By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Blacklist International pulled off a stunning upset against Falcons AP.Bren, handing them their third loss in the MPL Philippines Season 14 with a commanding 2-0 sweep on Friday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
This victory marked Blacklist’s second win of the regular season, improving their record to 2-8, while still placing them in seventh position. In contrast, AP.Bren remains a formidable contender in the league, holding on to second place with a record of 7-3.
Game 2 was an all-out brawl for both teams throughout the 23 minutes and 8 seconds match.
The pivotal moment for the Codebreakers came when John “Perkz” Sumawan (Tigreal) initiated a crucial teamfight during the 21st-minute lord encounter, allowing them to eliminate two members of the reigning world champions and secure the lord shortly after.
With the advantage, they pushed through the mid-lane for a decisive finish, leaving Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel (Vexana) to defend against their onslaught.
Perkz was ultimately hailed as the game MVP, recording an impressive 15 assists and four deaths.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, head coach Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza stated, “Sa performance namin today, siguro compared sa mga na-una, this time nag-stick kami sa kung ano yung gameplay namin. Walang unnecessary plays.
“Talagang more on fundamentals, walang labis, walang kulang. Kaya ayon, maganda yung naging result dahil alam nila sa sarili nila na kapag napunta kami sa ganitong play, ganito yung mangyayari or something like iba’t-ibang conditions. Sobrang familiar din sa mga nangyayari sa laro,” he added.
In Game 1, Salic “Hadji” Imam’s Faramis played a crucial role, providing both sustain and damage throughout the 15 minutes and 10 seconds match.
Despite an aggressive early lineup by AP.Bren, with Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson on Roger securing two kills and an assist in the first three minutes,
Blacklist proved resilient in mid-game, thanks to their sustain.
After a pivotal seventh-minute Turtle objective, Hadji’s Triple Kill gave Blacklist a 2k-gold lead, which they maintained until the end of the match. His outstanding performance earned him the match MVP award with a KDA of five kills, five assists, and one death.
Looking ahead, Blacklist International aims to build on their momentum with a back-to-back win against RSG Philippines on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Falcons AP.Bren will face the same team the following day at 5:00 p.m.
