Team Liquid PH’s campaign in the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 left a cloud of questions hanging over their return to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines Season 18.
But on Sunday night, the defending champions let their performance do the talking, turning the battle for the top seed into a statement of defiance that drowned out the noise and reminded everyone why they remain a force to reckon with.
Team Liquid PH weathered an early stumble before delivering an emphatic Game 3 comeback to take down Team Falcons PH, 2-1, and seize the top seed in the MPL Philippines Season 18 regular-season finale at the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City.
Much has been said about the Cavalry following their stint as Sibol’s representative at the Asian Games.
The quarterfinal loss to Indonesia at the Asiad dealt Team Liquid PH a sobering setback, putting its resilience under scrutiny and raising questions about whether the team could rediscover their winning form on the MPL stage.
But they delivered the perfect response, ending the regular season on a four-game winning streak and taking down arguably the biggest threat to their four-peat aspirations heading into the playoffs.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
With the virtual battle for the top seed deadlocked at one game apiece, Game 3 opened with Team Liquid PH on the back foot as Team Falcons PH came out swinging, racing to a 5-0 kill lead behind Michael “Kyle” Sayson’s Alice.
Team Falcons PH’s composition of Alice, Freya, Carmilla, Gatotkaca, and Eudora proved difficult to break through, forcing the Cavalry to play patiently and make the most of every opening as they tried to claw their way back into the game.
Amid the pressure, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno (Aulus) never stopped farming, even stealing the game’s first Turtle to keep his side afloat.
Meanwhile, Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Lapu-Lapu) and Dave “Teddy” Viana (Paquito) scrambled across the map to defend their side turrets, buying their team precious time to recover as Team Falcons PH continued to dictate the pace.
By the 10th minute, the Cavalry appeared ready to finally turn the tide, committing to a team fight that yielded their first kill of the game through Salic “Hadji” Imam’s Eudora.
But the breakthrough came at a steep cost, as Team Liquid PH lost four players in the exchange, forcing them back to the drawing board.
The ensuing minutes tested the Cavalry’s patience and composure, perhaps marking its toughest stretch since returning from Japan.
Amid the crumbling turrets, dwindling resources, and shrinking map, Michael “Kyle” Sayson’s Alice proved to be Team Liquid PH’s biggest hurdle.
With Team Liquid PH fielding heroes that thrived on jumping into the thick of team fights, Alice proved to be the perfect counter, using her crowd control and lifesteal to absorb pressure and disrupt their formation.
But eventually, the Cavalry found a way around the problem, quite literally.
With most of their anti-heal items already in place, Team Liquid PH committed to a Lord fight in the 16th minute, deliberately playing around Kyle’s Alice and shifting their focus to the other four Team Falcons PH heroes.
By avoiding the mage’s disruptive presence, the Cavalry finally found openings to dismantle the opposing side’s play, winning a prolonged clash with a seven-for-three exchange. Team Liquid PH capped off the fight by claiming their first kill on Kyle and securing the Lord, marking a decisive turning point in Game 3.
The Cavalry then methodically took down Team Falcons PH’s turrets, with Alston “Sanji” Pabico’s (Pharsa) Feathered Airstrike keeping the defenders at bay.
In the end, they stuck to the same formula, bypassing Kyle’s Alice and taking down the other four heroes to bring down the base, secure the top seed, and send a clear message to the rest of the league that Team Liquid PH is still the team to beat.
KarlTzy finished with a game-high seven kills to go along with six assists against two deaths, while Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz had 11 assists, a kill, and a death on Minotaur to lead the Cavalry’s comeback.
They finished tied with Team Falcons PH via identical 12-2 records but claimed the top seed on superior points.
ROUGH START
The emphatic finish stood in stark contrast to how the series began, with Team Liquid PH absorbing a lopsided Game 1 defeat before finding its footing in the next two games.
Hadji’s Eudora proved to be the difference-maker in Game 1, racking up five early kills to fuel Falcons’ 7-2 start and nearly 6,000-gold lead.
The early advantage proved insurmountable for the Cavalry, who never found an opening to mount a meaningful fightback as Team Falcons PH cruised to a lopsided 16-2 win in just 11 minutes and 20 seconds of play.
The former Omega Esports star finished with a dominant 9-0-3 KDA line, while Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo (Marcel) did his role well and tallied a game-high 13 assists for Team Falcons PH.
STRONG RESPONSE
With Hadji’s Eudora back on the field in Game 2, Team Liquid PH found a way to neutralize the threat that plagued them in the opener.
Showing the same in-game adaptability they would display in Game 3, the Cavalry adjusted on the fly, using Sanji’s Pharsa to keep Hadji in check from a distance while Sanford’s Alice and Jaypee’s Minotaur repeatedly dove onto the Eudora to limit his impact in team fights.
But the turning point came around the 10-minute mark, when Sanford unleashed a four-man Throne of Ruin near inside Team Falcons PH’s second mid-lane turret, wiping out four players and swinging the momentum firmly in Team Liquid PH’s favor.
The successful wipeout paved the way for the Cavalry to secure the Lord and build a lead of more than 7,000 gold, allowing them to pull away and even the series.
Teddy paced Team Liquid PH with a clean 7-0-4 line on Freya, while Sanji managed four kills and nine assists against one death in the 16-6 Game 2 win in almost 12 minutes of action.
After an early stumble and a lopsided Game 1 defeat, the Cavalry showed the composure and adaptability that have defined their championship run, turning the series around to claim the top seed.
With the regular season behind them, Team Liquid PH now carries renewed momentum into the playoffs, having answered the questions surrounding their return from Japan with a timely reminder that their pursuit of a fourth consecutive MPL Philippines crown remains firmly on track.
