Wolf Reflects: “Nakakahiya Talaga”
Silence filled the room as TNC entered after their last match of the season, winless for 14 straight games—a new record in MPL history. Caisam “Wolf” Nopueto was a light puff away from giving himself away, his eyes betraying his emotion, and the media was kind enough not to ask anything that would make the coach cry.
We decided to ask some of the more sensitive questions privately and not during the press conference.
Wolf barely maintained his composure but marched on with his answers, like a defeated general barely keeping his face stoic while accepting defeat.
“Nakakahiya talaga,” Wolf told ALL-STAR.
(It’s embarrassing.)
His eyes were teary.

“It will take a very long time for me to recover from this. But I cannot dwell. Honestly, want to develop immediately,” he added.
By “develop,” he means working on TNC’s problems.
But his mood slightly lifted when he remembered his Coach Yeb, the former Coach of ONIC Philippines in Season 9.
“Natalo ko yung record ng idol ko, si Coach Yeb! Cignal Ultra 0-13, Season 7. Talo na kita, coach!” (I beat the record of my idol, Coach Yeb! Cignal Ultra’s 0-13 in Season 7. Coach, I beat you!)
During the final days of the regular season, Coach Wolf had a chance to speak with Coach Yeb, who is currently coaching Fnatic ONIC Esports in Indonesia. He shared words of comfort with Wolf, which kept him going.
“Sabi niya sakin, kung kinaya daw niya, ako pa kaya?” (He told me, if he survived it, I’d definitely survive it too.)
“MPL Philippines is a different beast”

One of the things Wolf realized as a coach is that MPL Philippines is an unforgiving landscape for new teams and new rosters.
“It was a rude awakening, definitely,” said Wolf. “But to be fair, I don’t think I started with high expectations.”
The biggest factor, according to Wolf, that paralized TNC from the beginning is a shortage of time in preparing the team during the pre-season.
“The most important here is the pre-season preparations. One and a half months is really not enough. MPL Philippines is a different beast. I think since I had a little glimpse of the different regions, mas kaya iyon (they can do that). Sa MPL Philippines, it’s very difficult,” said Wolf.

According to Wolf, the Philippine meta is very different from the rest of the regions because it’s not the skills, mechanics, or macros that greatly matter here: It’s the experience.
“Iba yung hirap niya, iba yung approach talaga dito. Hindi mo madadaan sa draft lang, hindi mo madadaan sa tapang lang, hindi mo madadaan sa macro lang. You have to adapt all the time. Experience ang malakas dito sa Philippines, grabe ang mental fortitude ng mga teams na nasa taas.”
(The struggle here is different, the approach is very different. You cannot win by drafts alone, you cannot win by boldness, macro strategies. You have to adapt all the time. The strength of the Philippines is in experience. The mental fortitude of the teams at the top is extreme.)
It’s easy to say to a team to bounce back, but with a dreadful record of 0-14, Wolf is afraid for his boys.
“I felt it when you said you hope you didn’t damage the careers of the boys,” we told him.
Wolf reflects for a moment and shuffles uncomfortably.
“The boys have a lot of potential. And it sucks na sabay-sabay kaming nag bottom. It just sucked na 0-14 siya….”
(It suched that we all fell to the bottom at the same time. It sucked that it’s 0-14.)
He sighs heavily.
“Ang hirap i-defend kasi ng mga bata, sa management, sa management ng ibang orgs. I sincerely feel na sana hindi nasira ang career nila because of our overall results.”
(It’s difficult to defend the boys to the management, to other teams. I sincerely hope that this season’s overall results did not ruin their careers.)
No one knows what will happen to TNC’s roster next season. Will Wolf fight to keep the players together, strengthening their bond, or will TNC once again release its talents, only to watch them thrive elsewhere? The uncertainty hangs heavy, with the reputation and career of everyone in TNC teetering on the edge of change.
