From a 13–2 Blowout to Revenge: 100 Thieves Silence Doubters in LAN Debut
100 Thieves delivered one of the most impressive turnarounds of the Roman Imperium Cup V, bouncing back from a brutal 13–2 opening loss to Ninjas in Pyjamas to eliminate them in the Group D decider. What looked like the start of a short tournament run became a statement of resilience, preparation, and belief — all under the guidance of their new coach, gla1ve.
“I’m really happy for the boys.” — gla1ve on the comeback
After securing qualification, gla1ve didn’t hide his pride.
“Of course, I’m really happy for the boys. We’ve put a lot of work in this month of practice, and it’s starting to show. We’re able to beat a top‑20 ranked team. So I’m really, really happy.”
The transformation was immediate. What began as a shaky LAN debut turned into a confident, structured performance across the next two maps.
Coaching Pressure Hits Different
For a four‑time Major winner, coaching brings a new kind of stress.
“Yeah, it’s a bit harder. I try to take timeouts when I need them, but it’s about balance. Sometimes the opponent takes a timeout and I can talk then. And sometimes you don’t take a timeout so they can’t discuss their plan. There are a lot of mind games, and I’m still getting used to it.”
Even for someone with gla1ve’s pedigree, adapting to the tactical rhythm from behind the players is a new challenge.
Fixing the Slow Start
The opening loss wasn’t just bad — it was messy.
“We misplayed a lot of the rounds we prepared for NIP on Nuke. If you misplay three or four rounds on MR12 T‑side Nuke, you’re not going to win. They were shooting really hard, and we weren’t. There were nerves — first LAN, first official.”
But after a reset talk outside the venue, the team flipped the script.
“We started playing much better after that game. The boys really stepped up.”
Is This Tournament Already a Success?
Gla1ve kept expectations grounded.
“That’s hard to say. I’m happy we beat NIP, but the hardest thing in CS2 is consistency. If we can do this consistently, then I’ll be really happy.”
