Team Liquid kicked off its “Golden Road” bid by methodically dismantling Aurora Gaming in an early all-Filipino clash at the M7 World Championship on Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Midlaner Alston “Sanji” Pabico stole the spotlight in the best-of-one encounter, with the rest of the Cavalry providing steady support as Team Liquid inched closer to securing a playoff spot. Aurora Gaming, on the other hand, faces a tougher path in the tournament’s unique Swiss stage.
Both teams began the game with a familiar discipline, as neither side managed to build a gold lead greater than 1,000 in the first ten minutes of action. However, the first Lord clash before the 12th minute mark basically spelled the difference.
Aurora jungler Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto (Fredrinn) timed his Retribution perfectly to secure the Lord, but the victory came at a steep price. Four Aurora heroes fell in the exchange, allowing Team Liquid to defend and create separation.
Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno (Yi Sun-shin) gave Team Liquid the second Lord before the reigning back-to-back MPL Philippines champions took down all the base turrets of Aurora. That set the stage for the siege as Team Liquid finished it off in 16 minutes and 54 seconds.
Sanji was named MVP after tallying two kills and nine assists on his Luo Yi while KarlTzy posted seven kills and six assists.
The victory gives Team Liquid a strong start to its “Golden Road” campaign, leaving the squad just two wins away from clinching a playoff spot.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
