Playoff-bound AP.Bren bucks slow start to eliminate Team Flash in M5

QUEZON CITY, Philippines – AP.Bren recovered from their slow start en route to sweeping Singapore's Team Flash, 2-0, in the M5 World Championship at the EVM Convention Center here late Wednesday night, December 6.

The Hive remained undefeated in Group C with a 2-0 record while preserving a perfect 4-0 game record to book their spot in the knockout stages.

Bren will go for their third win against Mongolia's and M-series debutant Team Lilgun on Thursday, December 7, at 4 p.m.

Team Flash, on the other hand, bowed out of contention after absorbing their second consecutive loss. The reigning MPL Singapore champion previously beat Myanmar's Burmese Ghouls, 2-1, before losing to Team Lilgun, 2-1.

The Singaporean squad, with Filipino reinforcement Jaymark "Hadess" Lazaro, had the upper hand in the opening 16 minutes, dominating the home team. Hadess and his company raced to an early 10-1 kill score, secured two lords, and destroyed all but one APBR turret.

Unfortunately, they squandered such a huge lead.

Michael "KyleTzy" Sayson's Akai led the superb comeback, taking down the lord at the 18:25 mark before Bren wiped out Team Flash for a 1-0 series lead. The 18-year-old jungler finished with three kills and four assists while falling twice.

Marco "Super Marco" Requitiano's Claude got the Most Valuable Player (MVP) nod behind his five kills and one assist, with 67 percent kill participation, on top of a single death. He did his damage during the last two team fights, including the game-clinching clash.

Angelo "Pheww" Arcangel's Pheww had a flawless outing of seven assists and a kill without dying once.

On the other end, Hadess's three kills and five assists went to naught, as well as Adam "Adammir" Chong's 5/2/4 KDA.

Game Two saw momentum completely swung by the Francis "Ducky" Glindro-mentored squad, with the defending MPL Philippines titleholder making quick work of Eugene "Kayzeepi" Kong's side.

Hadess struggled to get purple buffs for his Fanny as Bren made life difficult for him. The jungling difficulties opened the path for APBR to decimate TF in 14 minutes of play.

Involved in 75% of kills, Super Marco's Bruno was named MVP with a 3/0/0 KDA, while KyleTzy added three assists and a kill.

Bren came off a dominant 2-0 sweep of Burmese Ghouls on December 2 before a three-day break.

READ: AP.Bren starts M5 campaign with beating of Burmese Ghouls

Meanwhile, fellow Philippine representative Blacklist International already qualified for the knockout rounds with one game remaining against Turkey's Fire Flux Esports on December 7 at 8 p.m.

The Codebreakers are still unbeaten in two matches.