Smoothie says the key to winning over EG was to stop trolling

Counter Logic Gaming finally snapped their disappointing losing streak with a decisive victory over Evil Geniuses during this weekend’s LCS action. The win marked a significant turning point for the organization after struggling through the early portion of the Spring Split.

Prior to the match, jungler Raymond “Wiggily” Griffin openly discussed communication struggles plaguing the team’s performance. In a revealing post-game interview, Wiggily credited their success to implementing “over-communication” strategies that transformed their in-game coordination.

Support player Andy “Smoothie” Ta immediately validated this assessment during his conversation with WIN.gg. The veteran competitor provided detailed insights about overcoming language barriers, optimizing draft strategies, and navigating the challenges of Monday Night League scheduling.

How do you feel about your first Spring Split win?

Smoothie: This victory feels particularly meaningful because we’ve been working through significant strategic adjustments. During our initial four matches, we essentially handicapped ourselves with overly complex compositions that demanded perfect early-game execution.

While I don’t want to make excuses for our earlier losses, we were selecting team comps that required snowballing from the opening minutes. When our early game plans collapsed, we found ourselves in team fight situations where we needed to perform flawlessly—something we simply weren’t prepared to deliver consistently at that stage.

Our current approach focuses on compositions that naturally complement our collective playstyle and champion preferences. This strategic pivot has yielded immediate positive results and restored team confidence.

Now your team is focused on totally different comps?

Absolutely—we essentially stopped sabotaging ourselves in the draft phase. We recognized that last week’s draft choices were essentially self-sabotage. After adjusting our practice methodology, we discovered our fundamental capabilities were actually quite solid.

Wiggily said you “over-communicated” this game. Do you feel the same way?

Honestly, I arrived at CLG anticipating minimal communication infrastructure.

Based on pre-joining intelligence, Wiggily stood as the sole consistent vocal leader and shot-caller. I prepared myself for a scenario where he would carry the entire communication burden alone.

We’ve encountered legitimate challenges with language barriers among certain players. Their confidence in English communication during scrim environments remains developing, creating understandable hesitation in critical moments. While challenging, we’re making measurable progress through dedicated focus and repetition.

Biofrost was known as having a strong voice on the team in previous years. Are you taking a similar role this season?

Contrary to public perception, from what I understand Biofrost didn’t maintain that dominant voice consistently. Wiggily shouldered substantial shot-calling responsibilities throughout last season. I can appreciate this dynamic since we maintain constant dialogue during matches.

A common misconception suggests I overwhelm communications—this actually triggers my competitive instincts. Our collaborative idea exchange functions remarkably effectively.

This roster lacks naturally vocal personalities historically. Having Wiggily as a strategic sounding board creates invaluable synergy. I embrace shot-calling responsibilities to enable our carries to concentrate on their core functions. This division of labor ensures everyone maximizes their specialized contributions.

How do you like playing with Stixxay?

Partnering with Stixxay represents a substantial departure from my previous AD carry collaborations. We share surprising personal similarities that extend beyond the game—our interests and lifestyle choices align in unexpected ways. I frequently engage him about non-League topics and life experiences.

Within League of Legends contexts, he operates primarily through instinct rather than rigid theoretical frameworks. When he identifies potential opportunities, he commits immediately without hesitation. He consistently positions himself as the primary playmaker in clutch situations.

His mechanical self-assurance remains consistently high, and he reliably delivers in critical moments when performing at peak capacity.

My approach contrasts significantly—I gravitate toward statistically optimized decision-making based on probability analysis. Our divergent methodologies create complementary strengths that should develop into formidable bot lane coordination over time.

Why do you think you guys were able to communicate with each other better today?

We established much greater comfort on stage today. Despite some minor individual errors—like the level 2 mid lane death—we performed closely to our scrim levels. This consistency between practice and stage performance represents significant progress.

What do you think is holding your team back this season?

To be completely transparent, our draft selections represented the primary constraint. We prioritized compositions that historically underperform within North American competitive environments.

Realistically, virtually any composition remains viable with perfect execution. However, given our current skill progression trajectory—not suggesting we cannot achieve that level eventually—perfect execution during the initial LCS weeks proves unrealistic. Establishing coherent draft planning makes execution substantially more manageable and better aligned with NA competitive patterns.

You’ll be playing Immortals on Monday. How do you think that match will go?

We’ve accumulated extensive practice experience against Immortals historically. While they demonstrate competence, we’ve actually generated strong results during our scrim sessions. I approach this matchup with considerable confidence and anticipate strong team performance.

How are you feeling about Monday Night League?

If this scheduling innovation drives increased viewership and enhances fan engagement, that represents positive development. We compete primarily for our dedicated supporter base.

The primary concern among professionals involves the disrupted practice rhythm. Scrimming on Sundays instead of consecutive game days creates scheduling complications. The subsequent week, if players take Tuesday breaks, only three scrim days remain available. This compressed schedule presents adaptation challenges since we prioritize maximum practice availability.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Smoothie says the key to winning over EG was to stop trolling CLG's breakthrough victory reveals how strategic draft changes and improved communication ended their losing streak