QUEZON CITY, Philippines — AP.Bren and Team Liquid PH finally got their first wins of MPL Philippines Season 18 on Saturday at Victoria Sports Tower, while Team Falcons PH extended its perfect start to 2-0.
AP.Bren rallied past Twisted Minds PH, Team Liquid PH swept Smart Omega, and the Green Falcons closed the day with a 2-0 victory over TNC Pro Team to finish Week 1 unbeaten.
JamesPangks, AP.Bren rallies past Twisted Minds
AP.Bren overcame a slow start to defeat fellow rebuilding side Twisted Minds PH, 2-1, and open its Season 18 win column.
Twisted Minds controlled Game 1 for 21 minutes, finishing with a 14-2 kill advantage. Miguel “Sionnn” Alcantara led the way with three kills and five assists on Selena, while Tracy “Tracyyyy” Damasco’s Belerick added a kill and 13 assists.
AP.Bren found its answer in Game 2 behind James “JamesPangks” Mendoza. The young jungler accounted for all six of his team’s kills on Paquito as AP.Bren forced the series into a decider in just 12 minutes.
Jomearie “Escalera” delos Santos supported the comeback with four assists on Belerick, while Lance “Lansu” Misa’s three kills on Dyrroth were not enough to keep Twisted Minds from losing control.
JamesPangks remained the difference-maker in Game 3, delivering another dominant Paquito performance in an 11-minute finish. He exploded for seven kills and an assist, while Jhon Marl “JMPINKMAN” Sebastian’s Barats contributed 10 assists as AP.Bren completed the comeback.
AP.Bren will return Sunday against ONIC Philippines, while Twisted Minds PH is scheduled to face ONIC PH next Friday.
Team Liquid PH bounces back against Smart Omega on KarlTzy’s birthday
Team Liquid PH also erased the disappointment of its opening-day loss, sweeping Smart Omega in the latter’s first match of the season. The victory gave the Cavalry an extra reason to celebrate as Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno marked his 22nd birthday with a win.
Jaypee “Jaypee” dela Cruz played a key role across both games, opening with a 2/0/6 performance on Mathilda. KarlTzy added three kills and four assists as Liquid controlled the opening game.
Smart Omega struggled to generate momentum, with Dean “Raizen” Sumagui’s Ling finishing with two kills and four deaths. John “Perkziva” Sumawan also had a difficult outing, falling three times while recording only one assist.
Liquid continued to control the series in Game 2, with Jaypee again dictating the tempo from the roam position. The veteran finished with 10 assists out of Liquid’s 11 kills in the nearly 19-minute game, while Alston “Sanji” Pabico added a 5/1/5 performance on Novaria.
The sweep moved Team Liquid PH to 1-1 heading into its next match against AP.Bren on Friday.
Falcons stay perfect after TNC sweep
Team Falcons PH closed Saturday’s action with another convincing performance, sweeping TNC Pro Team to move to 2-0.
Michael “Kyle” Sayson spearheaded the opening game with 12 kills and two assists, while Rowgien “Owgwen” Ungo contributed to 14 of Falcons’ 16 total kills.
TNC struggled to keep pace, with Ervin “Vinnn” Franco managing only one assist while dying four times. Falcons maintained control throughout the game and never allowed TNC to build enough momentum for a comeback.
The Green Falcons needed 20 minutes to finish Game 2, but TNC pushed the series deeper than the opening game suggested. Marco “SuperMarco” Requitiano led Falcons with three kills and eight assists while dying only twice. David Charles “Flap” Canon added six kills and four assists to keep the Green Falcons in control.
Justine “Zaida” Palma attempted to keep TNC alive with a three-kill, five-assist performance on Hirara, but Falcons survived a prolonged team fight late in the game to close out the sweep.
The result gives Team Falcons PH a 2-0 record after Week 1, putting the Green Falcons among the early leaders in the MPL PH Season 18 standings. TNC Pro Team, meanwhile, falls to 0-1 and will have an immediate opportunity to recover against Aurora Gaming PH on Sunday.
Team Falcons PH will return next Saturday against Smart Omega, while the rest of the league continues to shape the early Season 18 standings in the coming matches.
