Team ECHO. Photo courtesy of MPL Philippines
ECHO bags first MPL crown
THERE’S no stopping ECHO Philippines.
Karl “Karltzy” Nepomuceno, Alston “Sanji” Pabico, Benedict “BennyQT” Gonzales, Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera and Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya stamped their class as ECHO blanked arch-rival Blacklist International, 4-0, to clinch their first-ever Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines title at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
ECHO’s splended performance in the grand finals was reminiscent of their success in the M4 World Championship grand finals, where they also swept the Agents in the title match.
A dominant start by ECHO set the tone for the match, taking an early 9-0 lead by the 6th minute, thanks to Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno’s signature pick, Lancelot. KarlTzy got his triple kill in the 13th minute, finishing the game with a 15-4 kill score and a 5-0-5 KDA.
In Game 2, It was the turn of Sanford “Sanford: Vinuya lto lead the charge on Lapu-Lapu, overwhelming the Blacklist I in just 11 minutes.
Sanford was named the match MVP with a 5-3-3 KDA.
In Game 3, Echo continued their strong showing by taking a commanding 3-0 lead.
The fourth game, however, went down to the wire, but ECHO caught Lee “Howard” Gonzales in the backline during athe 14th minute.
ECHO wasted no time in scoring a 4-0 sweep in the ensuing base turret siege to clinch the championship.
The win vemented ECHO’s claim as a formidable team in the league.
More importantly, it also secured for them a spot in the upcoming MLBB Southeast Asian Cup 2023, which will take place in Cambodia in June 2023.
Both ECHO and Blacklist International will represent MPL Philippines in the tournament.
