Sanford: “At the start of the season, we had a lot of problems and drama. Our success came as a surprise to me.”
Team Liquid PH players Sanford Marin “Sanford” Vinuya and Alston “Sanji” Pabico appeared on the 8G podcast on the Wolf Casts YouTube channel to discuss the personal growth of the roster’s jungler KarlTzy, comment on the start of MPL Philippines Season 17, and discuss the strengthening of teams from other regions.
On KarlTzy’s personality change
Sanford: Karl has really improved in every way. Because I spent every day with him, I saw his routine, how he plays, and how he behaved. He’s gotten much better. And I see his drive to perfect everything he’s involved in. The early KarlTzy... Man, if you were his teammate, you were constantly on the receiving end of his criticism. I went through that, to be honest. He’s matured and now chooses his words carefully when speaking to others. Now Karl doesn’t get angry when communicating; he just offers guidance.
On the MPL Philippines Season 17 regular season matches
Sanji: I didn’t expect this result.
Sanford: I was skeptical. At the start of the season, we had a lot of problems and drama. Our success came as a surprise to me. We have new coaches and new players. Aeon joined us from Singapore after his vacation. Snap previously played for Omega Esports, and Teddyqt was on the academy roster. And we took a 7-0 lead. I couldn’t believe it and thought something like, “Oh, we can really get even stronger.” We haven’t reached our peak yet
On the increasing competition in the pro scene
Sanford: The esports league has gotten tougher. The players are really good.
Wolf: In the Philippine region or globally?
Sanford: Globally. Even the Malaysian teams, the Chinese ones.
Wolf: Chinese? Are there strong teams in China?
Sanford: Of course. And in Malaysia too. Just like in Myanmar. But the Indonesians have improved their game the most. In scrims, naturally—I don’t know how things are at tournaments.
Sanji: I spoke with Artha, and he told me that only two teams in Malaysia don’t have Indonesian players: Team SMG and Team Flash. The other teams have Indonesians. That surprised me. They’re considered players from a different region. But this doesn’t apply to Singaporeans playing on Malaysian rosters, since Malaysia and Singapore are considered a single region.
Earlier, Sanford and Sanji discussed KarlTzy’s improved form in MPL Philippines Season 17, recalled how their friendship began, and mentioned the number of seasons they’ve won together in the Philippine esports league.
Photo — Sanford Marin “Sanford” Vinuya.
