By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Team Liquid Philippines reaffirmed its dominance over Team Falcons PH with a hard-fought 2-1 reverse sweep in their second matchup of MPL Philippines Season 15 on Saturday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
The victory solidified Team Liquid PH’s hold on second place in the standings, improving its record to 7-1. Meanwhile, Team Falcons PH dropped to fifth place with a 5-3 slate.
In the decisive Game 3, both teams started off composed, carefully vying for early control of the map. However, momentum swung in favor of Team Liquid PH after Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Phoveus) secured the Lord at the 9:42 mark.
From there, Kiel “OHEB” Soriano (Granger) took center stage, securing a Triple Kill during the 13th-minute Lord skirmish. With that advantage, Team Liquid PH executed a straight push in the top lane to seal the victory.
OHEB’s stellar performance on Granger earned him MVP honors, finishing with a flawless KDA of six kills and one assist in an 11-3 kill score.
“Parang normal lang. Kasi nahirapan kami talaga eh. Kagaya ng sinabi namin last interview, sa Round 2 talaga, mas mahihirapan na lahat talaga ang teams. So ayun, in-expect talaga namin na mahihirapan kami [sa Team Falcons],” said head coach Rodel “Arsy” Cruz after the match.
In Game 1, Marco “Super Marco” Requitiano (Granger) and Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson (Joy) set the tone for Team Falcons PH, leading them to a strong start against the Cavalry.
Despite Team Liquid PH’s early 6-3 lead in kills within the first six minutes, Team Falcons PH turned the tide after securing the second Turtle at the 7:53 mark. From there, the new MPL team took control, neutralizing Alston “Sanji” Pabico’s (Lou Yi) Diversion plays and securing a 1-0 series lead.
Super Marco was named MVP of the match, finishing with a KDA of 10 kills, one death, and three assists. Meanwhile, KyleTzy recorded three kills, one death, and 11 assists.
In Game 2, OHEB (Moskov) spearheaded Team Liquid PH’s comeback, evening the series at 1-1.
The Cavalry once again asserted dominance in the early game but, this time, they maintained their lead until the match’s conclusion. With Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Phoveus) and Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz (Hylos) anchoring the frontlines, OHEB and the rest of Team Liquid PH freely dealt damage from the backline.
The turning point came when Sanji’s Lou Yi executed a brilliant Diversion play, teleporting OHEB to the bottom lane for a game-ending split push at the 17:57 mark.
OHEB was once again hailed as the star of the match, recording four kills, two deaths, and five assists. Sanji, Jaypee, and Sanford combined for a KDA of seven kills, nine deaths, and 22 assists.
Team Liquid PH returns to action on Sunday, facing Twisted Minds PH at 7:30 p.m. Earlier that day, Team Falcons PH will battle Smart Omega at 5:00 p.m.
