By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Smart Omega bounced back from their loss last Sunday by pulling off a reverse sweep against RSG Philippines, 2-1, during the final week of MPL Philippines Season 14 on Friday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
This victory was crucial as it kept Omega’s momentum heading into the playoffs.
The match was also significant for Jet “Bornok” Amorsolo, who made his tournament debut after joining Omega on September 11.
He was brought in to fill the void left by Carlito “Ribo” Ribo.
However, despite the anticipation surrounding his debut, Omega dropped Game 1, prompting a strategic adjustment.
After the loss, Bornok was substituted, and Jayson “UK1R” Alupit stepped in for the second game.
This change proved to be the turning point for Omega.
With UK1R back in the lineup, they found their rhythm and dominated the next two games, sealing the reverse sweep.
Reflecting on the decision, assistant coach Allec “SN4P” Alvarado said, “I can’t say that it’s the best but as you could [see in the game], lalo na sa ibang heroes na ginamit namin today, it’s more like testing the limits for them now.”
A key player in Games 2 and 3 was Jomari “JOWM” Pingol, whose Lunox became an unstoppable force for RSG.
His impressive performance earned him back-to-back MVP honors, with a combined KDA of 13 kills, 11 assists, and only two deaths. His consistent play was instrumental in Omega’s comeback.
This loss dealt a major blow to RSG’s playoff chances. To stay in contention, RSG now faces a must-win situation in their next match against Aurora.
They need a 2-0 victory on Saturday, and Blacklist International must lose 0-2 to Aurora on Sunday for RSG to have any hope of advancing.
For Omega, the victory helped them climb to third place in the standings, improving their record to 8-5.
Meanwhile, RSG remains stuck in seventh place with a 3-10 record, putting their playoff hopes on the line.
Looking ahead, Smart Omega will wrap up their regular season with a match against Fnatic ONIC Philippines on Saturday at 7:30 PM, where they’ll aim to secure a stronger playoff position.
