TNC Pro Team pulled off a decisive 2-0 sweep over AP.Bren, securing their second win and spoiling the return of Jerry “chovskrt” Nicol to the main lineup in Week 3 of MPL Philippines Season 16.
AP.Bren leaned on the veteran leadership of former RSG PH standout Arvie “Aqua” Calderon during the early weeks of the season, but head coach Jeffrey “Jeff” Manforte later revealed that they had long intended to bring in sophomore Chovskrt to evaluate the team’s roster effectiveness.
“Bago pa kasi mag-start ang season, may mga napag-usapan na kung sino maglalaro per week. Since leg one pa nga lang, mas okay na nakikita namin kung ano yung strength ng team, at sino yung gumagana sa intake,” AP.Bren coach Jeff explained in the post-match interview.
Even though AP.Bren’s tactical switch failed to deliver a win against TNC Pro Team, Coach Jeff stood by his players and mentioned that the one with superior stats in the coming weeks will likely see more action.
“Trust naman ako sa team, kahit sino maglaro sa kanila, magpe-perform kami. Pero kung magbe-base kami sa stats papunta sa leg two, may mga player na makakakuha ng mas mahabang oras sa laro. Since leg one pa lang, tinitignan namin kung sino mas effective sa team,” he explained.
Knowing that every point matters more than ever, AP.Bren is focused on refining their gameplay ahead of a crucial match against Team Falcons, who are desperate to recover from a rough start to the season.
After missing the playoffs last season, AP.Bren is fighting to rewrite their story and secure a postseason berth this time around.
“Sinabi ko naman sa kanila na yung week 3 is napaka-importante sa amin. Since yung susunod naming mga kalaban sa amin ay medyo mabigat. Meron din talaga kaming hinandang preparation for TNC and then for Falcons.
Pero siyempre, since medyo naging shaky yung laro namin ngayon, kailangan muna namin pag-usapan kung ano yung mga pwede pa naming i-improve. Kasi for sure, nanonood din sa amin yung Falcons. Pero, prepared naman kami sa Falcons kasi sobrang importante for both teams yung result,” he expressed.
Coach Jeff keeps the faith
Despite the setback, Coach Jeff remains optimistic and views the upcoming major patch as a key opportunity to see which teams can adapt the fastest.
“Madami pang pwedeng i-adjust kasi hindi pa namin naibigay ang 100% sa game na yun. May mga bagay sa stage na iba sa training. Tsaka, comfortable pa rin ako, tsaka yung trust ko na papasok kami ng playoffs," he said.
"Since meron parating kasi na big patch from week 5, dun ko tinitignan kung sino ang unang makaka-adjust,” he explained, looking forward to a major shake-up in the league."
AP.Bren is set to face Team Falcons on Sunday, with both teams hungry for a win that could significantly boost their standings in the MPL PH Season 16 regular season.
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