Philadelphia Union kicks off September on the road with a rivalry matchup against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, September 3rd. Kick off from New Jersey is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Can’t travel up to north to see the squad take on the rival New York Red Bulls but want to cheer on your Philadelphia Union? Come on over to Chickie's & Pete's in Malvern, PA., for a one-of-a-kind Union Watch Party! All guests will have the chance to receive Union giveaways on-site plus participate in a raffle for some exciting and exclusive raffle prizes including a Union team-signed ball courtesy of Chickie's & Pete's. To RSVP, please click here.
You can also catch the rivalry match locally on PHL17 as well as on PhiladelphiaUnion.com. Don't miss out what's going on with the Philadelphia Union by subscribing for our weekly newsletter or get the full calendar synced to your phone.
Valorant Champions Tour (VCT Champions 2022) is now live, and the event is taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, in front of a live audience. The event will run through September 18.
Sixteen of the best teams will be fighting it out this time around for the title of Champion. Along with big names in the game such as Team Liquid, Fnatic and OpTic Gaming joining the fight, many underdogs such as Leviatan and EDward Gaming who have outshined even the best of the best to reach this stage will be battling it out for the Champions trophy in VCT.
Paper Rex is one of the qualifying teams. One of the best teams from the Asia-Pacific region is all set and ready to join in on the action to fight on the international stage. After securing a second position in VCT 2022: Stage 2 Masters - Copenhagen, they entered themselves into the list of the sixteen best teams at Valorant Champions Tour 2022.
Paper Rex’s roster analysis ahead of VCT Champions 2022: Istanbul
Their performance this time around has been strong right from the beginning of the year. After having several wins to their name, they are heading into the international stage headstrong to compete against the very best Valorant’s competitive scene has to offer.
Team analysis
Paper Rex is a Southeast Asian esports organization based in Singapore. It was founded in January 2020. A team new to the esports scene, has proven time and again that they are not to be underestimated. They quickly rose to the top of their game and established themselves as one of the best teams from their region.
Their current roster includes:
mindfreak
f0rsakeN
Benkai
d4v4i
Jinggg
The team known for their aggressive plays, Paper Rex have been dominating the Valorant scene in the APAC region recently with many wins to their name. There is no stopping Paper Rex this time around and they seem very well prepared and ready to take on the fight against the best names in the international scene.
Here is the individual player analysis of Paper Rex.
Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart
mindfreak's individual stats ahead of Champions 2022 (Image via Twitter/VoxizeVAL)
mindfreak is an Indonesian player who currently plays for Paper Rex. He is a former CS: GO player as well and he carries forward his experience in the professional scene to Valorant.
mindfreak is seen in the Controller role in the team. His most played agents include Viper, Astra and Brimstone. With the best clutch rating in the team, mindfreak ensures that his team gets the win.
He has clutched one-out-of-four times in all the clutch scenarios. The most consistent player in the team, mindfreak is considered one of the best Controllers in the world.
Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto
f0rsakeN's individual stats ahead of Champions 2022 (Image via Twitter/VoxizeVAL)
f0rsakeN is a young Indonesian player who currently plays for Paper Rex. He is also a CS: GO player. f0rsakeN is aggressive and when he starts popping off, he simply cannot be stopped. Often seen on the Duelist role playing Neon, Jett and Yoru, he creates havoc on the enemies' site.
His witty plays with Yoru and the sheer aggressiveness that he displays with Jett may make him a force to reckon with. He is also seen on Chamber and does justice to the Agent with his sharp and perfect aim.
Benedict "Benkai" Tan
Benkai's individual stats ahead of Champions 2022 (Image via Twitter/VoxizeVAL)
Benkai is a Singaporean player who currently plays for Paper Rex. He is also a former CS: GO player. Benkai, the in-game leader for Team Paper Rex, has led his team through the worst to come out as victors.
The player is often seen on the Initiator role with Breach and Fade but he also plays the Controller role with Viper when he deems fit. The fun loving leader often takes huge risks in the game and they often pay off.
Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee
d4v41's individual stats ahead of Champions 2022 (Image via Twitter/VoxizeVAL)
d4v41 is a Malaysian player who currently plays for Paper Rex. He also formerly played CS: GO professionally. d4v41 is a flexible player and is seen in different roles. He plays as a Sentinel with Chamber and Initiator role with Fade and KAY/O.
The funny man of the team, he makes sure the team does not go low on morale. d4v41 perfectly matches the team's aggressive style of play. His utility usage is on point and provides great support to his team whenever necessary.
Jing Jie "Jinggg" Wang
Jinggg's individual stats ahead of Champions 2022 (Image via Twitter/VoxizeVAL)
Jinggg is a Singaporean player who currently plays for Paper Rex. He forms the ‘dynamic duo’ with f0rsakeN. The two young players are extremely aggressive and they create absolute chaos in the enemies’ sites. Often seen on the Duelist role, Jinggg is known for flashy plays with Raze.
He also plays Sage sometimes to slow things down a bit. Despite being on an Agent not known for being fit to aggress, he shreds through his enemies. Jinggg is mostly seen side by side with f0rsakeN taking the fight right to their enemies.
Recent performances of Paper Rex
The performance of Paper Rex has been strong throughout this year so far. Here is their recent match history:
VCT 2022: Malaysia & Singapore Stage 1 Challengers: They had a flawless victory, winning 3:0 against Bleed eSports and secured the 1st position.
VCT 2022: APAC Stage 1 Challengers: Another win in the bag for Paper Rex as they managed to claim a win against XERXIA with a 3:1 score securing the 1st position.
VCT 2022: Stage 1 Masters - Reykjavík: They secured the 4th position in this tournament by losing 1:2 against ZETA Division.
VCT 2022: Malaysia & Singapore Stage 2 Challengers: Another flawless win here against LaZe and secured the 1st position.
VCT 2022: APAC Stage 2 Challengers: They took 1st place in this tournament against XERXIA winning 3:0
VCT 2022: Stage 2 Masters - Copenhagen: They managed to get the 2nd position after losing to FunPlus Phoenix in a very close match at 2:3.
Upcoming matchups
Paper Rex are in Group A of the VCT Champions 2022 Group Stage. It consists of Team Paper Rex, Team Liquid, Leviatan, and EDward Gaming.
They won their first match against Edward Gaming from China with a score of 2:1. Viewers can catch their next match live on the official Twitch and YouTube handles of Valorant on Thursday, September 1, at 11.00 am PDT / 8.00 pm CEST / 11.30 pm IST.
MANILA, Philippines – Much has been said about how big of an addition NBA star Jordan Clarkson is to Gilas Pilipinas due to his talent and caliber.
But for national team head coach Chot Reyes, Clarkson is just as impressive when the cameras are off.
Reyes paid tribute to the professionalism of Clarkson, saying the Utah Jazz standout never missed practice even if it meant breaking a contract provision.
“You see his game on the floor, but what really sets him apart is his work ethic outside, behind the scenes,” Reyes said.
“He never missed a practice, film session, never late. In fact, he has a provision in his contract where he cannot do two practices a day but he still went on and practiced when we had two practices.”
Clarkson led the Philippines to a 1-1 record in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers – an 85-81 loss to Lebanon and an 84-46 blowout of Saudi Arabia.
Living up to his billing as a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Clarkson averaged 25 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds in those two games.
It’s also worth noting that Clarkson looked right at home despite being with the national squad for just less than two weeks as his teammates praised him for being humble and unselfish.
“I do not know if I should say that in public, but I think that is very, very important for a team – that he is just one of the guys, he is always with us, he does not excuse himself.”
“That makes our job easier as a coach and we really appreciate that. For me, that is leadership.”
It will be a year before Clarkson suits up again for the national team as he reunites with the Jazz for the start of the upcoming NBA season in October.
