By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
In a stunning turn of events, Blacklist International pulled off a shocking 3-0 sweep to eliminate Smart Omega in the MPL Philippines Season 14 playoffs on Wednesday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
Blacklist International will now face Falcons AP.Bren on Thursday at 3:00 PM.
The Codebreakers were on the verge of defeat in the crucial Game 3, but the turning point came at the 20-minute and 36-second mark when Blacklist strategically picked off three members of Smart Omega hiding in the bushes.
With this critical advantage, Blacklist executed a powerful push down the middle lane, confidently sealing their victory.
“Nagpunta kami dito sa playoffs ng super prepared. Although kaninang third game may mga naka-ready pa kaming mga lineup. Hindi muna siya natuloy,” said head coach Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza during the post-match interview. “So, ibig sabihin marami pa talaga kaming mga nakatagong bala papunta sa next round.”
He added, “Siguro yun yung naging key to success namin kase in less than two weeks of preparation, talagang all-in sila eh. Makikita mo na disiplinado talaga yung mga bata and sobrang nagbunga yung pagiging hardworking nila sa span na ‘yon.”
In Game 1, Jhon “Lord JM” Sebastian’s Benedetta wreaked havoc across the map, disrupting Smart Omega’s rhythm throughout the match.
Sebastian was named MVP of the game, finishing with a KDA of two kills, one death, and eight assists in just 10 minutes and 30 seconds.
Blacklist continued their dominance in Game 2, where the trio of Michael “MP the King” Endino (Alpha), Salic “Hadji” Imam (Zhuxin), and John “Perkz” Sumawan (Rafaela) proved to be the biggest threat throughout the game.
MP the King emerged as the player of the game, recording six kills, one death, and five assists.
Meanwhile, Hadji and Perkz combined for a KDA of eight kills, seven deaths, and 22 assists.
