Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis’ time in FURIA has seen him revitalize himself after a downturn in his career during his stint with Liquid. At PGL Masters Bucharest the Latvian rifler emphasised his career resurgence by putting forth a performance that not only carried his team to the trophy, but also earned him a career-first HLTV MVP award.
“FalleN said I’m out of my prime, but here I am making an MVP run,” YEKINDAR joked to HLTV after picking up the trophy and MVP medal in Bucharest. “Honestly, it felt amazing throughout this tournament. Everything was going my way, and maybe this is how donk and ZywOo feel.”
The 27-year-old is playing some of the best CS of his career, and took time to reflect on the difficult journey he endured to get to this point. “I’ve had many doubts throughout my life, not only throughout Liquid times, but of just doubting myself in some moments, overthinking a lot, being very in my head. But at the end of the day, with age and time, I just understood that what’s in your head matters and that matters the most.”
You can watch the interview here.
Congratulations, YEKINDAR. Back-to-back trophies, your career first HLTV MVP. Just tell me what’s going through your head right now.
Well, age is just a number. FalleN said I’m out of my prime, but here I am making an MVP run. Honestly, it felt amazing throughout this tournament. Everything was going my way, and maybe this is how donk and ZywOo feel [laughs], it’s kind of funny.
Super happy, super happy of course for the team, and this is a very important moment for us because at the end of the year there’s going to be no more FalleN in our team, so it’s important that we’re able to go through all of these problems and be victorious.
Like you say, age is just a number, but it’s rare for someone at your age to win their first MVP. It’s also rare in the kind of roles you play, very aggressive, space taker, et cetera. How do you do it? How do you be so successful?
It’s hard because… Well, I think practicing and trying to understand the movements of opposing teams depending on what your team is doing is very, very important. So kind of like a macro understanding.
FalleN said I’m out of my prime, but here I am making an MVP run
At the end of the day, most of the best plays I’ve did and the best games I’ve had were so much on feeling, just being in the zone that… Of course, all the information probably is in the back of my mind or whatever, but honestly, sometimes you just gotta go for things that people do not expect, and yeah, they work out. You can call me a gimmicker probably, but it’s a fun way to play.
And if it works, it works. This is your best tournament in a FURIA jersey in terms of rating. Why do you think you’re able to have a performance like this now, so far down the line with FURIA?
Honestly, I have no clue. I think it’s a little bit random because I feel very tired, and I was feeling very tired coming into this event, and now as well I’m very tired, and I was sick before. I think the most important thing is the balance of people peaking at the right time in terms of teamwork and individual plays.
Also, I was sick in Thunderpick and I’m still recovering, but the comparison of how sick I was in Thunderpick is making my body feel like, ‘Oh, I’m actually feeling amazing,’ and maybe that’s why the performance is better. But yeah, studio event, no crowd, a little bit less pressure I guess.
With age and time, I just understood that what’s in your head matters and that matters the most
Let’s think about your career trajectory. You had your time in Liquid, it wasn’t so successful. Came into FURIA now and playing some of the best CS of your career. How does it feel to have this kind of career resurgence at this point in your career?
Yeah, I feel like I’ve had many doubts throughout my life, not only throughout Liquid times, but of just doubting myself in some moments, overthinking a lot, being very in my head a lot. But at the end of the day, with age and time, I just understood that what’s in your head matters and that matters the most. And finding strength and being able to overcome all the doubts and the past bad timings and whatever, this was something very important for me.
Reaching top 15 the first year even though I skipped like the first four months was very important for me. Now winning an MVP, winning trophies is very important for me. And I think this is a little bit even maybe inspirational, or at least should be, for people. I’ve been at the lowest point in my life during the later stages of Liquid, I was chubby… maybe it seems I still am a little bit chubby, but I was doubting myself a lot. In the end it’s a lot of working with your own mind, and also 50% of the success is probably the right people around me.
We’re focusing on the day that’s in front of us
I know it was a tough start to the season for FURIA, but now you guys feel like you’re hitting your stride. Does this give you confidence that you can go on, not just for the other tournaments but also for that Major, and maybe make FalleN’s last year a really special one?
Yeah, that’s what we had last year, and then we bombed out of Budapest playing the worst quarter-final that we ever played. So I think we’re treating it kind of game by game, day by day, not really thinking about coming to the form at the… If we’re going to be thinking about having the best form for the Major or whatever while we’re playing every tournament in a row, this is too much.
We’re focusing on the day that’s in front of us. Okay, today we play Nemiga. Okay, tomorrow we play FaZe. Okay, now it’s travel to China. Okay, after China it’s Hong Kong. That’s what we’re thinking about, we’re not thinking about one month later there’s going to be a Major. No, no, no, this is not us.
