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No one expected the favorites to be in danger early into playoffs but this is nothing new for the Cavalry.
Despite being one of the favorites to take the world championship, Team Liquid have been challenged a great deal in their M7 run. They felt the sting of a loss against Malaysia’s Selangor Red Giants back in the Swiss Stage. Now they’re on their last life as they were knocked into the lower bracket by rivals Aurora Gaming PH.
“[Aurora] really improved their playstyle from the Swiss Stage,” said Team Liquid’s coach Rodel “Ar Sy” Cruz in an interview with the media. “They were more patient, they knew how to manage their pressure… We expected them to improve because Aurora has good players and a good coach. Once we beat them, I knew that they would be ready for us next time. I’m always wary that they could surprise us.”
Aurora, while seen as underdogs compared to Team Liquid, are definitely no slouches when it comes to the world championships. They went on a 15 match win-streak prior to Team Liquid stonewalling them in the MPL PH S16 playoffs. However, coach Ar Sy recognizes that even then, the team wasn’t playing to their usual standards that match.
“What they showed was nothing special but we really didn’t show our best this series. We really need to review and refine our playstyle for the next game.”
Do or Die
It’s an uncomfortable but not unfamiliar road for the Philippine champs. They’re no strangers to lower bracket runs, least of all their legendary Jungler Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno. He managed to win his first world championship after getting knocked down in a similar fashion. But even the GOAT understands the seriousness of their situation.
“Our run for M2 was really stressful and I was hoping we wouldn’t experience that again,” said Team Liquid’s KarlTzy. “But we’re here again so all we can do is move forward and do our best.”
“We’re familiar with this sort of situation,” added coach Ar Sy. “In MPL PH S16 we fell into the lower bracket. In MSC 2025 there was no lower bracket. We don’t care about the bracket or team we’re facing. We just aim to do better every game so now we need to stay focused.”
Banner photo from MPL Philippines.