Carlos Enrique Casimiro is an icon to the world of soccer at home in Brazil playing for both the Brazilian national team and the legendary Spanish club Real Madrid. What is less known is his adoration of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the brutally competitive 5v5 shooter from Valve which remains on the top of most-played titles on an international scale, eight-and-a-half years after its release.
In Brazil, both sports are readily admired by a gargantuan fanbase. Organizations such as MIBR and FURIA participating in an online event can bring tens of thousands of additional fans to watch professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It bears a similarity to the way tens of thousands of residents visit the Spanish stadium of Bernabéu to watch Real Madrid take the pitch behind the notorious head coach of Zinedine Zidane. Yet the two are rarely combined in a meaningful form, at least until Casemiro himself took an interview with Marca Gaming about his dabbling in one of the world's largest competitive first-person shooters.
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Casemiro admitted to Marca Gaming that he finds playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on stream makes him far more nervous than playing soccer in front of a stadium, regardless of the number of people within the stands or the viewing audience. "People are much closer" the defensive midfielder stated, comparing soccer play to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive "I get a lot more nervous than playing at the Bernabéu (Real Madrid's home pitch in Spain)."
Casemiro's passion for Valve's competitive title led the Copa America 2019 honoree to build a Brazilian esport organization known as CaseEsports in late October 2020. Casemiro selected players both from the FURIA academy team and former headliners of Tempo Storm resulting in a full roster of Brazilian streamers and players, seemingly contradicting his goal statement for CaseEsports to "grow the Spanish CS:GO scene and secure spots at important international tournaments." The team has not yet secured a ranking and is currently located in Spain offering access to the more competitive European scene.
Aside from sharing a passion for Counter-Strike, Casemiro noted in the interview that he also plays FIFA, and finds most success when he's playing his position within Electronic Arts' acclaimed soccer franchise. "I have tried to play as a forward and winger and my score is very low" Casemiro notes, comparing that to his solid performances as a defensive midfielder both digitally and at Bernabéu.
The star player summarizes why he streams Counter-Strike to his audience on Twitch, noting that it allows him to be far more personable and to openly communicate with scores of fans on an international scale, even if that communication results in some good-natured ribbing after a failed post-plant clutch. He prefers utilizing the AWP as a site-anchor and tends to play the lurk for T sides, alluding to his supportive playstyle in soccer.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is available now on PC.
Source: Marca Gaming