Cover-Credits:
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Minana EVOS opened its Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League Philippines (MPL PH) Season 13 with a convincing clean sweep victory against TNC Pro Team. In the past seasons, the two teams have been in search of a way to rise to the top. However, it was Minana EVOS that took center stage in the first week of the MPL PH Season 13 as TNC was sent back to the drawing board to find a way to bounce back in its next match.
The iconic father figure of Minana EVOS, Naser "Dogie" Mollazehi, shared how the team’s rising EXP Laner Jann "Kirk" Gutierrez proved he is worthy of a chance to prove himself in the pro league.
Dogie revealed how Kirk worked hard this MPL PH Season 13
Minana EVOS’ new addition to the squad, Kirk, showcased an explosive performance in their debut match in the MPL PH Season 13. The pro player earned both MVP titles in Games 1 and 2, leading the team to a clean sweep victory against TNC Pro Team.
Through a post-match press conference, Dogie acknowledged how the team can’t afford to underperform this season.
“I don’t want to be generic, as most people would say 'he is hungry [to win]'... I don’t want to be a perfectionist, but we’ve reached this stage in Season 13 where we can’t allow last season’s performance to happen again,” he explained. “I think we accept mistakes but on a minimal level.”
Dogie further elaborated on how Kirk worked hard to earn his trust and earned an opportunity to prove himself in the big leagues. “What I see in Kirk, is he is willing to learn when the coaches are trying to guide him”.
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He added that the former EXP Laner Jhon "JM" Sebastian, who is now playing under Bigetron Alpha, tried to contest Kirk’s determination but ultimately, the amateur standout was the one given the chance to join the squad this season.
“We had a matchup between Kirk and JM [for the roster lineup]… I told Kirk “hey, you’re being beaten by JM in terms of performance, would you allow that?’ then he said ‘Boss D, I’ll do better, I’ll practice this hero’,” Dogie shared. “While I like that answer, it’s still easier to say it but it’s hard to do it.”
According to Minana EVOS’ father-figure, Kirk along with the rest of the squad went beyond just making promises and proved they deserve to be part of the MPL PH Season 13 roster.
“They did the initiative, that's what we’ve been looking for because right now, we can’t always accept mistakes because we really need to reach playoff, we want that playoff,” he expressed.
While the team is eyeing that championship title this season, Dogie acknowledged that “Our goal is [we do it] one step at a time, enter the playoff and slowly, the coaches make preparations.”
Minana EVOS is looking to keep its momentum going for its next match against RSG PH on 16th March at 4:00 PM (PHT).
