MPL PH: Team Liquid crushes ONIC in sweep to punch upper bracket finals ticket

In a battle of champion teams, Team Liquid proved to be the better team now as it pulled off a 3-0 sweep against ONIC in the MPL Philippines Season 16 upper bracket semifinals on Thursday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Team Liquid, the reigning MPL and MSC champions, sent ONIC, the defending world title holder, to the lower bracket.

The Cavalry will take on the winner between Aurora Gaming and TNC for a slot at the championship round.

It was a one-sided sweep victory for Team Liquid with jungler Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno dropping a spotless 7/0/3 KDA and posting a 100 percent kill participation on his comfort pick Yin Sun-Shin as they drew first blood after 14 minutes of Game 1 clash. 

KarlTzy, this time using another one of his signature heroes in Lancelot, picked off his counterpart Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez and roamer Borris “Brusko” Parro (Gatotkaca) before taking down a free Lord just before the 10-minute mark of Game 2. 

Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya then set up the final clash through the Black Dragon Form, paving the way for a four-man wipeout against Onic as Team Liquid surged to a commanding 2-0 series lead. 

ONIC, which had beaten Team Liquid twice in their regular-season meetings, managed to extend Game 3 in hopes of avoiding a sweep, holding the line through three Lord defenses until the 22nd minute.

But a pivotal double kill from KarlTzy (Lancelot) against K1NGKONG (Yin Sun-Shin) and Brusko (Baxia) at ONIC's base ultimately saw Team Liquid avenge their previous losses to move forward in the playoffs. 

KarlTzy was named MVP in that series-clinching Game 3 with five kills and five assists against just one death as he flaunted masterful use of the assassin hero. 
 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News