Falcons AP BREN Dismantles Team Liquid PH to Secure a Slot in MSC Grand Finals

It was a one-sided match as Falcons AP BREN showed a completely different form as they faced MPL-PH Season 13 champions Team Liquid Philippines, winning their bracket’s MSC 2024 Semis 3-1 in the best-of-five series. 

Falcons AP BREN surprised Team Liquid Philippines in Game 1 with a Julian pick for mid laner Pheww. The team drafted KyleTzy on Ling, FlapTzy on Terizla, Owgwen on Minotaur. TLPH reacted with BennyQt on Moskov, Jaypee on Edith, KarlTzy on Akai, Sanji on Pharsa, and Sanford on Paquito. 

Falcons AP BREN kept forcing team fights, preventing setups from Jaypee’s Edith. Throughout Game 1, Team Liquid had difficulty in team clashes because of the layering of crowd control skills from Minotaur’s Minoan Fury, Terizla’s Penalty Zone, and Julian’s Chain ultimate, while KyleTzy’s Ling focused on bullying Sanji’s Pharsa. Game 1 saw both teams’ mastery of the current meta, but ended with Falcons AP BREN ending the game at 15:30 minutes with 16-7 kills. 

“Team Liquid was shut down as early as the 7th minute,” said Filipino MPL caster Manjean Faldas. “That game was 70-30 Falcons AP BREN for me.”

In the banning phase of Game 2, Team Liquid opted for a respect ban on KyleTzy’s Ling, answered by Falcons AP BREN banning Jaypee’s Chip and Sanford’s Yu Zhong.  Jaypee went for Minotaur, Sanji for Luo Yi, KarlTzy for Baxia, BennyQt for Karrie, and Sanford for Arlott. Meanwhile, Falcons AP BREN picked Lolita for Owgwen, Lylia for Pheww, Julian for KyleTzy, and Terizla for FlapTzy.

Game 2 saw Team Liquid playing more aggressively in the early game, dealing tit-for-tats for every kill Falcons AP BREN secured. The score was 5-5 in the 8th minute with both teams having equal gold at 27k. 

Tides turned in favor of Falcons AP BREN at the 13th minute when Supermarco’s Moskov picked off Sanford’s Arlott, allowing Falcons AP BREN to secure an evolved Lord. The ensuing Super Minion wave and Lord march wiped out Team Liquid’s Inhibitor Turrets. In the 18th minute, KarlTzy was able to secure the Lord, but Falcons AP BREN punished Team Liquid Philippines with a wipeout, securing Game 2 at the 19th minute with 12 kills to Team Liquid’s 7. FlapTzy was the runaway MVP in Game 2 with 6-2-5 KDA and a 92% kill participation. 

Game 3 opened with Team Liquid Philippines’ Karltzy on Baxia, Jaypee on Minotaur, Sanji on Luo Yi, BennyQt on Nathan, and Sanford on Yu Zhong, countered by Falcons AP BREN with FlapTzy on Edith, KyleTzy on Fredrinn, Owgwen on Arlott, Pheww on Julian, and Super Marco on Claude. In the 5th minute, Team Liquid PH secured a near-wipeout of Falcons AP BREN, leaving FlapTzy’s Edith returning to base. Team Liquid PH extended their rally by the 9th minute, leading with 14 kills to 6 and securing the first Lord of the match.

Falcons AP BREN forced a team fight at the 16th minute to try to punish Team Liquid for securing the Lord, but ended up getting wiped out by the Cavalry as they were dealt their very first game loss in MSC 2024. Team Liquid Philippines took Game 3 with 20-6 kills in the 17th minute, extending their life in the series.

The first ban in the drafting phase of Game 4 went to Falcons AP BREN, banning Sanji’s comfort pick of Valentina, and another respect ban for KarlTzy’s Baxia. Team Liquid Philippines responded with a respect ban on KyleTzy’s Ling and Pheww’s Lylia. Falcons AP BREN picked Roger, Julian, Minotaur, Faramis, and Arlott, capitalizing on sustaining team fights. Team Liquid Philippines went for Nathan, Mathilda, Pharsa, Akai, and Terizla, going for mobility and with some tankiness for their lineup.

Game 4 saw early bloodshed as KarlTzy’s Akai killed Owgwen’s Minotaur, followed by a double-kill from Sanford’s Terizla, killing KyleTzy’s Julian and FlapTzy’s Arlott within the first 2 minutes. Both teams tried to contest the 8th-minute Lord, but Team Liquid Philippines ended up short as Owgwen’s Faramis provided extended stamina to the team during the Lord dance, wiping out Team Liquid except Sanji.

Falcons AP BREN closed out Game 4 in 10 minutes, securing a slot in the Grand Finals of the MSC 2024.