Team Falcons PH’s roster and the lack of global bans in the MPL—highlights from the 8G podcast with Coach Moody
Victor Kolosov
Team Falcons PH assistant coach Mohammad “Coach Moody” Samal appeared on the 8G podcast on the Wolf Casts YouTube channel. Here’s a quick rundown of the highlights in our article.
About Team Falcons PH’s coaches and players
Coach Moody shared details about Team Falcons PH’s coaching staff: Francis John “Ducky” Glindro sets the team’s training structure, while Samal is in charge of drafts, and analyst Vrendon Consul “Vren” Pesebre handles match analysis and shaping the team’s macro gameplay. Staff members may occasionally help one another, but for the most part, each fulfills their own responsibilities.
The assistant coach also noted that the team’s players have become much more mature than before. Despite the esports players’ lingering tendency toward chaotic behavior, the team strives to play cohesively and in an organized manner. Coach Moody mentioned that the roster has two leaders: jungler Kyle and new mid laner Hadji. The former coordinates the team’s in-game actions, while the newcomer keeps the team’s spirits up and encourages the players throughout the match.
On the team’s losses during MPL Philippines Season 17 and the importance of mental preparation
Looking back on the recently concluded MPL Philippines Season 17, Mohammad highlighted two losses that signaled the team’s struggles during the tournament. Omega Esports’ victory over Team Falcons PH in the regular season made it clear to the assistant coach that he needed to stand his ground and convince the players of the validity of his draft vision, even if they didn’t agree, while the loss to ONIC Philippines resulted from a failure to adapt to a new patch released during the competition.
Coach Moody also spoke about the need for an esports team to mentally prepare for its future opponents. According to the coach, the roster must be confident in its superiority over the opponent, as this will help the players focus on their performance and avoid making in-game mistakes. As an example, Samal cited the moment when Omega Esports players “dived” Sanford, the explainer, under his tower. Since the esports player wasn’t prepared for such a reckless decision, his opponents were able to kill him, even though the situation could have been turned around in his favor.
On global bans and how to become one of the best players
Mohammad was satisfied with the global ban system when he worked in the MDL Academy League. However, after joining Team Falcons PH, the assistant coach changed his mind. Now, Coach Moody does not believe that such a rule should be introduced in the MPL, since the current Mobile Legends: Bang Bang meta features a large number of heroes to choose from and strategies capable of leading to victory.
Samal believes that esports players achieve success through well-rounded development and a wide range of interests. Coach Moody spoke about MLBB pro players who spend time playing other games besides the mobile MOBA and advised against focusing all their attention on just one discipline.
Read also:
- Coach Moody on Team Falcons PH: “Compared to Season 16, the team looks much more mature” (first part of the podcast).
- Coach Moody: “If you’re afraid of the other team and the aura they exude, that works against you” (second part of the podcast).
- Coach Moody: “To become outstanding, you need to have passion and acquire useful skills across a wide variety of games” (third part of the podcast).
In the previous episode, Aurora Gaming coach Neil “Midnight” De Guzman and commentator Remnar “Reptar” Santa Cruz discussed Pakito’s overpowered status in the current MLBB meta and expressed admiration for the work of Team Liquid PH coaches Aeon and SN4P on the 8G podcast.
Photo: Mohammad “Coach Moody” Samal.
Victor Kolosov
