By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Falcons AP.Bren delivered the final blow to Blacklist International, 3-2, clinching a dramatic victory to storm into the upper bracket finals of the MPL Philippines Season 14 playoffs on Thursday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
AP.Bren will next face the winner of the Fnatic ONIC Philippines vs. Aurora match scheduled for 7:00 p.m. later tonight.
In the decisive Game 5, AP.Bren relied on the consistent performances of Michael “KyleTzy” Samson (Suyou) and Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel (Zhuxin), who disrupted Blacklist’s frontline and sealed the victory in just 16 minutes and 19 seconds. Pheww and KyleTzy finished the match with an impressive combined KDA of 12 kills, two deaths, and 15 assists.
“Blacklist stepped up a lot. Actually, they were miles away from what they showed in the regular season compared to today. I think this will be a very interesting playoffs for the final four,” said head coach Francis “Duckey” Glindro during the post-match interview.
“Parang playoffs mode lahat ng team eh. It’s hard to predict,” he added.
The Codebreakers opened the series strong, leaving AP.Bren kill-less throughout an 11-minute and 30-second match. Jhon “Lord JM” Sebastian was named match MVP after delivering a masterful performance on Arlott, finishing with a perfect KDA of six kills, zero deaths, and eight assists.
In Game 2, Marco “Super Marco” Requitiano’s Harith helped AP.Bren equalize the series, also finishing with a perfect record of four kills, zero deaths, and eight assists.
Lord JM (Khaleed) once again took the helm for Blacklist in Game 3, providing crucial space for his team during an intense 18-minute and 47-second lord skirmish by picking off four members from AP.Bren, culminating in a straight push down the mid-lane.
In Game 4, Pheww shone on his Yve, allowing AP.Bren to settle things down and push for a decisive Game 5. The 25-year-old Hall of Legends inductee finished with a KDA of three kills, one death, and seven assists.
With this victory, Blacklist, who eliminated Smart Omega with a stunning 3-0 sweep yesterday, is sent down to the lower bracket semifinals, where they will face the loser of the other matchup tomorrow.
