Team Liquid PH outlasts Onic Indonesia in thriller to reach MSC knockout stage
The Cavalry, the reigning MPL Philippines champions, overcame a Game 1 collapse with stunning fightbacks in the next two games to advance to the knockout stage.
Onic Indonesia, meanwhile, dropped to lower bracket semifinals of Group A where a loss means elimination and a win qualifies them to the next round.
"Before we started the game, I was actually telling them that no matter what happens, just play the game and you don't need to prove who you are," Team Liquid head coach Rodel "Ar Sy" Cruz said.
Team Liquid surged to an early lead in Game 1, building a 17–11 kill spread as jungler Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno (Yi Sun-shin) secured the fourth Lord at the 23:14 mark.
But just when it seemed the game was slipping away, the Indonesian champions Onic mounted a defense anchored by Filipino import Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol on Aamon, who turned the tide with a crucial double kill.
Kairi and the rest of Onic then marched down the middle lane during the final push to draw first blood in the best-of-three affair.
In Game 2, the exact opposite happened after Onic surged to an early 10-4 cushion, but Team Liquid stayed patient behind the tandem of KarlTzy (Lancelot) and gold laner Kiel "Oheb" Soriano (Moskov).
Oheb landed a pinpoint Spear of Destruction at the 9:50 mark, triggering a massive Lord steal that swung momentum in Liquid's way. Moments later, another well-timed ultimate from him paved the way for a crucial pick-off on two Onic players.
KarlTzy then shut down Onic's exp laner Moch Lutfi Ardianto and gold laner Clayton Adrielo Kuswanto during the last clash to complete a wipeout. His 6/2/3 KDA showing on his signature assassin hero pick earned KarlTzy the MVP honors as Team Liquid evened the series at 1-1.
Oheb, this time using Wanwan, showed the way in Game 3 clincher after unloading four kills and four assists against no death to steer Team Liquid to the playoffs.
"We lost the early game [in Game 2] but when Oheb stole the lord, it gave us momentum and hype after the lord steal," KarlTzy said.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News
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