Despite the rough regular season, coach Bon Chan wants to show that teams shouldn’t underestimate Blacklist.
It was relief and determination in equal measure for Blacklist International and coach Kristoffer “Bon Chan” Ricaplazza when they found out they made it into the MPL PH S14 playoffs. The Code Breakers have had a rocky season and were in danger of repeating their S9 seventh-place finish. RSG Philippines falling to Aurora Gaming basically gifted Blacklist a playoffs slot, but coach Bon Chan felt unsatisfied.
“Nandun yung feeling na ayaw ko bale-walain yung last game namin of the season,” said coach Bon Chan. Their last game was also against Aurora and if RSG won, Blacklist would have had to beat Aurora to enter the playoffs.
“Gusto ko ipakita na hindi lang kami nagdasal na matalo yung RSG Philippines kay Omega Esports at Aurora Gaming. Gusto namin ipakita na kaya namin pumasok on our own.”
Blacklist did end up winning their match against Aurora and did so in impressive fashion. They were playing as if they found their form and confidence again, which is vital heading into playoffs.
Bigger Is Not Always Better
When asked why it took so long for Blacklist to find their groove again, coach Bon Chan cited time difficulties with handling a 10-man roster. According to him, it was a last-minute decision to form a 10-man roster. This in turn made it hard for him to find the identity of the team.
“Unlike other seasons, alam na namin na magiging 10-man roster kami kaya may time kami paikutin yung mga players para ma-deterimin kung sino and magsta-start sa roster,” said coach Bon Chan. “Yung nangyari, nag-start na yung season, dun pa lang kami nag-shuffle ng lineup. Nagkaroon akong ng chance na i-try yung mga sub kung may nag underperform. Unlike kung meron akong limang players lang, talagang kailangan ko i-fix kung sino yung nag underperform.”
Still, they managed to settle on a five-man core right lock-in when it mattered the most. Coach Bon Chan also commended the rest of the Blacklist roster as they were invaluable in helping the team stay sharp even with all the shuffling going on in the season.
Now looking ahead, coach Bon Chan knows that they’ll need to concentrate everything on their preparations. Regular season is one thing but it’s a completely different story once a championship is on the line.
“Nag-iiba yung timpla ng mga teams. Sobrang average yung performance bago mag playoffs, pagdating playoffs biglang nagiging halimaw. Hindi mo masasabi — pagandahan talaga ng preparation pagdating sa playoffs.”
Banner photo from MOONTON Games.