs up his mouse at the end of the year, the very arena he won his second Major at 10 years ago and won again the following year.
“I’m definitely going to feel it more there,” he told HLTV after being asked about his emotions returning to the LANXESS Arena for a final time. “Being back in a place where I had won many tournaments as well, the Major, so the playoffs are going to be amazing.
“I’m trying to take it day by day, and trying to enjoy it the most. It is a rollercoaster. There are times when I just wanted to say I’m sorry and play more, but there are times when I actually wanted to be out already. So it’s a rollercoaster, I take it day by day.”
Listen to the interview here.
FalleN, congratulations! Into the playoffs, and 3-0 at that. It was a pretty solid run from you, so what’s going through your mind?
Yeah, I think we played a great tournament. We have been playing better and better in the last [few] weeks. Even in the last tournament, where we dropped to Falcons, we felt like we could have gone to the semi-final, so we knew that our game was strong. Here, we started good, and we’ve just got to stay humble and keep going.
When you left Astana, that loss looked frustrating. I talked to YEKINDAR, I’ve talked to sidde, and both of them said you’ve been working on some of the frustrations. How do you think you have managed that and turned it around so quickly?
We are going through some difficulties with the success we had last year. Every success brings difficulties in terms of challenges, like suffering from success, literally. It’s true. It happens with everyone; there have been many groups where you had success, and it’s just a thing.
And we had some lessons to take from all those things that happened with us, and after coping with them, accepting some of them, now we’re doing better in many things, and the team is getting into the shape that we want to be.
there are some times when there needs to be a little bit more direction, or I feel like I have to step out more, but you have to feel the balance
They’ve also talked about trying to figure out where the team can go in terms of trying to play at a different level, trying to integrate some new things. How do you feel like you’ve been changing in your calling to try and adjust to how the team wants to play now?
Ah, there are a lot of ways I’ve been calling and been playing. If I had to describe a little bit of what I’m doing and the way I try to do it: there’s a lot of freedom to the stuff we’re going to do, and sometimes I have a lot of people helping me with the calling. Mareks is naturally another leader in the team who is giving a lot of input, making a lot of choices, so he has a lot of freedom in things that he wants to do and how he wants to approach them.
So I’ll say that that’s the best definition, but there are some times when, in some moments or some games, there needs to be a little bit more direction or I feel like I have to step out more, but you have to feel the balance. That’s how I would describe it.
I have to ask: do you know how many days you have left? You know you have the counter when you started in Rio. Do you know off the top of your head?
(laughs) I think it’s probably something like 185 [days] now or something like that.
On that note, this will be your last time in the LANXESS Arena as a player. What are the emotions like with that in mind, going into the arena?
I think I’m going to feel more when I’m actually going to the arena because here it’s still a group stage match. Even though we have the crowd, it’s still like a studio atmosphere, so I think I’m definitely going to feel it more there. Being back in a place where I had won many tournaments as well, the Major, so the playoffs are going to be amazing.
I’m trying to take it day by day, and trying to enjoy it the most. It is a rollercoaster. There are times when I just wanted to say I’m sorry and play more, but there are times when I actually wanted to be out already. So it’s a rollercoaster, I take it day by day.
I had a big pleasure playing with those guys; that’s why I decided to stay a little bit more for this year. They’re on a great path to still do many good things when I’m in a different role, and we have many more things to do in the next months. We have the capability to win things and that’s what we’re working on.
feel like we have what it takes to win here. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to need a lot of things, including luck in our favor, but we can do this
Back-to-back playoffs in Cologne; you made it last year as well, but it’s a Major after 10 years. When we go back, you won that Major too, so how does it feel going into a Major playoffs when you also won the last Cologne Major?
I definitely think we have a chance, just like we had it there. The team is strong, but there are many teams here with the capability of winning this tournament, so it just feels like any other tournament. But you know, there are these internal feelings where you feel and you believe you can win, which sometimes is not there because you are struggling or losing many matches.
And I think, at least I can speak for myself, I feel like we have what it takes to win here. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to need a lot of things, including luck in our favor, but we can do this. So I have high expectations, and I have good faith that we can do well here. I’m just going to hope for it.
I know it’s always hard to talk about the trophy so early, there are still a bunch of matches to go, but winning a trophy in Cologne in your last year: How big would that be for you, just personally, to end your career on that kind of note?
That would be great. It would be great. You know, every time we are thinking about when to stop, there’s always this way of thinking that I could have stopped last year. Win four [trophies] in a row, left, and people would be saying. ‘Maybe if he kept playing, there would be even more,’ right? But I decided to play more, so there’s a chance to win a little bit more to create this scenario again.
Winning Cologne a third time would be great because I think no other player has done that yet, and it’s a big and prestigious tournament. ESL does an amazing job here for many years, and it’s one of the best tournaments to win. So getting a third would be like a cherry on top and a dream for me.
