By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
As Falcons AP.Bren concluded their MPL Philippines Season 14 campaign with a third-place finish, both head coach Francis “Duckey” Glindro and captain Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo felt it was time for the team to take a well-deserved rest after an intense year and a half of competing both internationally and locally.
Since Season 12, when they secured their second MPL championship title, FCAP has consistently been present in international tournaments. They claimed gold at the M5 World Championship, 2024 Games of the Future, Snapdragon Pro Series Season 5, and the Supernova Tournament.
“Oo naman [may fatigue]. I think the entire year and a half na nagko-compete kami internationally, nagta-translate lahat ng pagod, mental fatigue. It’s probably taking a toll. Kita ko sa performance nila pagdating sa scrimmages, training sessions, discussions. Parang nararamdaman ko na yung fatigue,” Duckey shared during the post-match interview.
“I am ironically happy na makakapagpahinga na yung mga bata kasi I think they deserve this so much,” he added.
Despite the fatigue, FCAP had a strong run this season, finishing second in the regular season with a 10-4 record and narrowly defeating Blacklist International in the upper-bracket semifinals, 3-2.
However, their losses to Fnatic Onic Philippines (1-3) in the upper-bracket finals and Aurora (2-4) in the lower-bracket finals ended their Season 14 run in third place.
Owgwen echoed Duckey’s sentiments, believing the team had earned their rest after competing in numerous international tournaments over the past year and a half. He also felt it was time to allow other teams to represent the Philippines on the global stage.
“Naisip na rin talaga namin na it’s either pahinga kami or mag-M6 kami kasi talagang ang tagal na naming pumupunta sa mga international [tournaments]. Tingin ko deserve talaga naming magpahinga tsaka i-lend muna namin sa ibang teams yung slot sa M6,” Owgwen explained.
