The Filipino coach brings his well-traveled mind to the biggest MLBB stage yet.
Since joining the Selangor Red Giants, coach Michael “Arcadia” Bocado has elevated the Malaysian team into contenders for MSC 2024. The team went undefeated during the MPL MY S13 regular season and convincingly took first place during the playoffs. Thanks to his leadership, the Red Giants are heading into the MSC knockout stage with a real chance of making it all the way to the championship.
His first hurdle was getting himself and his team used to playing far from home. “Normally the international tournaments that I attend are within Southeast Asia pa rin,” says coach Arcadia. “So this one is really my first time [outside of SEA] and a good experience for me.”
“Alam namin na different yung timezone, so we adjusted our sleeping patterns,” continued coach. “In terms of culture, we made sure na alam na namin ang mga bagay na hindi namin pwede gawin. We want to make sure na we respect everyone’s culture.”
Little adjustments like these are important for the Red Giants as coach Arcadia sees MSC 2024 to be their toughest tournament yet. “We’re talking about one million USD for the champion here. I’m confident that all the teams will be doing their best to win. They’ll be stepping up in their training, their drafts. Everyone is giving their best for this tournament.”
Bringing New Perspectives
Malaysia has always been seen as the third-best MLBB region next to the Philippines and Indonesia. Their teams have been constantly looking for that next step that’ll bring them into contention for the top spot and the Red Giants might have found it with coach Arcadia.
“I can bring a lot of different points of view to a team because of my experiences coaching in different regions,” says coach Arcadia. “I know how different regions think, which makes me unique as a coach.”
He started off coaching Sunsparks, which won MPL PH S5 back in 2020. Then he moved to Aura PH, which turned into ECHO, before coaching Indonesia’s RRQ Hoshi, which made it to third place in the M4 World Championship. Now coach Arcadia brings that wealth of experience to Malaysia’s Red Giants, turning them into an MSC 2024 contender.
And more than just benefitting the team, coach Arcadia sees this as a boon for himself as well. “It’s also exciting for me to experience the different cultures of other regions, so it’s like a win-win for me. I’m able to grow as a coach and as a person thanks to all my different experiences.”
We’ll see just how that experience will take them in the future.
Banner photo from Esports World Cup.
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