By: Jerod Orcullo
With a new patch shifting teams’ strategies ahead of the fourth week of MPL Philippines Season 15, players and coaches have expressed mixed opinions on how these changes affect their respective game plans heading into the second round of the tournament.
While some squads have struggled to adapt, Team Liquid head coach Rodel “Ar Sy” explained that his team has managed to adjust to the patch. He noted that he prefers not to overthink adjustments, as doing so might cause them to overlook standard in-game interactions.
“Nakaka-adjust din naman kami. Mas masarap kasi na ine-explore na lang namin, tapos hindi kami nag-o-overthink ng sobra, kasi pag in-overthink mo ng sobra yung patch, makakalimutan mo na ay normal lang pala ‘to,” Ar Sy stated.
“Kailangan mo lang talaga i-explore kung ano yung mas maganda, kung ano yung panget, kung ano yung pagbabago.”
In their three games under the current patch, “The Cavalry” has secured two wins, with their only loss coming from a reverse sweep by Aurora PH.
During the team’s post-game interview, Ar Sy mentioned that teams might find it more challenging to compete in the second round. He attributed this to two factors—the patch and teams’ eagerness to avenge their first-round losses.
“Kasi yun nga, patapos na yung round 1 nung nagka-patch eh. Then sa round 2 kasi dyan na magkakaalaman kung hanggang dun ka na lang ba o may gusto ka pang ilabas. Kasi yung mga natalo dyan, may gigil na bumawi,” he remarked.
As it stands, Team Liquid holds a 7-1 record, ranking second behind Aurora, who remains undefeated at 8-0.
Despite his team’s strong start, Ar Sy emphasized the need for discipline and emotional control during games, as unchecked emotions could do more harm than good to their performance.
“Lagi ko lang pinapaalala sa kanila yung disiplina, kahit anong gigil dapat nandun pa rin yung disiplina, plano, at communication, tsaka yung chemistry sa isa’t isa, kasi yung gigil, yan yung magpapatalo sa inyo in-game,” he closed.
