SERDANG: CG Esports showed remarkable resilience to claw back from 2–0 down to beat Monster Vicious (MV) 4–3 in the lower bracket final of Season 16 of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY) playoffs at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park on Saturday.
The win sent them into the Grand Finals and confirmed them as Malaysia’s second representative for the M7 World Championships in Jakarta in January, next year.
CG also became the first team promoted from the MLBB Academy League (MAL) to reach an MPL MY playoffs Grand Final.
CG had dropped into the lower bracket after a 3–1 defeat to Selangor Red Giants (SRG.OG) earlier, while MV arrived with momentum following their 3–1 victory over Vamos in the lower bracket semi-finals.
In the best-of-seven tie, MV raced to a 2–0 lead, but CG — powered by veterans Daniel “CikuGais” Fuad, Luk “Valenz” Jun Yip and Syafizan Najmi “Garyy” Kamarulzaman — held their nerves and drew level.
MV then claimed Game Five to lead 3–2 and were a win away from reaching their first international tournament.
However, a mix of overeagerness to close out the series and CG’s refusal to back down saw the promoted side take the next two games to complete the comeback.
It was a crushing result for MV, who exited the playoffs in the first round for three consecutive seasons, with several players and staff members in tears after the match.
CG midlaner CikuGais said the pressure shifted onto MV each time they took the lead.
“In the last two games I just told my teammates ‘whatever you want to do just do it, don’t be afraid’,” said the CG captain.
“We could also see from their draft that they were picking heroes they were not comfortable with just to counter us.”
CG will face SRG.OG in the Grand Finals later today.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
