TNC, Aurora, Liquid PH bag wins as MPL-PH Season 16 nears half-season
Photo from MPL Philippines / Richard Esguerra
TNC, Aurora, Liquid PH bag wins as MPL-PH Season 16 nears half-season
MAKATI – Three squads claimed crucial victories as MPL Philippines Season 16 reached the penultimate day of its first half on Saturday.
TNC Pro Team staged a reverse sweep against Twisted Minds PH, Aurora Gaming extended their win streak to six at the expense of Smart Omega, and Team Liquid PH outlasted Team Falcons PH in a heated three-game clash.
Reverse sweep from the Phoenix Army
TNC had to weather a rough start as Twisted Minds PH drew first blood with a convincing Game 1 win. Mico “Nosia” Capil’s Harith tore through the Phoenix Army’s defenses with a 4/0/4 KDA, while Justine “Zaida” Palma’s Yi Sun-shin couldn’t offset Twisted Minds’ early map control as TNC lost all nine turrets in just over 15 minutes.
The Phoenix answered back in Game 2 with a 17-minute equalizer, fueled by veteran gold laner Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales who exploded for 13 kills and four assists. Lance “LanceCy” Cunanan added stability with a 3/2/10 performance, while Twisted Minds faltered in teamfights.
TNC sealed the comeback in Game 3 as Zaida redeemed himself on Yi Sun-shin, delivering a flawless 11/0/5 stat line and securing all but one lord to cap off the reverse sweep.
Twisted Minds will close their first half at 4-3 and prepare to face Team Falcons PH next Saturday. TNC, meanwhile, turn their attention to defending champions ONIC Philippines on Sunday.
Aurora extends win streak to six
Aurora Gaming opened strong with an 18-minute win, led by Jan Dominic “Domengkite” del Mundo’s 6/1/3 Granger and Edward Jay “Edward” Dapadap’s steady Terizla. The Northern Lights suffocated Omega, denying them every major objective and conceding only two turrets.
Smart Omega, however, answered with a dominant 16-3 showing in Game 2 behind Czedrick “SuperYoshi” Romero’s Grock, who posted a 3/1/11 KDA. Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo struggled on Selena, finishing 0/4/1, as Aurora lost control early.
The decider stretched to nearly 21 minutes, but Aurora held firm. Yue rebounded with a solid Pharsa outing (3/2/4), while Domengkite’s Harith stayed perfect at 5/0/3 to secure the win and push their streak to six straight.
Aurora, now 6-1, will try to make it seven in a row against Team Falcons PH on Friday. Smart Omega will aim to bounce back against an in-form TNC Pro Team earlier that day.
The Cavalry outlast the Green Falcons as legends collide
Team Liquid PH made it third straight victories after dispatching rivals Team Falcons PH in a three-game slugfest.
Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya set the tone in Game 1 with his Arlott, while Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno’s Fredrinn controlled the jungle as the Cavaliers closed the match in under 11 minutes. Falcons found no openings, managing only one kill all game.
The Green Falcons bounced back in Game 2 as Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo anchored a 16-4 win with nine assists on Chip, while rookie Edferdz “Ferdz” Fernandez’s Lapu-Lapu racked up six kills and eight assists.
With the series on the line, Kiel Calvin “Oheb” Soriano unveiled his season debut on Natan, posting 5/2/7. KarlTzy stole the spotlight once more, however, leading Liquid’s Game 3 win with a 7/1/9 Yi Sun-shin performance despite losing all three turtles.
Team Liquid PH will close their first-half campaign against AP.Bren on Sunday. Team Falcons, meanwhile, will look to finally break their skid in their rematch against Aurora Gaming next Friday.
About Author
