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| Fnatic Onic PH should be a top contender for Team of the Year this 2024. Moonton |
MANILA--The year 2024 saw inspiring storylines for professional teams, such as Meralco's first PBA championship, Pampanga's MPBL two-peat, Creamline's historic PVL grand slam, and Kaya Iloilo and RRQ Kaito's invincible runs in the PFL and MDL PH, respectively.
RRQ Kaito even completed the first-ever perfect season in a bonafide pro league.
However, Fnatic Onic Philippines' heckuva run in the year's second half could make sports publications consider if they have what it takes to be the Team of the Year.
Fnatic Onic PH was on track to duplicate RRQ Kaito's perfect run in the main MPL Philippines play, setting a new league record for the longest winning streak ever by winning their first 13 matches in Season 14.
However, the perfect season was spoiled when Fnatic Onic PH lost to Smart Omega in their final regular season match, assuring that only RRQ Kaito would have the full season sweep among all pro leagues this year.
Fnatic Onic PH did not mind the loss, though, as their already dominating run continued to the playoffs, sweeping newcomer Aurora in the upper bracket semifinals and edging Falcons AP Bren in the UB finals to clinch a place in the grand finals.
As fate would have it, Fnatic Onic PH faced Aurora again in the championship round, and this time, Aurora pushed their playoff rematch to the limit and looked to be on track to steal the title from Fnatic Onic PH, which would have also been a good Team of the Year narrative.
However, a misstep in what could have been Aurora's final push paved the way for the Fnatic Onic PH comeback to secure the MPL PH title.
Based on how the MPL PH finals went, Fnatic Onic PH head coach Tony "Ynot" Senedrin made a hot take that a Philippine team will surely win the M6 World Championship.
"One hundred percent," Senedrin vowed after the MPL PH finals.
That "100 percent" statement turned into a 100 percent winning rate of Fnatic Onic PH in M6, going 7-0 in the tournament to become only the second team to sweep an entire M Series event after inaugural champ Evos Legends.
Senedrin had high confidence in his guys that he even thought Fnatic Onic PH would still win M6 even if they fell to the lower bracket.
"If bumagsak kami sa lower bracket, I think it's the same," Senedrin told Dugout Philippines when the club held a Thanksgiving-slash-Christmas party for its supporters at Yes Please in Taguig over the weekend.
The secret to having that high confidence, according to Senedrin, is how Fnatic Onic PH already anticipated what to expect from its opponents, especially with the rise of the "brawl meta".
"Naka-ready kami doon sa brawl meta na sinasabi nila. Kung titignan mo yung mga laro namin, hindi rin naman kami tahimik maglaro, magulo rin. There's really just organization doon sa madness na nakikita natin kung paano maglaro yung mga players. It's very calculated, and we pride ourselves sa ganoong fact. Gusto ko lang kasi talaga ma-highlight kung gaano katalino yung mga players and gaano sila kagaling mechanically, and yun ang nangyari," Senedrin further said.
However, with the new year fast approaching, Senedrin said that he wants his players to quickly move on as he believes a slump could make everyone forget that they are now the reigning world champs.
"We need to be level to the ground. Basically, masaya ang 7-0, but madaling mabura yan eh. Pag next tournament, kulelat kami, wala na agad yan," Senedrin further said.
Duane "Kelra" Pillas, the M6 Finals MVP, knows that too.
"Para sa akin, ang feeling namin masaya noong araw na yun, pero ngayon, parang wala na. Focused na sa mga next tournaments," said Pillas, who added that he was only on Cloud 9 when they won the championship without minding that they went all the way there almost flawlessly.
Needless to say, Fnatic Onic PH is already in 2025 mode.
Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno
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