Team Liquid PH books EWC return, sets grand finals clash with ONIC
Photo from MPL Philippines / Richard Esguerra
Team Liquid PH books EWC return, sets grand finals clash with ONIC
MAKATI — Team Liquid Philippines are headed back to the MPL Philippines grand finals and the Esports World Cup (EWC) after outlasting Team Falcons PH, 4-2, in the Season 15 lower bracket finals at Green Sun Hotel.
The win sets up a long-awaited grand finals rematch between Liquid and ONIC Philippines, with both teams now locking horns for the second time this postseason and with more than just a domestic title at stake.
This will be Team Liquid PH’s fourth grand finals appearance, dating back to their time as ECHO, and their second consecutive EWC qualification. For Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, it marks a return to the international stage after a four-year absence.
Midlane masterclass from Sanji
Alston “Sanji” Pabico opened the series strong with a dominant Luo Yi performance in Game 1, finishing with 9/1/15 in just 16 minutes of action. Alongside him, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno controlled the tempo with Fredrinn (3/0/15), while FlapTzy played the sacrificial frontliner on Baxia, ending with 0/6/5.
Sanji doubled down in Game 2, tallying 7 kills and 12 assists over a 28-minute brawl. Despite Marco “Super Marco” Requitiano’s efforts with Clint, Falcons PH couldn’t keep up with Liquid’s rotations.
Falcons show fight, but Liquid holds firm
Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson sparked life for Team Falcons in Game 3, delivering a standout Hayabusa (9/1/9) game to pull one back. However, Jaypee “Jaypee” dela Cruz struggled to find impact on Jawhead, going 0/8/6 and marking his first loss on the pick this season.
Kiel “Oheb” Soriano reclaimed the spotlight in Game 4 with a clean 7/1/3 outing in 12 minutes, as Team Liquid took a flawless wire-to-wire victory, securing every major objective.
Super Marco fired back in Game 5, unloading 14 kills with Granger in a 20-7 stomp that kept the Falcons alive.
But Game 6 saw Oheb close the door with a signature Harith performance, finishing 9/1/2. Team Liquid forced a decisive team fight, catching Falcons PH in a staggered collapse to seal the win.
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