Back in January, AP.Bren announced the acquisition of Vrendon “Vren” Pesebre as part of their coaching staff for MPL Philippines Season 11, and the former TNC head coach was already aiming for the M5 World Championship title at that time.
“Guys, isa lang ang plano ko ngayong taon para sa inyo, yun yung makuha ang M5 title. Lahat ng events ng taon na ito, commercial events lang yan. Minanifest at pinangako ko sa kanila na kukunin namin ang M5 title,” recalled Vren, recounting what he told the team upon joining their ranks as coach.
However, it wasn’t that easy to get the team to buy into his coaching style and mentality.
“Nung Season 11 ko talaga sila kinailanganin kumbinsihin na iba ako bilang coach. Hindi ako yung puro salita lang kasi nga bungad ko sa kanila ay atin itong lahat ng torneo ngayong taon,” Vren shared.
His coaching genius was very much apparent in AP.Bren’s 2023 run, which started when they took the Sibol qualifiers by storm on the way to retaining the Philippines MLBB gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games last May.
Vren made his mark right away in Season 11, being the brainchild of the team’s iconic Helcurt pick, which found massive success in their regular season campaign, winning nine straight games to secure the top seed in the playoffs.
He was once again credited for AP.Bren’s impressive drafting strategies, unveiling the Odette pick in the M5 World Championship group stage helped the team pull off a 2-0 sweep of Cambodia’s See You Soon and take the top seed heading into the knockout stage.
Despite a shaky Season 11 campaign, they shrugged it off, and he is now part of the undisputed world champion team that clinched the IESF World Championship crown and the M5 World Championship title.
“Happy ako sa nakamit ko kasi para naman talaga sa mga bata yun, hindi naman talaga para sa akin. Kasi ako magdadalawang dekada na rin ako sa competition. Kaya yung mga title na ganito, yung mga winnings, parang wala na talagang epekto sakin. Gusto ko lang makita yung mga players na nakukuha nila yung championship na gusto nila,” said Vren.
“Kanina sa stage nagpasalamat talaga sila lalo na si Pheww. Sobrang thankful talaga nila sa akin kasi hindi nila akalain na lahat nung mga sinabi ko nagkatotoo. Parang lahat ng pinuntahan naming tournament, panalo. Niyakap nila ako. Sobrang saya ko na nun na nagpasalamat sa akin yung mga player,” he continued.
Vren will remain a focal point for AP.Bren’s strategies as the reigning world champions hope to make history by securing the MPL Philippines Season 13 and the MLBB Southeast Asian Cup 2024 titles.
