After thrashing  SK Gaming 16-2 in last week's EPS.scandinavia game,  XLBET.ATS was optimistic ahead of their clash against Danish WCG winners  mTw.AMD yesterday evening. XLBET was nowhere near favourites for the game though.

Despite beating mTw at SLAP LIVE less than 2 months ago, onlookers didn't give XLBET much of a chance to win against the reigning WCG champions on de_dust2. With tactical leader  Timm 'ArcadioN' Henriksen as the overall architecht, XLBET did however give mTw an unpleasant surprise.

Henriksen's ability to read mTw proved to be a crucial factor, in a game where XLBET walked uncontested into the bombsites several times as T. Despite putting a good comeback on in the 2nd half, mTw couldn't catch up with XLBET's impressive 11-4 lead at the halftime. With a 16-14 victoy, XLBET now has two victories in their first two matches in EPS.sca, and looks set to qualify for the playoffs if they can continue their form.

According to Henriksen, that form has evolved around the team's individual skills.

- Ever since we started playing with this lineup we have had a high skill-level. We have a team of five really good players, and it is fairly rare that any of them have sub-par games, he said exclusively to myMYM.com.

- And even when we aren't that well prepared, like in our last couple of games, we still play smart and are able to take the right choices, he adds.

Henriksen has been a part of the top tier players in Denmark for quite a lot of years, and has been abroad several times. He is yet to taste victory in a big International event, but with the current roster in XLBET.ATS, Henriksen thinks his time has come.

- I think people need to stop underestimating us. We have beat MYM on LAN, and SK Gaming and mTw in the last week, and I don't think anybody can blame our victories on coincidences anymore. We think that we are close to Top 10 in the world, and would love to prove it by continuing our great form, and break out of the groupstage at our next International event.

But why isn't the team attending DreamHack then? The event is held less than 5 hours away from Copenhagen. According to Henriksen, the team is tied up with personal things. Both  Rasmus 'FaagaN' Møller and the Henriksen-brothers (ArcadioN and wazorN) have pressuring personal matters to attend that weekend.

As for endeavours in 2009, Henriksen has yet to establish a set of goals for the team.

- We are of course looking to continue our positive developement in 2009, he says. 

- Our first target of 2009 is to qualify for the LAN finals Extreme Masters, and if that doesn't happen - well, then we'll take it at that point.

Extreme Masters LAN Finals or not, XLBET.ATS is not a team to underestimate. With the supposedly best teams already defeated, the Danish team will surely set the sight on a qualification for the LAN Finals for EPS.sca.

You can follow their way towards stardom in our EPS.Scandinavia coverage!