The new-look Nexplay Evos showed glimpse of its potential as it steamrolled past El Ganador Esports in the first round of the upper bracket playoffs of the Sibol 2022 National Team Selection on Thursday, Jan. 27.
MPL players John Paul “H2wo” Salonga and Jeniel “Yellyhaze” Bata-anon provided the veteran presence for NXPE as they held off El Ganador in the two-game sweep to advance to the second round of the upper bracket.
El Ganador started out solid and managed to hold its ground against Nexplay Evos, even taking a 3k gold lead early on. Crucial pick-offs in the mid-game and the Lord take at the nine-minute mark however allowed Nexplay to turn things around.
Nexplay stepped on the gas pedal from that point leaving El Ganador in the dust with a 14-3 victory in the series opener. Yellyhaze did most of the damage for NXPE with his midlane Cecilion finishing with a neat 3-0-7 score line.
H2wo, after struggling in the early game, picked up the pace in the late game with his jungle Paquito to still finish with a 6-1-4 showing in the first game.
It was the same story in the second game as El Ganador fought tooth-and-nail against NXPE in the first few minutes of the match. However, Yellyhaze's veteran presence was in full display for NXPE evident in the clash for the Lord at the 15-minute mark.
Yellyhaze, who was part of the 2019 Sibol MLBB Gold medal team, scored a double kill in that clash as NXPE picked off four heroes on the side of El Ganador to close out the series, 14-6. He finished with a 4-1-8 score line on the Cecilion while Mariusz “Donut” Tan took the MVP honors with a stellar 5-1-5 showing.
Nexplay now awaits the winner in the titanic clash between Blacklist International and Bren Esports.