Team Vitality pulled off a convincing win against Team Heretics yesterday, securing their spot in the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals. However, despite the tight turnaround and exhaustion his team is facing, according to Vitality’s coach.
The VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals pit underdogs Team Vitality against the dominant Fnatic. While Vitality previously fell to Fnatic 0-2 in the upper bracket final, they clawed their way back through the lower bracket, proving their resilience and desire to reach new heights as they booked their first-ever finals appearance in the EMEA region.
However, the road hasn’t been easy. Vitality faced a “brutal” schedule throughout the playoffs, often struggling to close out matches despite building early leads. The team’s coach, Harry “Gorilla” Mepham, acknowledged the impact of fatigue, especially after their intense lower bracket battle against Team Heretics—but he remains optimistic for today’s match. His trust lies in the tireless work of assistant coach Comm and the team’s newfound energy after a much-needed day off last Thursday, July 18.
Now, Vitality set their sights on a monumental upset, looking to overcome Fnatic’s reign of dominance and claim the VCT EMEA Stage 2 trophy.
“The win [against Heretics] was great, but the first map was definitely rough,” Gorilla admitted, talking about the loss on Ice Box in favor of their opponents. “We tend to build big leads early and then struggle to close them out. Today, though, we showed we can do it.”
Gorilla also confirmed that fatigue has been a major factor for many teams’ performances this Stage, including Vitality. But the one-day pause did wonders for the team, the coach continued, highlighting that the team headed into their game against Heretics in the Lower Bracket Final re-energized.
Despite being underdogs throughout the playoffs, Vitality conquered their spot at the VCT Champions—which kicks off in less than two weeks—yet the team does not want to settle; they are hungry for more, as Gorilla shared.
“We want to win. This isn’t just about seeding for us,” the coach admitted. “We want to be the best, and to do that, you have to beat the best. Fnatic is on an incredible run, and it’ll be a huge challenge for us as we’ve only ever taken one map off them before. Winning a best-of-five will be incredibly difficult, especially with Fnatic’s two-map advantage, but it’s definitely doable if we show up.”
With a refreshed team and a burning desire to win, Vitality looks to pull off an upset against the dominant Fnatic in the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals in just a few hours.
Disclaimer: Riot PR paid for travel to Berlin and provided accommodation.
