RSG PH eliminates Bren, arranges rematch vs Echo with M4 ticket at stake

RSG Philippines flirted with disaster before putting away a pesky Bren Esports squad with a close 3-2 win and arranged a do-or-die rematch against Echo in the lower bracket finals of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 10 on Saturday.

The defending champions squandered a 2-0 series lead but dominated the deciding match to reach the lower bracket finals.

On Friday, RSG suffered from a stinging 3-1 loss against Echo but now has the chance for revenge after Blacklist International swept the latter in the upper bracket finals.

They will dispute the last ticket allotted to the Philippines in the M4 World Championship in Indonesia next year.

Game 1 was a see-saw battle with RSG taking the lead after a 3-0 wipe during a 9th minute lord fight then uncorked a 4-0 shutout of their own in the 13th minute equalizing the inhibitor turret takedowns.

But RSG emerged on top of a 15th minute skirmish, taking a 3-0 wipe followed by another 3-0 takedown in the 17th minute to take the opener.

The defending champions continued with the rampage in Game 2, tallying a 5-2 kill lead by the 6th minute and a 2k gold lead.

They were boasting a 9-3 kill lead by the 11th minute spearheaded by Arvie “Aqua” Antonio's (Yve) 3-0-5 KDA that they converted into a luminous lord take late in the 12th minute only to be punished by Bren in the ensuing base turret invade with a 2-1 exchange.

The reigning MSC champions needed a crucial 5-1 wipeout in the 16th minute to finally reach matchpoint, 2-0.

RSG played a wait and see strategy in Game 3, punishing Bren's miscalculated aggressions highlighted by Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo (Esmeralda) outplaying three Bren members during a botlane ambush that Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto (Karina) capped off with a pick off and the turtle buff.

The M2 world champions though scored a clutch 2-1 exchange late in the 9th minute to secure the first lord of the match and equalize on the net worth.

Michael Angelo “KyleTzy” Sayson (Gusion) went on rampage in the 17th minute, nabbing a double kill during a base turret aggression to secure the lord then scored the crucial pickoffs in the ensuing lord march to extend the series, 2-1. He finished with a stellar 5-1-8 KDA.

It was Demonkite's turn to shine in Game 4 as he took kills one after the other and was already at a massive 7-0-2 KDA after emerging on top of a 13th minute lord fight with a 3-0 wipe.

Despite Bren successfully holding on, it looked like RSG was about to close out the series after picking off Pandora (Fredrin) and Marco “SUPER MARCO” Requitano (Irithel) in the 24th minute but the Season 6 champs executed a miracle defense in the 26th minute, picking off two enemy heroes for a massive reversal and force a rubber match.

Pandora finished with a paltry 2-11-6 KDA but delivered the most important play in their final base turret defense where he executed a pinpoint Appraiser's Wrath set-up to burst down Eman “EMANN” Sangco (Claude) helping Bren even the series.

RSG though shrugged off the defeat and imposed their will early in Game 5, taking a 4-0 kill spread by the second minute to lord over the early up to the mid game.

They completely dismantled Bren Esports en route to a dominant close out win built around a 12-1 kill tally.

—JMB, GMA News