India beat Bahrain 3-1 to enter the semifinals of the 21st Asian Men's U-20 Volleyball Championship being held at Riffa, Bahrain.
India won the contest 25-22 25-19 26-28 26-24.
Captain Dushyant Singh, Aman Kumar, Sameer Chaudhary, Ajeet Sheeko, Sachin Dagar contributed immensely to the win.
Achyuta Samanta, president of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), and all the other office-bearers congratulated the players and coaches after the win.
(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
FILE–Japeth Aguilar. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas will be turning to size and athleticism when it shoots for payback against Lebanon in a key Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifying game this Thursday.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas took the lid off a delegation bannered by Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson, 7-foot-3 big man Kai Sotto, and a bevy of versatile forwards from the PBA.
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Japeth Aguilar, a veteran of two World Cups, leads the pro players alongside PBA Most Valuable Player and Ginebra teammate Scottie Thompson.
Making the cut are NorthPort’s high-leaping forward Jamie Malonzo, NLEX’s versatile wing Clavin Oftana, and Meralco’s dynamic guard Chris Newsome.
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Also in the bunch are standouts plying their trade in the Japan B.League, namely Kiefer Ravena, Ray Parks. Jr. and Dwight Ramos and Thirdy Ravena–Chot Reyes’ anointed program cornerstones.
Rounding the cast are Roosevelt Adams, a free agent who last played for Terrafirma, and University of the Philippines’ big, young ace Carl Tamayo.
The Final 12 will be determined on the eve of the contest.
Gilas leaves for Beirut a little past midnight on Tuesday and is expected to arrive in the Lebanese capital at 11:35 in the morning.
The Nationals will try to avenge a 95-80 beating at the hands of Cedars at Nouhad Naufal Sports Complex on Aug. 25.
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Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes during the Philippines’ game vs New Zealand. FIBA BASKETBALL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Staying true to his proclamation that Gilas Pilipinas is his priorty, Chot Reyes will be missing two of TNT’s games in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals to focus on the national cage program’s games in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifying tournament beginning next week.
No less than Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio bared the development on Friday during the pre-finals press conference at Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City.
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“From a PBA-PLDT point of view, winning the PBA championship is important to us—very, very important,” Panlilio said. “But [there’s] a bigger calling at this point—flag and country.”
The PBA Finals unfurls this Sunday, with the Tropang Giga looking to defend their reign against a loaded San Miguel Beer looking to reclaim their lofty perch in the league’s centerpiece tournament.
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Reyes will be calling the shots for a Gilas crew that will pilot Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson as its cornerstone. The Nationals will play Asia Cup silver winner Lebanon in Beirut on Aug. 25 and then Saudi Arabia at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City four days later.
The Philippine contingent leaves for Lebanon on Monday, according to Reyes, who is also the concurrent program director.
Gilas is 2-2 in the Qualifiers, which SBP is using as an evaluation period geared towards the World Cup that the Philippines will be cohosting with Indonesia and Japan a little over a year from now.
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2022 PBA Philippine Cup finalists San Miguel Beermen and TNT Tropang Giga. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines–Defending champion TNT and San Miguel Beer are bracing for a grueling battle in their 2022 PBA Philippine Cup Finals showdown which starts Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The clash for the most important prize of the PBA season will pit a Tropang Giga squad that will look to retain their title against a Beermen side hoping to regain their place as the All-Filipino’s top team after a three-year absence.
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“We know it’s gonna be a challenge playing against a well-coached and great team in the San Miguel Beermen,” said TNT star Mikey Williams during the PBA’s pre-Finals press conference held at Novotel Manila in Cubao.
Williams, last year’s Finals Most Valuable Player after dispatching Magnolia in five games, added that he’s “excited to get the series going” as he and the rest of TNT prepare for a difficult challenge against San Miguel.
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San Miguel heads into the series with a roster different from its run of five straight All-Filipino championships from 2015 to 2019, with a healthy June Mar Fajardo backed by CJ Perez, Jericho Cruz, Mo Tautuaa and Vic Manuel.
