Aurora secured the final upper bracket slot in dramatic fashion, pulling off a 2-1 reverse sweep against Team Falcons PH in the last regular season match of MPL Philippines Season 15 held Sunday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati City.
Finishing the regular season with an impressive 12-2 record, Aurora now moves forward to the upper bracket and will await the winner of the play-in match between ONIC Philippines and Twisted Minds.
Aurora head coach Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani admitted they were caught off guard by Falcons’ Game 1 draft, but praised his team for their ability to bounce back and execute in the final two games to secure the crucial win.
“Tingin ko nahirapan kami nung Game 1 dahil dun sa hinanda ng Falcons. As in sobrang hindi kami ready sa ginawa nila. Ang kinagandahan siguro nakapag-adjust kami sa draft and sa playstyle maganda yung execution na ginawa ng players kaya maganda yung laro namin ng Game 2 and Game 3,” said Coach Master the Basics.
Falcons came out swinging in the opener with a surprise Esmeralda counterpick that led to an MVP-worthy performance from David “FlapTzy” Canon, who steered the team to a 15-minute win in Game 1.
Facing elimination and the upper bracket slot slipping away, Aurora turned to Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto (Lucas), who delivered a clutch triple kill during a pivotal 13-minute Lord fight. The play led to a massive 5-1 wipeout, leveling the series and keeping Aurora’s hopes alive.
Aurora sealed the comeback in Game 3 behind the brilliance of Edward “Edward” Dapadap (Cici), who posted an outstanding 6-1-10 KDA to close out the match after 16 minutes of aggressive play.
With the loss, Falcons settle for the fourth seed in the playoffs and are now set to face TNC Pro Team for the right to challenge league-leaders Team Liquid PH in the upper bracket.
