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Revenge, like success, is iterative for the Northern Lights.
Aurora Gaming PH shocked the whole crowd in the first day of the M7 playoffs after defeating rivals Team Liquid and knocking them into the lower bracket. With a 2-1 victory, Aurora snapped their five-game losing streak and got sweet revenge for getting swept back in the MPL PH S16 grand finals.
Initially it looked like business as usual when Aurora and Team Liquid first met each other in the Swiss Stage. Team Liquid looked clean and crisp while Aurora still looked like the Cavalry had their number. But it’s a different world once you get to the playoffs and Aurora capitalized on that perfectly.
“I think it’s because it’s already a best-of-three match, which really allows us to adjust between games,” said Aurora Gaming’s coach Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani in an interview with the media. That has always been coach MtB’s modus and they’ve certainly have had time to prepare since the end of S16. It’s just that a best-of-one doesn’t really give a team a lot of leeway for mistakes. Now that it’s playoffs however, Aurora can now really show their potential.
“And we really did prepare for Team Liquid. Whenever you face the same opponent again and again, there really is an advantage for the losing team because they can always adjust.”
That step is important for top competitors as you’re constantly facing the same players and teams. Eventually you’ll become familiar with how a player or team moves and it’s up to you on how to capitalize on that.
“What’s really different is how teams adjust and prepare,” said Aurora Gaming’s coach MtB. “We’ve fought [Team Liquid] for so long that it really comes down to surprises. Beating Team Liquid is not an easy thing to do but we still want to face them again in the grand finals.”
A bold claim from the coach, especially since Team Liquid, if they make it through the lower bracket, won’t take this loss lightly. But that’s what Aurora is expecting and if it happens, they’ll be ready for them.
“I think if we meet again it will be very different. Team Liquid doesn’t stand still. There are things that they will change, improve, and adjust. It’s the same after they lost to [Selangor Red Giants]. They really played differently so we have to be prepared for that.”
Banner photo from MOONTON Games.