By: George Torno
TNC Pro Team climbed to fifth place in the standings after pulling off a 2-1 reverse sweep against AP.Bren in Week 7 of the MPL Philippines, Saturday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
The Phoenix Army improved to 5-6 with the victory, boosting their playoff bid while dealing a major blow to Bren’s postseason hopes.
“Sobrang importante nung panalo namin kanina kase parehas kame naghahabol. Kung natalo kame dun, delikado pa talaga kame, kaya buti nalang medyo nakahinga-hinga,” said coach Patric “E2MAX” Caidic.
AP.Bren started strong in the opening game, with their clash-heavy lineup controlling the tempo.
By the 23rd minute, they secured the Lord and wiped out three members of TNC.
Jonathan “Jamespangks” Mendoza’s Joy, supported by Arvie “Aqua” Antonio’s Angela, gave Bren the edge to draw first blood in the series.
But TNC fought back in Game 2.
After a failed initiation from Jhon “Lord JM” Sebastian’s Chou, the Phoenix Army capitalized with a 4-for-1 trade that shifted momentum in their favor, forcing a decider.
The winner-take-all third game turned into a slugfest, with both squads trading kills relentlessly.
A pivotal clash near the Lord pit saw three TNC members caught in the crossfire.
By the 21st minute, Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog’s Kalea sparked a prolonged team fight with a Tsunami Slam on Aqua’s Angela, setting up Frederic “Bennyqt” Gonzales’ Harith to unleash a devastating Zaman Force.
The combo wiped out four Bren players and sealed the comeback win for TNC.
TNC now looks to strengthen their playoff position when they face AURORA on October 5 at the same venue.
