By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Team Liquid bounced back from their two-game losing streak with a dominant 2-0 sweep against Smart Omega in MPL Philippines Season 14 on Saturday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
Alston “Sanji” Pabico’s impressive performance with Aurora in Game 1 helped the reigning MPL Philippines champions improve to a 5-5 record, maintaining their 5th place in the standings.
Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Khaleed) maintained an aggressive playstyle throughout Game 2, enabling Team Liquid to secure a swift victory in just 12 minutes and 18 seconds.
Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno also delivered an exceptional performance, finishing with a flawless record on his Hayabusa—six kills and four assists. Sanford, the Game 2 MVP, contributed four kills, five assists, and only one death.
“Our team really showed up today. It’s like we’re reclaiming the identity we lost in the past few weeks due to our losses. We’re bringing it back—this is the real Team Liquid. I commend the entire team for their performance,” said head coach Harold “Tictac” Reyes in the post-match interview.
Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales’ late-game heroics on Claude in Game 1 turned the tide for Team Liquid. Left farming alone for most of the game, Bennyqt capitalized on his opportunity during a crucial Lord take at the 9-minute and 35-second mark.
With Andrew “Andoryuuu” Flora (Ling) pressuring the top lane, Team Liquid secured the Lord and traded two kills for two. Bennyqt claimed a double kill, giving his team the momentum to close out the game in 11 minutes and 40 seconds, finishing with five kills and three assists.
Meanwhile, Smart Omega remains in 4th place with a 6-4 record despite the loss.
Looking ahead, Team Liquid PH will face RSG Philippines on September 27 at 5:00 p.m., while Smart Omega is set to play against the winless TNC Pro Team on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
