The MPL was always going to be a different level of competition but the new AP.Bren squad are still determined to fight.
It’s been a rocky start for AP.Bren’s Der and his team, but they’re not going to let that slow them down. A lot of people have high hopes for the Star Development League team promoted to the professional level. Considering that they’re also carrying the name of such a storied organization, it’s a lot of pressure on their shoulders.
EXP Laner Landher “Der” San Gabriel points to their difficulty of translating their practice to stage as the cause for their struggles. “Yung nangyayari sa mga scrims namin, ang tapang talaga kami maglaro. Tapos nung week one, hindi namin nagagawa.”
It’s a common problem for many teams as a practice environment is very different from an actual live match.
“Sa scrims namin, sobrang bugbugan yung mga laro,” continued AP.Bren Der. “Tapos pagpasok ng week one, sobrang passive yung laro. May times nga na hindi lumalaban yung kalaban. Nanibago talaga kami.”
The challenge for them now is to bring their usual grit and aggression to the MPL teams — and they are capable of doing it as they got their first game win against Aurora Gaming last week.
“Nung nakaisa kami sa Aurora, sobrang masaya kami kasi yung nangyayari sa scrims namin nagawa namin sa stage. Yun yung hinahanap ng mga coaches namin, kailangan talaga namin lumaban.”
Unfortunately, it was still an overall match loss for AP.Bren but the team is undeterred. They’ve shown a spark of what they can do. Now it’s up to them to nurture it.
“Ngayon, masaya kami kasi naka-isa kami kay Aurora pero syempre, talo is talo,” said AP.Bren Der. “Hindi kami malungkot pero magre-reset kami tapos maguusap sa ano yung pagkukulang namin. Babawi din kami.”
Banner photo from MOONTON Games.