Team Liquid PH conquers MPL PH S15; dethrones Onic PH
Team Liquid PH dethroned Onic Philippines, 4-3, claiming the MPL Philippines Season 15 title in a thrilling nailbiter held at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
With the series tied 3-3, Team Liquid PH capitalized on a misplay by their base for the final push.
Midlaner Alston “Sanji” Pabico was hailed the Finals MVP for his performance.
Team Liquid PH banked on a dominant season steered by newly-acquired star gold laner, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, who eventually became the regular season MVP.
“Wala talaga kaming wino-worry kasi ang tanging hiling lang talaga namin is makapag-EWC and ayun, sobra-sobra pa ‘yung binigay sa amin,” Team Liquid head coach Rodel “Ar Sy” Cruz said.
The Cavalry notched the top seed during the regular season, followed by Aurora and Onic Philippines in the rankings.
Onic PH bucked off odds brought by a slow 0-3 start to the regular season, starting their elimination rounds journey from the play-ins, before heading into the playoffs by winning ten straight matches.
Team Liquid PH and Onic PH will represent the country during the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-season Cup, done concurrently with the controversial, Saudi-hosted Esports World Cup in capital Riyadh.
Esports World Cup (EWC), a government-backed initiative for Saudi Arabia, boasts record-breaking prize pools that are brandished as “life-changing,” especially for teams in developing countries like the Philippines.
However, it has also faced significant criticism, primarily centered on accusations of sportswashing, amid its long history of discrimination against marginalized groups and alleged suppression of dissent against press freedom.
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