Twisted Minds and Its Declaration of Power
Three weeks into MPL Philippines Season 16, the league is facing a rude awakening: Twisted Minds, a team built on mostly rookies, has climbed to the top of the standings—turning what was once an underdog narrative into a declaration of power.
ONIC PH’s loss to Twisted Minds did not diminish the champions’ pedigree, but it signaled a significant tug in the balance of power in Season 16.
ONIC PH’s Coach Tony Senedrin spoke of Twisted Minds with the dual eye of a fan of the game and the coach who had just lost to them.
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Coach Tony on Twisted Minds: They are Fearless
“As a fan’s perspective na lang, kudos to Twisted Minds,” he began, his tone carrying both admiration and resignation. “As a coach, nakakatuwang tignan kasi you just play, you know your role, you execute. Ibang klase ang ipinakita ng nila. Yung tapang, execution, no hesitation at all. Lahat ng mga Lord takes nila in the last game, hindi sila nag-alinlangan, alam nila ang gagawin nila, na-execute nila.”
(“As a fan of the game, kudos to Twisted Minds. As a coach, was nice to see them play because you just play, you know your role, you execute. What they showed was impressive. The courage, the execution, no hesitation at all. Every Lord take they had in the last game, they didn’t doubt, they knew exactly what to do, and they executed it.”)
Coach Tony has always been known for his eye on discipline and preparation, but against Twisted Minds, he admitted that ONIC’s own struggles showed.
“It’s something that we have to talk about but maybe it’s knowing your role. Knowing what you can and can’t do in different scenarios and team fights. And also familiarity with the setup. We saw how the plays involved Assassins. That could be one of the cases.”
The loss was bitter, but his respect for the opponents was unshaken.
“I’m very happy for them, to be honest, with what they’re showing. From my perspective on the game and the growth, they’re very good. It gives hope to all our players in the amateur scene. But as the coach of the losing team, of course, it is frustrating. They were more prepared and more hungry, I guess.”
For Coach Tony, what makes Twisted Minds stand out is not just mechanics or preparation—it’s courage.
“Dito sa liga na ito, ang pinakamahalaga ay wala kang takot. Wala kang takot sa kahit sino, wala kang sinasanto, kumbaga. Pagka ang tingin mo sa sarili mo, malakas ka, ikaw ang pinakamagaling sa ginagawa mo, yung confidence din ng mga kakampi mo tataas din pagka ganoon. I think iyon ang pinakamagandang nakikita ko sa Twisted Minds.”
(“In this league, the most important thing is to have no fear. No fear of anyone, no sacred cows, so to speak. When you see yourself as strong, as the best at what you do, that confidence rubs off on your teammates as well. I think that’s the best thing I see in Twisted Minds.”)
He paused, as if to underline the point: “Kasi again, pindutan, mechanics, pag-aaral sa kalaban, given iyan. Pasok sa trabaho iyan, eh. Pero yung innate sa sarili mo na wala kang fear magkamali, wala ka ng fear na gumawa ng play, sila yung ganoon ngayon. So I think magiging maganda yung rest ng season ng Twisted Minds.”
(“Because again, button-pressing, mechanics, studying the opponent—those are givens. That’s part of the job. But what’s innate in you, when you have no fear of making mistakes, no fear of making a play, that’s what they have right now. So I think the rest of the season will be good for Twisted Minds.”)
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