THE FINAL week of Season 9 is underway and both Bren Esports and Omega Esports are in a desperate attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive.
But among the two of them, Bren Esports are in a tighter spot as they need to sweep their remaining games to have a better chance of reaching the next phase. A single loss to Omega will instantly put them out of contention.
And unfortunately, that loss came on the very first game as Bren stumbled on Omega’s late game heroics.
In the end, their valiant efforts weren’t enough and even though they snatched a point in Game 2, Omega secured a crucial Game 3 win and ended Bren’s season with a 2-1 series win.
Omega returns as the Comeback Kings
While Season 9 saw Omega forego their usual late game heroics in favor of a strong early game control, their Game 1 victory saw the return of their clutch genes.
With Vincent “JOY BOY” De Guzman moving around the Land of Dawn, Omega’s Dean Christian “Raizen” Samagui had a difficult time in securing his jungle, and it seemed all hope was lost as Bren was able to push the lanes.
Though Bren had a strong aggressive early game, they stumbled when it came to the final push. Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog made a crucial play on the 14th minute to chase down David Charles “Flap” Canon.
Then, as the match went on, Omega kept on chasing Bren’s EXP laner. Both Ch4knu and Renz Errol “Renzio” Cadua zeroed in on Flap, while Patrick James “E2MAX” Caidic had so much space to deliver the finishing touches from long range, which ultimately destroyed Bren’s playoff hopes.
While Bren gave them a taste of their own medicine in Game 2, capitalizing on Omega’s poor positioning at the latter stages of the game, Omega bounced back in the final game.
Bren went all out in limiting Omega’s sidelanes at the early game, but Omega punished them for their over-aggression as the game drew on.
To make matters worse, Omega was able to read JOY BOY’s setups. Bren was left scrambling, and ultimately conceded the final game.
With Bren out of the playoffs, Omega secured two points, giving them 15 points overall, above Blacklist International. Their final game will be against the Codebreakers and a victory over them will secure their playoff spot.
Taking things seriously
Contrary to his teammates, Patrick James "E2MAX" Caidic remained serious about Omega's situation that even though his team won against Bren Esports, he kept his emotions at bay.
Since Omega could still be eliminated depending on the outcome against Blacklist International, E2MAX mentioned in a post-match interview with Mara Aquino that he has no time to celebrate.
"Sa lagay kase namin ngayon parang walang panahon para magsaya dapat naka-focus pa rin kami kase may chance kaming malaglag."
He added: "Kaya maganda talaga na yung teammates ko hindi makampante para pag nakita akong seryoso, ibig sabihin magiging seryoso rin sila. Kumbaga wala kaming time para magpabaya kahit anong match. Kailangan kung kaya namin tapusin ng 2-0, dapat ganun talaga yung mangyari.
Though scoring a 2-0 win against Blacklist International is their ideal target, it wouldn't be an easy feat for the MSC champs to accomplish as the Codebreakers have only been swept thrice this season.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
