By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Falcons AP.Bren triumphed over Liquid ECHO in a thrilling all-Filipino semifinal showdown, winning 3-1 to advance to the 2024 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup (MSC) grand finals on Friday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The M5 world champions secured their spot in the grand finals, keeping their dreams of adding the MSC championship title to their vast trophy collection alive.
This is especially significant for key players David “FlapTzy” Canon and Charles “Pheww” Arcangel, who are looking to finally win the elusive MSC crown.
During the decisive Game 4, Falcons AP.Bren maintained aggressive gameplay, winning every team fight with initiations led by FlapTzy (Arlott), Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo (Minotaur), and Pheww (Faramis).
They finished the game in just 10 minutes and 29 seconds with a decisive 15-5 kill score.
With this victory, Falcons AP.Bren eliminated Liquid ECHO from the tournament. They now await the result of the match between NIP Flash and Selangor Red Giants.
The grand finals are scheduled for Sunday.
The first three games were a nip-and-tuck affair.
Game 1 was an intense battle between the two Philippine representatives, with both teams exchanging blows throughout the 10-minute game.
FCAP finally gained the upper hand during the first lord skirmish when Jaypee “Jaypee” Cruz (Edith) attempted a set, but Owgwen (Minotaur) countered with a four-man set, resulting in a three-for-three hero trade plus the lord.
From that point, Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson (Julian) remained aggressive, picking off Sanji in the 14th minute followed by a three-man Penalty Zone by FlapTzy’s Terizla, leading to the reigning MPL Philippines champions’ defeat.
Recently inducted Hall of Legends player, FlapTzy, emerged as the match MVP, finishing with six kills, five assists, and two deaths, while Owgwen and KyleTzy combined for two kills, 16 assists, and four deaths.
In Game 2, FCAP focused on Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Arlott) early, enabling FlapTzy (Terizla) to secure their first four kills.
However, TLPH turned aggressive in the mid-game, winning the 7th-minute turtle skirmish and leveling the playing field.
The 17th-minute lord skirmish was crucial; despite being outnumbered, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno (Baxia) managed to steal the objective.
FlapTzy and Pheww’s (Lylia) decisive actions after the lord steal allowed them to dismantle TLPH’s defense, chasing down and picking off opponents to secure the match point.
Game 3 followed a similar pattern as Game 1, with both teams vying for early dominance.
This time, Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales was able to farm freely.
The 7th-minute turtle take gave Liquid ECHO a significant advantage, allowing them to secure most objectives and establish a 3k gold lead, eventually winning the game and denying FCAP a series sweep.
FCAP then finished things off in the next game.
