Article by Bryan "DrDogg" Dawson, Senior Writer TheCGS.com


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PHOENIX, Arizona -- The Mexico City Furia had a great Latin American qualifier and draft. General Manager Augusto Zapata’s team stormed Mexico City with a solid win over the Rio Sinistro to end the mid-September events. Despite their success, less than three months later the team found themselves as the only number one seed having to play in the opening round of the Championship Gaming Series World Final.

“In the first moment, I felt kind of disappointed with being the only number one seed to not get a bye in the first round,” explained Zapata. “However, considering the lack of experience of my team on the stage, it turned into an excellent opportunity to help us to reach the level desired.”

The Furia would end up getting their bye due to Visa issues that forced the Wuhan Dragon to withdraw from the competition.

“Without underestimating the Wuhan Dragon, crashing against a non-top seeded team would give us a better chance to win and earn some time on stage. However, they were unable to attend and we went directly against another team that received a bye, and that had a previous experience on stage with their CS:S team,” Zapata recalled of the matchup against the Berlin Allianz.

With the limited time Zapata had at the Latin American qualifier and leading up to the World Final, it can be tough to pull a team together and make sure they’re prepared for anything. Both Latin American teams lost in their first matches of the World Final, but Zapata was still proud of his team and confident that he made all the right choices when he drafted them.

“I am really proud of my team performance,” said Zapata. “The Sinistro have a lot of potential too, but honestly I think that I have the best team from Latin America. Our PGR racers showed their real skills beating the mighty Berlin duo, my DOA players are considered one of the best, my CS:S team is really good, but they lack a little experience, and my FIFA player made a great match despite the fact that he was taxi player hired very recently.”

The 2007 CGS season has come to an end and Zapata is looking toward the future to improve his Furia team into a gaming machine.

“We are currently working on improvement, giving the CS:S team as many matches as possible and training in FIFA 24/7. If I could return back in time, I am more than sure that I would draft the same squad,” Zapata explained with confidence. “The factor that determined our fall in the World Final was our lack of experience. The stage killed us and there's no excuse for that. Be ready for announcements on the Furia site for boot camps and challenges with the community, and every single activity that has playing involved.”

While an announcement is still pending, 2008 is well underway and the next Combine and draft are looming on the horizon. Every GM will soon have to decide how they want to improve and change their team for the next challenge. Zapata and the Mexico City Furia are no different, as the team will almost certainly see some form of change with a new year and a new competition awaiting them.

“We have to wait for the details from the CGS about the draft process, but for now, I am very proud of my team’s talent and skills.” Looking toward the future, Zapata continued, “I am thinking about maybe a mixture [of new and returning players]. It's always good to have some fresh air inside and to provide an opportunity of reaching the lifestyle and responsibility of being a professional gamer. Of course, no matter what happens, you can expect a ton of work on our side to reach the level needed to be the next World Champions.”

The path of a World Champion is a long and difficult journey that never truly comes to an end. Pro gamers are always working to improve their game as they make their way to the top. There’s a lot of talent on the Mexico City team, and 2008 is a year that will likely allow them to show off just how talented they truly are.



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