By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Fnatic ONIC head coach Anthony “Ynot” Senerdrin attributed their early dominance in MPL Philippines Season 14 to their close-knit team dynamic, likening their approach to playing as a family.
Following their reverse sweep against the new MPL team Aurora on Friday afternoon, Ynot praised his team for staying united throughout the series despite a challenging start in the first game.
“I think naging through lang kami sa playstyle namin and I’ve been talking about yung mental fortitude ng players na despite losing the first game, they shrugged it off, they shrugged it off as a team. It doesn’t really matter,” said Ynot during the post-match interview
“One game at a time. Going there, we play as a family, make sure na yung role mo, gampanan mo as an individual. Pero at the end of the day, we make sure it fits the system that we built.”
With their latest victory, the Sonics have extended their winning streak to four games and currently hold the top seed with an 8-3 record.
When asked about their frequent reference to each other as “family,” the 36-year-old head coach shared that he comes from a generation of gamers who built lasting friendships through early online games.
“Nanggaling kasi ako sa generation ng gamers na ganun eh. From mga computer shops before, mga DOTA 1, Ragnarok, and I can confidently say na yung mga nakalaro ko noon [ay] kami lagi nag-uusap. It’s still there,” Ynot explained.
He views his players as akin to childhood friends, treating each other like family even in tough times.
“Kumbaga, parang in-still na sa akin yung ganon na whenever I meet like-minded individuals such as this group, parang infectious na lang siya,” he continued.
“At the end of the day, you run with your family; kahit anong banggain niyo, it’s fine eh, as long as you’re together.”
