ANOTHER all-Filipino showdown occurred in the 2021 MPL: Invitational as RSG PH went head-to-head against their counterparts, ECHO PH. The matchup featured two teams with an identical playstyle, but the newly formed RSG squad prevailed in a grueling three game slugfest, ousting ECHO PH out of the tournament.
A game of zones in MPLI results of RSG vs. ECHO
It was a battle between the zonal specialists as ECHO’s Christian “Fajura” Rafflesia and Rion “Rk3” Kudo were left in a heated standstill against RSG’s tandem of Earvin John “Heath” Esperanza and Arvie “Aqua” Antonio.
The damage outburst from both midlaners and the supporting prowess from their roaming teammates has been a key factor in majority of skirmishes.
Rafflesia‘s Mathilda has been a thorn on Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto's side as he constantly chased RSG’s jungler, aiming to capitalize on Mathilda’s poke damage to limit Demonkite’s signature aggression.
This in turn forced Heath to utilize the sustain he brings, especially with his Angela, allowing his teammate to survive longer in Game 1 clashes. Seeing the threat of his healing heroes, ECHO PH adjusted by denying Heath’s signature Angela and Rafaela picks in Game 2.
As these two roamers were doing their usual antics, both Rk3 and Aqua made calculated setups with their abilities. It was Aqua who stole the show in Game 1 as his Yve made a huge impact in teamfights, even as he waited for Rafflesia to use his abilities.
But Rk3 had the answer in Game 2 as his Pharsa became a crucial piece, especially in the dying minutes of the match.
Emann and Kenji once again prove their value
Both of RSG’s reserve players, Eman “Emann” Sangco and Kenneth Jiane “Kenji” Villa made headlines for their impressive showing against RSG SG. They once again proved their worth against the ECHO PH’s main roster, proving that Coach Brian “Panda” Lim’s decision to experiment with his lineups has yielded the best results.
Emann’s masterful use of his Claude in Game 3 caused some havoc on ECHO’s lineup as his Blazing Duet weakened any potential engagement from their foes, especially from ECHO's key damage dealer, Frederic Benedict "Bennyqt" Gonzales.
Emann's production was later followed up by Demonkite’s Benedetta and Kenji’s Esmeralda, with the latter's tankiness ending up a major factor in the game.
Besides serving as a secondary damage dealer, Kenji made crucial plays in forcing ECHO PH away from the Lord objective as he harrassed their backlines. This in turn created space for RSG to secure the final push from the 17th minute onwards.
Given the performances of these two, one may argue that Panda is blessed with a tactical fluidity that could potentially rival Onic PH's stacked roster come Season 9.
A new challenge lies ahead
RSG's deep run with their new lineup has caused a lot of stir in this tournament, and they could potentially produce a shockwave in their upcoming match agaist the defending MPL-ID champions, Onic Esports.
Demonkite admitted that he prefers to face Onic PH. However, he welcomed the challenge from their Indonesian counterparts.
"I want to beat them too. [But] first, I need a stronger mentality because their gameplay is really aggressive," he said in a post-match interview.
He said that he's also set his sights on Onic Esports goldlaner and finals MVP, Calvin "CW" Winata.
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