Team Liquid PH completed an unprecedented three-peat championship run in MPL history after edging out Team Falcons, 4-2, in the Season 17 Grand Finals on Sunday at the FilOil Centre.
Many teams have come close to achieving a three-peat over the years, but Team Liquid PH finally accomplished what seemed impossible after dominating the regular season with a 13-1 record and cruising through the upper bracket with victories over Smart Omega (3-0) and ONIC Philippines (3-1).
Team Liquid PH entered Season 17 as one of the most doubted squads after fielding two rookies, with many even predicting a miss from the playoffs, but ended the season rewriting history as the first MPL team to win three straight titles from Seasons 15 to 17.
Team Liquid Flows Like Water
Neither side was willing to overcommit early in Game 1 until Sanji’s Kimmy drew first blood on Kyle’s Leomord during the first turtle contest at the five-minute mark.
From there, Team Liquid wrested full control, building a commanding 14-1 kill advantage and a staggering 14,000-gold lead by the 12-minute mark.
The Cavalry tightened their grip on the opener by relentlessly invading Kyle’s jungle and denying the Leomord valuable resources.
Despite Owgwen’s Gloo buying time at the 12:50 mark by drawing the attention of Sanji’s Kimmy, Teddy’s Karrie, and Sanford’s Paquito, it was not enough to halt the defending champions’ march.
Sanford’s Paquito delivered a flawless 7-0-5 KDA performance, leading Team Liquid PH to the first win in the best-of-seven Grand Finals.
Game 2 remained deadlocked through the early game, with both squads matching each other in gold and map control until the Cavalry claimed the Lord at the 9-minute mark.
Refusing to go down, Hadji’s Zhuxin produced a triple kill during a 15-minute base defense, maximizing Lantern Flare and giving Team Falcons enough breathing room to keep their comeback hopes alive.
Team Falcons put up a valiant stand, but the turning point arrived at the 16-minute mark when KarlTzy’s Fredrinn captured the Lord while Sanji’s Gord eliminated Kyle’s Suyou with Mystic Gush.
Sanji’s Gord put on a masterclass with a 9-2-11 KDA and perfect kill participation, pushing Team Liquid PH ahead 2-0 in the series.
Facing a huge setback, the Falcons finally found their breakthrough in Game 3. The squad dictated the pace early and remained deathless until an 8-minute mid-lane clash, building a 6-0 lead before KarlTzy’s Harley picked off Flap’s Lapu-Lapu with Poker Trick while Teddy’s Claude added a double kill.
The Cavalry prolonged Game 3 through disciplined defense, but Falcons surged ahead after Kyle’s Fredrinn locked down the 20-minute Lord before Hadji’s Yve shut down Teddy’s Claude, opening a path into Team Liquid’s base.
In the final siege, Hadji collected a double kill on KarlTzy and Sanford, ending with an 8-1-13 KDA as Falcons cut the deficit to 2-1.
The momentum carried over into Game 4 despite another sluggish start from the Falcons.
Both teams remained nearly even in gold heading into the late game. The deadlock finally broke during a pivotal 16-minute Lord fight. Kyle’s Fredrinn secured the objective while SuperMarco’s Karrie picked up a double kill. Meanwhile, Owgwen’s Atlas isolated Sanji’s Zhuxin in the top lane, preventing him from defending their base that helped Falcons achieve a tie at 2-2.
What once looked like a one-sided finale series had suddenly transformed into a nip-and-tuck affair, with Team Falcons threatening to spoil Team Liquid PH’s bid for immortality.
However, Team Liquid quickly retaliated and ended Game 5 in just 10 minutes and 48 seconds with a lopsided 13-2 kill score over the Falcons.
It was Sanford’s Paquito that led the final siege, punching his way through the defending Falcons near the top side and securing a game-winning double kill against Kyle’s Suyou and Flap’s Esmeralda.
With Sanford’s standout 8-0-2 KDA performance, the Cavalry inched closer to winning another championship title at 3-2 matchpoint.
In Game 6, Team Liquid aimed to close the series, with Teddy’s Claude scoring a Maniac during an 11-minute bottom lane fight.
Team Falcons tried to pressure Team Liquid in mid lane, but the move backfired when Teddy’s Claude eliminated SuperMarco’s Moskov, allowing Liquid to secure the 13-minute Lord and close out the game as Falcons’ backdoor attempt failed.
In the end, Sanford was named Finals MVP of the MPL PH Season 17 Grand Finals, earning his second MPL Finals MVP since Season 13 in 2024.
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