AS BLACKLIST International continues to deal with an identity crisis, Nexplay EVOS came in guns blazing after a momentous victory over Onic PH.
And they further capitalized on their momentum by adding into Blacklist’s demise with a 2-1 series win over over the M3 World Champions. Even when the Codebreakers switched their lineup by inserting Dexter Louise “DEX STAR” Alaba over Mark Jayson “ESON” Gerardo, the defending champs still could not find their groove.
RENEJAY makes his debut in MPL-PH Season 9
Renejay “RENEJAY” Barcarse made his debut for Nexplay EVOS and became a crucial piece as his Franco was a nightmare. His hooks forced Kiel “OHEB” Soriano into uncomfortable positions at the botlane.
But he, alongside fellow debutant Emanuel Cervantes “Elpizo” Candelaria and veteran Jeff Lenjesson “S4gitnu” Subang caused more problems as they completely overwhelmed DEX STAR’s Lolita. Due to the controlling capabilities from S4gitnu’s Gloo and the mobility and surprise factor from Elpizo’s Mathilda, DEX STAR wasn’t able to position himself well.
The same outcome would have given Blacklist the boot in Game 2 as DEX STAR once again struggled against the pressure imposed to him by Nexplay EVOS. But everything changed at the 13th minute when Blacklist went all out to defend the inhibitor led by DEX STAR’s perfectly timed Noumenon Blast.
Nexplay tried to finish the game, but Blacklist’s momentum from that 13th minute setup led to their miraculous comeback, leading to a 1-1 scoreline.
Determined to avenge their blushes, Nexplay went back to their winning formula with their Gloo pick, but they maintained their aggressive gameplan with a few tweaks.
Renejay deployed his Edith which synergized well with S4gitnu’s Gloo, and both stomped Blacklist leading to their Game 3 win.
Nexplay brimmed with potential and flexibility
During the season, Nexplay head coach, John Michael "Zico" Dizon deployed numerous lineups. Against Onic PH, he used Michael "MP The King" Medrocillo Endino, paired with Rainiel Jhim "URESHIII" Agustin Logronio and Kenneth "CADENZA" Palejo Castro.
In today's matchup against Blacklist International, Zico opted to use John Paul "H2wo" Salonga, S4gitnu, Elpizo, Mariusz "DONUT" Villamero Tan, and RENEJAY, showcasing the flexibility that his team has for Season 9.
He admitted during the post-match interview that the roster shuffles were part of his plans.
“Nasa plano ko talaga yun kase ang ginagawa ko talaga sa kanila, dinedepende ko sa kalaban nila yung paglalaruin kong players since lahat naman sila malakas, kaya pantay-pantay yung pagtingin ko sa kanila, wala akong nakikitang hindi pwedeng maglaro sa kahit sino," he said.
And to make his team more threatening is the unpredictability from his decisions, based solely on the team's performances during scrimmages. He was even asked about the possibility of a full forced AP Esports lineup to which he replied: “Hindi ko masabi kung kailan kase nakadepende ako sa performance nila sa scrims."
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