Team Falcons PH continues to soar, defeating MPL Indonesia’s defending champions Team Vitality to advance to the top four of the MLBB Mid-Season Cup at the Esports World Cup on July 29.
The Philippines’ last hope exacted perfect revenge against the previously unbeaten Vitality—the very team that sent them to the lower bracket—dismantling them 3-1 to move within one win of the Grand Finals.
Team Falcons Strike Early
The rematch told a completely different story, with the Filipinos arriving far better prepared. Falcons were the first to strike in the opening minutes of Game 1 after Vitality overextended into their jungle, allowing the PH squad to punish the mistake that gave them an early 5-1 kill advantage. The Indonesians responded immediately, however, as jungler Nnael managed to steal the first Turtle and helped Vitality pick off two Falcons members.
But mid-laner Salic “Hadji” Imam—making his return to the international stage for the first time since M4—ensured they maintained control with crucial plays around the map.
The match turned into a back-and-forth brawl around the 9-minute mark, but Hadji, once again, stepped up alongside Flap to turn the tide for the Falcons. From that point on, the Philippine squad took complete command, methodically extending its advantage. By the 12-minute mark, Vitality was forced to contest the Lord, but their play backfired completely. Falcons pinned them into a corner, systematically picking them apart to seal the win.
Just like in the opening match, Team Falcons dictated the early pace of Game 2. Hadji was a force to be reckoned with on his Selena, showcasing incredible precision with his arrows and giving Vitality problems across the map. On the back of his brilliant play, Falcons surged to an early 6-1 advantage.
Vitality Show Signs of Life
The Indonesians, however, stood their ground. Nnael stepped up for Vitality, securing a Turtle and helping his team get a kill on Flap. Near the 8-minute mark, the Indonesians quickly burst down Owgwen’s Khaleed, using the man advantage to claim yet another Turtle. Capitalizing on the momentum, Vitality executed a crisp tower dive shortly after, picking off two more Falcons members.
From that point on, the Indonesians never let up. At the 11-minute mark, both squads clashed around the Lord pit, but Vitality’s gold laner, Emman, deleted SuperMarco from the fight, giving the Indonesians a much bigger advantage. Everything unraveled from there for Falcons as Vitality evened the series 1-1.
The Indonesians carried their momentum into Game 3, finding two quick early kills on Flap. They continued dictating the pace near the 5-minute mark when Finn set up a clean pick on Owgwen, allowing his team to lock down the kill. Needing to find a trade, Kyle tried to look for a play with his signature pick Fanny. But before he could even enter the fight, Shogun caught him with a perfectly timed Detona’s Welcome. Unfortunately for Shogun, he whiffed the stun on Kyle. Given that slight opening, Kyle turned the play around—securing the Turtle and dealing heavy damage that triggered a crucial four-man wipedown against Team Vitality.
Both squads fought tooth and nail for the remainder of the match, with Team Falcons holding only a slim lead. The defining moment came at the 12-minute mark during a contest for the Lord, where Kyle secured the neutral objective. Things quickly went from bad to worse for Vitality as Nnael’s Paquito was instantly bursted down, while Flap eliminated Moreno. That clash effectively sealed the game in Falcons’ favor.
Team Falcons Soar to Semis
While the Indonesians ran largely the same composition in Game 4, the Filipinos caught them off guard with a surprise Hanabi pick. The match remained deadlocked for the first 10 minutes until a game-changing clash erupted. Owgwen delivered a perfectly placed Wrath of the Dryad, pinning down four members of Vitality and setting the stage for SuperMarco to shred their health bars. Though two survived, the execution blew the game wide open and ballooned the Falcons’ advantage.
The final blow came at the 13-minute mark. Desperate to turn the tide, Vitality attempted a dive on the backline. They initially targeted Kyle, but his Fanny escaped quickly. They then shifted their focus to SuperMarco and dumped their full combo onto him. That was when the Hanabi pick proved its worth. SuperMarco survived the entire burst, melted three Vitality members, and sealed both the game and the series victory for Team Falcons.
