By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Aurora dethroned Team Liquid Philippines in a dramatic back-and-forth battle during their MPL PH Season 14 play-in series, emerging victorious with a thrilling 3-2 win on Wednesday evening at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
This victory not only ended Team Liquid PH’s title defense but also marked their second first-round playoff exit since Season 9, when they competed under the ECHO banner.
Game 5 was an intense showdown, with both teams battling neck-and-neck from the start.
However, Aurora asserted their dominance at the 4:56 mark, maintaining control until the very end and securing the win in just 14 minutes and 13 seconds.
With this victory, Aurora advances to face the top-seeded Fnatic ONIC Philippines on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
Renejay “Renejay” Barcarse opened the series on a high note as the hero Tigreal, providing crucial zones and setting up plays during skirmishes. He was named Game 1 MVP, finishing with a record of zero kills, one death, and 14 assists.
In Game 3, Jan “Domeng” Del Mundo’s Beatrix made a significant impact, carrying his team in the late game and allowing them to secure the match point in the best-of-five series.
For Team Liquid PH, Alston “Sanji” Pabico’s Lou Yi shone in Games 2 and 4, helping his team bounce back from their earlier losses. He finished both games with an impressive combined KDA of four kills, two deaths, and 12 assists.
