WHEN Singapore secured a Game 1 win over the Philippines, it was a wake-up call for Blacklist International, now carrying the name of the Sibol national esports team.
They realized that Singapore is no longer the laughingstock in the SEA MLBB scene. While the Philippines dominated the early stages of the game all thanks to their Natalia and Akai combo, Singapore slowly adapted.
By the 12th to 13th minute, the tables had definitively turned.
Stefan Chong “Soul” Ru Chyi bursted down Salic “Hadji” Imam which limited Sibol’s backline assault. Then, as Dominic “Dominic” Soto was left in no man’s land, Singapore completely overwhelmed him, and finished off the Filipinos.
But like the usual Blacklist narrative, the team was able to learn from their flaws and turn the tide of the battle as they secured a 2-1 series win, and, most importantly, a medal finish in the SEA Games.
How Sibol prevailed over Singapore
While Game 1 saw Singapore come from behind, Game 2 saw them inching their way to dictating some portions of the match.
At the early stages, Remas “Remaniscent” Ker Zhen Hong’s Helcurt limited Sibol’s early game, then in most clashes he would synergize with Basil Lim “Seilah” Dao Ze’s Xavier to burst down key threats.
However, as the game progressed, the Codebreakers once again dissected their foes. The group-ups or ‘UBE’ was used to deny Helcurt’s Dark Night Falls ability, then Dominic made crucial plays to chase after Seilah’s Xavier. He even provided space for his team through his split pushing antics, allowing the Codebreakers to avenge their Game 1 loss.
And with only one game remaining, both teams went back-and-forth in the final game. Singapore stuck with their usual strategy of relying on the explosive setups from Akihiro “JPL” Furusawa’s Grock and the follow-up damage from Adam “Adammir” Chong’s Clint.
However, they also switched up their tactics by utilizing Soul’s Dyrroth as the primary initiator, creating more options for Singapore.
But then came the final play on the 25th minute. Both Singapore and Philippines were setting their sights on the Lord pit, but the defending M3 World Champions had a hidden trick in their sleeve. Seeing that Soul was left all by himself on the top lane, Sibol shifted their sights on him and eliminated him in the battlefield.
Then, as they went to the Lord pit, it was time for Blacklist to deliver the coup de grace, which was secured once Adammir died.
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