Falcons AP.Bren notched back-to-back wins after narrowly defeating Smart Omega, 2-1, in a thrilling best-of-three series during the penultimate week of the MPL Philippines Season 14 elimination round on Saturday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
The decisive moment in Game 3 came at the 13-minute, 30-second mark when Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel (Nana) secured a crucial pickoff on Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog, while Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson (Nolan) took down Jayson “Riku” Alupit (Vexana), sealing the victory moments later.
Assistant coach Robert “Trebor” Sanchez noted that it was a fiercely contested match, where even a minimal error could cost the game.
He emphasized that Omega Esports played cautiously, which contributed to the intense atmosphere in Game 3.
“Sobrang ingat nilang maglaro, tsaka sobrang linis kaya minimal error lang kaya sila nakakadikit sa amin,” Trebor said during the post-match interview.
In Game 1, Smart Omega was aggressive throughout, finishing the opener in just 10 minutes and 57 seconds, led by an impressive performance from Andrew “Andoryuuu” Flora’s Bane, who recorded a perfect six kills and two assists.
Meanwhile, Game 2 turned into an all-out brawl, lasting 23 minutes and 41 seconds, as both teams exchanged blows, finishing with a 17-7 kill score record.
The game swung when Ling was picked off on the top lane by Rowgien “Owgen” Unigo (Gatotkaca), leaving Smart Omega with just three members to defend their base.
However, it was not enough for the three remaining players to hold off five from AP.Bren, along with a full minion wave from all lanes. This allowed AP.Bren to focus on the base turret, evening the series at 1-1.
Heading into the final week, Falcons AP.Bren will face top seed Fnatic ONIC Philippines on October 4 at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Smart Omega is set to battle RSG Philippines earlier on the same day at 5:00 p.m.
