By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Aurora now finds itself in a precarious position at the M6 World Championship after suffering their second loss on Friday, this time against NIP Flash (Singapore).
With a 0-2 record, the Filipino squad is on the brink of elimination. Another defeat would end their championship aspirations and make them only the second Filipino team in history to fail to make the playoffs, following ONIC Esports PH (now Fnatic ONIC Philippines) during M1.
Despite the daunting circumstances, Aurora head coach Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani remains confident in his team’s ability to rise above adversity. He recalled a similar challenge during the MPL PH Season 14 playoffs, where Aurora battled their way through the lower bracket and reached the grand finals.
“Nangyari naman na sa amin ito noong playoffs ng MPL PH Season 14, napunta kami ng lower bracket. This time Bo3 siya instead of Bo1,” said Master the Basics in an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times.
The 30-year-old former Blacklist International coach also acknowledged the intense competition at M6, noting how teams from around the world have been closely studying Aurora’s playstyle. He explained that the spotlight on Philippine teams has made it harder to execute strategies successfully.
“I think mas basa kami ng mga teams ngayon kase halos lahat ng regions is nakatingin sa PH. Basang basa nila kami, alam na alam nila yung mga gagawin nila. Pinaghandaan talaga nila in case na makatapat nila kami is ready sila, siguro yun yung pinaka malaking factor,” he said.
Looking ahead to their next match, Master the Basics stressed the need for immediate adjustments to keep their campaign alive.
“Hopefully makapag-adjust kami and kailangan muna namin alamin yung mga mali namin plus ano yung mga dapat naming i-adjust kase ibang-iba talaga yung Bo1 sa mga susunod na rounds,” he concluded.
