MPL PH: Dogie keeps TNC Pro Team focused on playoff berth before bigger goals

From zero to hero — TNC Pro Team shattered last season’s 14-loss streak with a triumphant series win in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines (MLBB MPL PH) Season 15. This victory is a game-changer for the Phoenix Army, reigniting hope among fans as the team finally shows signs of potential. After being stuck in 8th place for five straight seasons, this season might just be the rise of the Phoenix.

One of the most iconic figures in the MLBB esports scene, Naser "Dogie" Mollazehi, who also plays a key role in managing the team behind the scenes, shared that he isn’t setting sky-high expectations just yet. Instead, he believes in taking things one step at a time, focusing on steady progress rather than aiming for lofty goals too soon. 

For now, his main objective is to guide the team to the playoffs. Building a strong foundation is a priority before setting their sights on bigger goals.

The post-match press conference usually involves the players and coaches for interviews. This is why it was unexpected when Dogie also joined the team for a media session. In the interview, he shared how he is happy that the team made a breakthrough. However, he made it clear that this is not an excuse to become complacent.

“Our goal basically is to be on playoffs — one step at a time. Focus muna dun, wala munang trashtalk. Pagdating ng second round, kung maganda ang standing, balagbagan na," Dogie said.

Translation: "Our goal is basically to reach the playoffs — one step at a time. Let’s focus on that first. No trash talk for now. Once the second round comes and our standing looks good, then we can go all out."

Following up on his statement, he shared that the team has been cooking up some surprises for the coming weeks. He is confident that if the team keeps their performance consistent, it’s an easy Top 4 finish for them. 

“If I'm gonna predict it talaga, sa team namin ngayon, I'll be honest. We have amazing coaches and amazing players. It's hard, I can't make promises, pero kung itutuloy lang namin 'to, easy-easy kaya naming mag-top 4," he said.

Translation: "If I were to predict it, honestly, with our team right now, we have amazing coaches and amazing players. It's tough, and I can't make promises. But if we keep this up, we can easily make it to the top 4.”

Considering it's only the first week of MPL PH Season 15, it's understandable that Dogie wouldn't commit to saying his team is bound to dominate. However, TNC Pro Team has already shown promising signs, giving the reigning M5 world champions, ONIC PH, a tough challenge on Day 1. While the rising Phoenix ultimately suffered a sweep, they didn’t go down without a fight. Even ONIC PH’s coach admitted that they were heavily outdrafted in the second game. This proves that TNC has the potential to shake things up this season if they continue refining their strategies.

You can watch the press conference for TNC Pro Team for MPL PH Season 15 Week 1 Day 2 below.

For the past few seasons, TNC Pro Team has been stuck at the bottom of the barrel. The team is struggling to break free from their 8th-place curse. The last time they showed true dominance was back in Season 9. They shocked the league with a stellar run that earned them a 3rd-place finish. 

Since then, consistency has been their only trait — but not in a good way, as they continuously landed in the same disappointing spot. But despite this, they always promise to “rise again” and that they have “unli rise." This is wordplay for the term “unlimited rice” that some restaurants in the Philippines offer.

However, with a newfound sense of direction, there’s finally a glimmer of hope. This season could be the turning point. If they keep the momentum going, TNC might just reclaim their place among the elite teams for MPL PH Season 15.

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