By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Fnatic ONIC PH made a strong debut in MPL Philippines Season 14, sweeping TNC Pro Team 2-0 on Saturday during Week 1, Day 2, at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
This handed TNC its second straight loss of the season.
Frince “Super Frince” Ramirez’s Zuxhin was unstoppable for TNC throughout both games. In Game 2, Jann “Kirk” Gutierrez (Terizla) took center stage as Super Frince’s wall, zoning out every enemy hero and helping Fnatic ONIC PH finish the game in just 14 minutes.
The decisive moment came in the final minute, when Kirk spearheaded a lord-push with a well-timed three-man Penalty Zone, while King “K1NGKONG” Perez (Hayabusa) focused on taking down the tower, sealing the victory for Fnatic ONIC PH.
Kirk was named the MVP of Game 2 with a KDA of two kills, five assists, and two deaths. Meanwhile, K1NGKONG delivered a solid performance, finishing with three kills, four assists, and one death.
During the post-match conference, Fnatic ONIC PH’s Anthony “Ynot” Senedrin shared his thoughts on their strategy, saying, “I think wala naman na 100-percent specific plan against TNC. It’s more of syempre kase [it’s a long season]. You prepare for months kung ano yung gagawin ng team. Malalaman mo na lang talaga yung capabilities ng teams within the season na eh. So it’s more of focusing on sa mga strengths namin as a team.”
Fnatic ONIC PH will look to close out the opening week on a high note as they face Blacklist International on Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
On the other hand, TNC Pro Team had no answer to Super Frince’s Zuxhin in Game 1. In Game 2, they fought back valiantly, with Salvick “Kouzen” Tolarba (Phoveus) making significant efforts to reach the backlines and Ken “Kzen” Pile providing cleanup, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide in their favor.
Kouzen ended Game 2 with a record of one kill, two assists, and three deaths, while Kzen contributed three kills and two deaths.
TNC Pro Team will try to secure their first win when they face reigning MPL Philippines champions Team Liquid PH on August 23 at 5:00 p.m. Both matches will take place at the same venue.
