Team Falcons rise above struggles to catch MPL PH S16 playoff bus

October 13 ------ AGAINST all odds Team Falcons rose from rock bottom and took control of its own destiny to secure a spot in the MPL Philippines Season 16 playoffs. What’s even more impressive is that it did so by taking down the reigning MSC 2025 champions, Team Liquid Philippines, no less, in star matchup at the Green Sun Hotel.

What once seemed impossible became reality—and just like that, Team Falcons proved that when chances may be low but never zero, there’s always hope. Fresh off their dramatic victory against the Cavalry, Team Falcons’ captain Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel could hardly put his emotions into words, especially since making the playoffs once felt out of reach, with many critics claiming that the former world champions were already past their prime. “Di ko maipaliwanag ‘yung feeling namin kasi sobrang saya talaga namin lalo na nung na-meet ‘yung condition na matalo ‘yung Omega sa Aurora. Doon talaga kami nagkaroon ng pag-asa. Nothing to lose na rin kami,” Pheww said in an exclusive interview with Spin.ph.

Smart Omega and Team Falcons both ended the regular season with identical 5–9 records, but Falcons edged ahead in the standings thanks to one extra game win, 15–21, compared to Omega’s 14–21. Aurora Gaming asserted its dominance over Smart Omega with a 2–0 sweep earlier in the triple-header Saturday, and that result lifted Team Falcons’ spirit.

Team Falcons endured a rough campaign, suffering a seven-match losing streak from Week 1 to Week 5, but for Pheww, he never fought the battle alone—and those struggles now belong to the past. “Noong bandang Week 2, doon talaga kami na-late sa meta. May factor din talaga na nalaglag din kami sa IESF, nahirapan kami makabawi. Iyon ‘yung nag-ignite ng pagbaba ng morale namin kasi feeling namin lahat ng teams kaya na kaming talunin,” Pheww shared. “May tulong naman ako from coaches sa pagiging leader ko. ‘Yung mga kakampi ko naman gusto rin talaga makabawi at patunayan sa sarili nila na kaya pa rin namin makipagsabayan at makapasok sa playoffs,” he added, crediting both the coaching staff and his teammates for the team’s late-season surge.

After qualifying for the playoffs, Pheww said their focus wasn’t on revenge against the teams that beat them during the regular season, but rather on overcoming their own struggles to reach their best form. “Hindi na namin iniisip na bumawi sa kanila, mag-focus na lang kami sa improvements namin. Anything goes, tanggap na namin para walang pressure at mailabas namin ‘yung laro namin,” he said.

Source: spin.ph