AND IN THE end, only two teams remained, both secured of an MSC berth, both aiming for a chance to carve their legacy.
For RSG, this is their first time to reach the finals, charging into the season with a young up-and-coming squad and a battle-tested head coach who last made headlines in Season 3. Omega, on the other hand, had the chance to finally end their championship drought.
But RSG PH dismantled Omega Esports, 4-1, clinching their first-ever MPL-PH trophy.
How RSG PH dissected Omega
A strong early game control led by Dylan “Light” Catipon’s marshalling of the bottom lane to create space for Eman “EMANN” Sangco’s Brody allowed RSG to snowball throughout the match.
However, Omega are known for the mid to late game heroics, and they managed to show their prowess by the 10th minute led by Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog’s conceal play.
Though Omega showed signs of life, RSG was able to keep their composure. Seeing that their lineup is good in chokepoints, RSG patiently waited for their foes to stumble. With Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo harassing the backlines and the poor spacing from Omega allowed Arvie “Aqua” Antonio and EMANN to land long distance assaults, which ultimately secured their Game 1 win.
Though their feats were impressive in Game 1, Omega’s ability to dissect their foes was evident in Game 2. As Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto, Light, and Nathzz were chasing Duane “Kelra” Pillas down, Ch4knu made crucial saves to stall down Light’s Heart Guard, leading to Omega’s counterattack and a Game 2 win with one of the lowest scoring games in MPL history with a 2-0 kills count.
With Omega reading RSG well, perhaps it was time for the Raiders to switch. However they maintained their anti-Kelra tactics. Similar to Game 1, Light was setting his sights on Kelra, slowing him down at the early game while Nathzz would pincer his way to destroy the Omega gold laner in teamfights.
Barangay Omega tried to bounce back with conceal plays and Ch4knu’s surprise setups with his Atlas, but these were denied by RSG’s decision making and prevailed in Game 3.
Seeing that their surprise plays no longer work against RSG’s discipline, Omega reverted back to their Mathilda play which would allow them to further protect Kelra in Game 4.
But Coach Panda had his trump card prepared. The Cecilion and Chou picks were crucial in forcing Omega in an awkward position. In tight spaces, RSG can overwhelm their foes with the Cecilion and burst down their foes when combined with Nathzz’ Esmeralda.
They even assessed Ch4knu’s movements with his Mathilda, and managed to outwit him in every teamfight with their systematic playstyle, leading to RSG’s Game 4 win.
RSG PH defeats Omega in Game 5
In the crucial Game 5 battle, Omega selected Estes, signaling their usage of the UBE strategy. However Coach Panda revealed his other trump card. With Nathzz’s Yu Zhong pick, he was able to stomp the backlines. He even confused Omega’s timings with his random combo with Light.
It was a close tussle in the Lord fights, but RSG made crucial clutch plays, allowing them to secure the championship.
Nathzz bagged the finals MVP trophy, while Coach Panda secured his second MPL-PH trophy.
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