SIBOL MLBB Men secured their fourth consecutive finals appearance after edging past Indonesia, 3-1, in the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Monday at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno now has the chance to become only the second two-time gold medalist in the MLBB event at the regional meet, following former Bren Esports teammate Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel, who achieved the feat in the 2023 edition.
The Philippines conceded the opening game in a one-sided affair, raising early alarms. But head coach Rodel “Ar Sy” B. Cruz quickly made adjustments, allowing SIBOL to reassert its dominance over Indonesia in the following matches.
“Para sa’kin, sa’kin yun kasi na-outdraft ako dun. Two sides yun kung bakit ako na-outdraft. Una, hindi ko na-expect na mag-Angela kaagad sila nung pagkapick namin ng Hilda. Dun pa lang mahihirapan na kami,” said Ar Sy of their Game 1 loss.
“Pangalawa, pang-phoveus na yung pick nila pero nagtiwala ako sa Arlott ni (San)ford. Pero hindi ako nagsisi dun na natalo kami. Ang mahalaga dun nagtiwala ako sa players ko eh. Hindi ko lang ine-expect na yung ginagamit nila pangtalo sa’min sa scrim, yun yung gagamitin nila ngayon,” he added.
“Hindi rin talaga naging madali yung laban namin sa Indonesia. Meron talaga silang baon sa’min. Swerte lang ako na may mga players ako na tumutulong sa’kin na nakapag-adapt din agad kami. May mga thoughts kami and brainstorming kaagad. Hindi nawala yung tiwala nila sa isa’t isa saka tiwala nila sa akin.”
Indonesia surged to an early lead in Game 1 after the Philippines botched a botlane ambush, establishing a commanding advantage late in the 11th minute with three unanswered pickoffs following a lord fight.
The Indonesians maintained pressure, executing a pincer play in the 15th minute that resulted in a clean 5-for-0 sweep to claim the opener, 1-0.
In Game 2, Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Yu Zhong) secured first blood within the opening minute, setting the tone for SIBOL’s dominant response as they crushed Indonesia 18-3 in just 13 minutes.
Nepomuceno showcased his signature Lancelot in Game 3, helping SIBOL build a comfortable lead of up to 4,000 gold by the 8th minute. Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz (Gatotkaca) earned the game MVP with a 0-1-10 KDA as SIBOL reached match point with another commanding win.
Kiel “Oheb” Soriano (Karrie) and Alston “Sanji” Pabico (Lunox) also delivered outstanding performances in the series-clinching Game 4, finishing with 3-2-8 and 4-3-4 KDAs, respectively, to secure the victory for the Philippines.
The Team Liquid PH-backed squad, which also has John Carlo “Caloy” Roma in reserve, will take a one-day break before facing Malaysia in the gold medal match on Wednesday, December 17.
