By: George Torno
Team Liquid PH kept their golden road dream alive, ending TNC Pro Team’s Cinderella run with a commanding 4-1 victory in the MPL Philippines Season 16 lower bracket finals on Saturday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
The Cavalry cemented their legacy by securing their second M-Series appearance after an impressive lower bracket run that propelled them back to the grand finals.
“Sobrang laking bagay yung nangyari kahapon, doon sa laro nila (TNC) kahapon. Madami namin nakitang mga kailangan namin gawin para mapitas yung panalo namin ngayon,” said head coach Harold “Tictac” Reye.
After splitting the first two games, Team Liquid PH seized control in Game 3, with Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Arlott) leading the charge. His perfectly timed Flicker–Final Slash combo caught four members of TNC during the 10-minute Lord siege, giving Team Liquid the series lead.
Riding the momentum from Sanford and Jaypee’s MVP-worthy performances, TLPH stormed ahead to a 3-1 advantage.
In Game 5, they came out swinging as Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno’s signature Lancelot pressured the map. Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz (Chip), meanwhile, provided relentless mobility that extended Team Liquid’s dominance across all lanes.
TNC, however, refused to bow out easily. Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog (Grock) sparked chaos during a post-Lord clash at the nine-minute mark, landing a perfectly timed Tectonic Charge that wiped out Team Liquid and momentarily leveled the playing field.
But KarlTzy’s clutch Lord steal at the 14-minute mark turned the tide for good. With Kiel “Oheb” Soriano’s (Ruby) flicker–I’m Offended combo catching Frederic “Bennyqt” Gonzales (Claude), Team Liquid sealed the deal, punching their ticket to M7 and the grand finals.
Team Liquid PH will now defend their title against Aurora PH on Sunday, October 26, at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
