Team Liquid PH head coach Rodel "Ar Sy" Cruz expressed mixed emotions after their Swiss Stage win over Myanmar’s Yangon Galacticos in the M7 World Championship.
While Team Liquid PH secured a spot in the knockout stage of the M7 World Championship, head coach Rodel "Ar Sy" Cruz admitted to feeling conflicted about their Swiss Stage victory over the Yangon Galacticos.
To keep the Cavalry’s Golden Road hopes alive, TLPH needed a commanding performance—and for Cruz, whose coaching roots run deep in Myanmar, the win came with mixed emotions.
“Dalawa yung emotion ko: sad and disappointed. Sad kasi yung bansa na once ko represent before, natalo ko na. Alam naman nila na no matter what happens, I still love Myanmar,” he revealed.
Yet he couldn’t ignore what he observed on the battlefield.
“Pero disappointed din ako kasi hindi iyon yung inaasahan kong laro nila. Nakikita ko na pigil talaga yung laro nila, and next game, ayoko sana na magpigil sila ng laro,” Cruz added.
YG is now fighting for survival in Round 5 of the Swiss Stage.
Cruz’s ties to Myanmar run deep as he began his coaching journey with Falcon Esports and led the team to a 4-0 sweep over the Burmese Ghouls in the MLBB Mid-Season Cup 2024 — Myanmar Qualifier.
He later led them to a fifth-place finish at the M6 World Championship, helping put Myanmar back in the world esports talk.
[RELATED: Greater than MLBB: Filipino coach Ar Sy finds purpose in Myanmar's Falcon Esports]
Now at Team Liquid PH, Cruz continues to honor the lessons and teams from his past while pushing his current squad forward.
“Oo naman. Hindi magbabago yung suporta ng Myanmar sa’kin. Isa pa rin sila sa tinitingala ko na team kasi hindi talaga sila pwedeng maliitin. Mayroon talaga silang laro,” he shared.
[RELATED: All business: Oheb explains 'locked-in' expression in Team Liquid PH’s M7 bid]
(With reports from Gillian Trinidad/One Sports Digital)
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.