By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
RSG Philippines handed Blacklist International their fifth loss of the regular season with a commanding 2-0 sweep in MPL Philippines Season 14 on Saturday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
In Game 2, John “1rrad” Tuazon and Arvie “Aqua” Antonio were pivotal, delivering standout performances with a combined total of 14 kills, 15 assists, and just 1 death.
The game’s turning point occurred in the 14th minute when Dylan “Light” Catipon (Chou) eliminated Salic “Hadji” Imam (Jawhead).
This play resulted in a three-for-nothing trade, as Kiel “OHEB” Soriano (Bruno) and Jhon “Lord JM” Sebastian (Phoveus) attempted to provide backup but ultimately failed.
With this decisive play, Light was named the match MVP, finishing with two kills, 10 assists, and two deaths in the 15-minute game.
RSG head coach Brian “Panda” Lim reflected on the team’s performance in the post-match interview, saying, “I think we just felt more comfortable with the heroes that we played and the players [on] how they played. It’s just that yesterday we choked on the heroes.”
He went on, “Kaya yung focus namin today [is] just don’t make the mistake that we did yesterday, regarding sa drafting, regarding sa gameplay. Buti nga today, inayos namin.”
In the first game, 1rrad (Lancelot) was particularly impressive, leading the offense in the 16th minute. He secured the Lord and subsequently took out two enemy members in the top lane, which led to a three-for-nothing trade when Jhondy “Nibor” Ranque (Phoveus) arrived for backup.
RSG Philippines will next face Fnatic ONIC Philippines on September 6 at 7:30 PM. Meanwhile, Blacklist International will seek their first win against Team Liquid Philippines on Sunday, also at 7:30 PM.
Both matches will take place at the same venue.
