By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Fnatic ONIC Philippines extended their win streak to four with a 2-1 victory over Aurora during Week 3, Day 1 of MPL Philippines Season 14 on Friday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati City.
In the crucial Game 3, ONIC dominated from the start, establishing a 6k gold lead within the first 10 minutes and maintaining their advantage until the final whistle.
The game was ultimately decided during a pivotal 14th-minute mid-lane teamfight, where Brusko (Tigreal) initiated the engagement that secured the win for ONIC.
“Syempre happy. Pero definitely mahaba pa kase yung season eh. I think alam naman naming lahat na it’s never safe diba?” said Fnatic ONIC head coach Anthony “Ynot” Senedrin during the post-match interview. “Kumbaga at the end of the day yung dailys namin mahalaga na nasasagot namin yung tanong na, ‘Nag-improve ba kami ngayon araw? Ano yung gagawin namin bukas para mag-improve pa kami as an individual and as a team?’
“Hopefully, yun pa rin yung case as the season progresses and yun naman yung binabantayan namin,” he added.
Game 1 saw a tightly contested battle, with both teams maintaining an even gold lead throughout the 22-minute match.
Despite ONIC’s superior map control, Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo (Lylia) emerged as a key player for Aurora, effectively defending their base turret and turning the tides with a 4-1 exchange.
Yue’s outstanding performance earned him the match MVP title, with a KDA of four kills, 12 assists, and two deaths.
In Game 2, Fnatic ONIC’s Duanne “Kelra” Pillas played a crucial role, with his Karrie leading the team to victory in just 11 minutes and 32 seconds, thereby forcing a decisive Game 3.
Kelra was named the match MVP for his flawless performance, finishing with two kills and one assist.
Aurora will face TNC Pro Team on Sunday at 5:00 p.m., while Fnatic ONIC Philippines will take on top seed Smart Omega on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Both matches will be held at the same venue.
