Author: Bon Paulo Pabuhaya Photo Credit: Richard Esguerra MPL PH
Since surrendering a reverse sweep to Team Falcons in their opener, Team Liquid Philippines has been unstoppable—winning five consecutive matches and sweeping ten straight games to claim the top spot in the MPL PH S18 standings.
Following a perfect Week 2 where they dispatched AP.Bren and Aurora Gaming, Team Liquid kept their foot on the gas in Week 3 with dominant sweeps over TNC and Twisted Minds.
Team Liquid Grounds the Phoenix
The Cavalry first flexed their might against a dangerous Phoenix squad. TNC has shown this season that, despite their young and newly built roster, they are a legitimate threat that can go toe‑to‑toe with the league’s elites. TLPH, however, proved to be an entirely different beast.
The defending MPL PH champions needed just five minutes to break through in Game 1. TNC made the first move when Zehn’s Badang caught Teddy with Fist Crack. But despite the immediate follow‑up, Teddy somehow survived. That failed engage proved disastrous for TNC, leaving them exposed as TLPH marched in and secured four crucial kills.
Team Liquid stayed on the offensive over the next few minutes, dictating the map while steadily extending their lead. The Phoenix simply couldn’t find an answer as the Cavalry finished Game 1 with an overwhelming 24‑9 kill advantage and a 13k gold lead.
Karltzy was deadly on the Suyou, racking up a stellar 11‑0‑7 stat line. Their frontlines were just as impressive in the game, with Sanford on Carmilla posting a 1‑0‑16 KDA and Jaypee delivering a 2‑2‑20 performance on Atlas.
TNC showed just what they can do in Game 2, storming out to an early 9‑1 kill lead. Despite some resistance from Team Liquid, TNC remained in control, extending their gold advantage to 5k past the 16‑minute mark.
Still, TLPH held on strong and fought their way back into the game in the following minutes. Then it was Teddy’s time to shine. During the 21‑minute Lord fight, TNC tried to take Teddy out early, but the gold laner survived and retaliated with massive damage, tearing through the Phoenix and helping the Cavalry eliminate four members to secure the win.
The Cavalry Keeps Charging Forward
Team Liquid stayed locked in the following day against BennyQT and Twisted Minds. The first five minutes of Game 1 were relatively even, but TLPH broke the deadlock around the five‑minute mark by picking off three TWIS players in a top‑lane fight. The Cavalry held firm control over the next few minutes, but TWIS struck back after the 10‑minute mark. As Liquid pushed aggressively to expand their lead, Twisted Minds met them with a flawless counter‑engage. Tracyyy on Belerick landed a perfect Wrath of Dryad, setting up Kayn to decimate the Cavalry and secure the Savage.
TWIS carried that momentum into the 14‑minute mark, taking down two members of Liquid ahead of the crucial Lord fight. With the numbers advantage, it looked like Twisted Minds had taken control of the game—but Liquid had other plans. Karltzy’s Suyou came up clutch by securing the Lord, while Teddy shut down Kayn to completely turn the fight around.
Team Liquid Ends With a Flourish
The Cavalry then put the finishing touches on the game shortly after. They punished Kayn for sneaking into their backline in search of a pick‑off, and with the resulting man advantage, Team Liquid secured the Game 1 win.
Team Liquid was just on another level. Holding the upper hand for most of Game 2, they steadily built up a massive lead. The decisive moment came when Kayn attempted an ambush on Karltzy; after failing to secure the pick, Kayn was caught out of position once again, leading to a crucial elimination. That opened the door for Liquid’s final siege, where Teddy secured a triple kill to wrap up the victory.
With this momentum, Team Liquid looks every bit like a squad that has rediscovered its championship form as they march toward a historic MPL Philippines four‑peat. That form will face its biggest test in Week 4, however, when a formidable ONIC Philippines awaits in what promises to be a blockbuster showdown.