The Beermen came off a tough seven-game semifinal series with the Meralco Bolts, who they wore down behind their loaded squad.
San Miguel center June Mar Fajardo. –PBA IMAGES
But Fajardo is also wary of the Tropang Giga’s roster that also has veteran Jayson Castro, Poy Erram, RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Kelly Williams.
TNT heads to the series which starts Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum having the luxury of a longer rest following a six-game triumph over Magnolia in the other semis matchup.
“It’s not going to be an easy series for us,” Fajardo said in Filipino. “We’re expecting a physical series and we have to be ready for what’s going to come.”
The Beermen won their lone elims match against the Tropang Giga, 115-99, last July 7, but the coaches of both teams said that the result will hardly matter once they troop the floor.
“Very honestly, it’s gonna be very difficult if you objectively look at how deep and how strong the other team is,” said Tropang Giga coach Chot Reyes, who will however miss at least two Finals games due to his role as Gilas Pilipinas mentor in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
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Reyes will gun for a seventh All-Filipino title that will break his tie with the great Baby Dalupan while San Miguel counterpart Leo Austria aims to join the two tacticians in the six-time winners club.
“Come the first game, we will know how we can assess the performance of each team, and the Finals is always a game of adjustments,” Austria said.
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The Valorant Champions event is an annual treat for fans of Riot Games’ flagship FPS game, gifting players free VCT-themed loot and a new, exclusive skin. This time around the Phantom and knife are getting two amazing cosmetics, and the game’s maps are also getting spruced up in true Champions style.
If there’s one thing I have always regretted, it’s not buying the Champions Vandal during the Valorant Champions event in 2021. Ever since then, hordes of fans (self included) have been waiting for the 2022 iteration of the VCT skin, saving up their VP for the moment it goes on sale.
That moment has finally arrived. This year we’re getting a Phantom and knife skin, as well as a plethora of additional cosmetics to go with them. There’s the free event pass to level through, and even the in-game maps are getting a fresh lick of black and gold paint.
Looking to check out all of the new VCT gear? Here’s a rundown of the Valorant Champions event for 2022.
Valorant Champions Phantom and knife skins
As with the 2021 iteration of the event, there’s an all new purchasable skin bundle for those looking to celebrate in style. These cosmetics are event exclusives (with 50% of proceeds going towards the participating teams), so they will not return in the Valorant Night Market, and will only be available for purchase between August 23 – September 21 at 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST / 7am AEST.
The Phantom is equipped with custom firing audio, model changes, and two additions to the champions aura (a feature which makes the gun glow when you top frag). The new system sees the aura’s colour change every five kills, maxing out at 25.
An easter egg will also trigger on the knife when you hit 25 kills, so the two make the perfect duo. Both can be seen in the image above, alongside the other cosmetics you’ll get if you buy the full bundle.
Valorant Champions event pass
For those who aren’t looking to splash the cash, there’s also a free event pass to level through. It has seven different stages, meaning there’s a whole slew of new goodies to add to your inventory.
This also runs from August 23 – September 21 at 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST / 7am AEST.
Stage
Reward
1
‘Jett Diff’ spray
2
‘Gamer’ title
3
10 radianite points
4
‘NICE!’ player card
5
‘Potato’ title
6
10 radianite points
7
‘Champions 2022 dad hat’ gun buddy
Planning to pick up the Valorant Champions skin bundle? Make sure you have the best Valorant crosshair you possibly can so that you can show off that champions aura. You may also want to have a quick scan of our Valorant tier list to see which Agents will be dominating during the tournament.
Competitive FIFA Online 4 is back in action with EACC Summer 2022, an online tournament taking place from August 15 to 21.
The ongoing Summer tournament features 14 top-performing teams from China, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam who are competing for a US$100,000 prize pool.
With the first three days of competition now done, here’s a quick recap of the EACC Summer and the eight teams heading into playoffs.
The top 8 teams of EACC Summer 2022
CrazyWin (South Korea)
Kwangdong Freecs (South Korea)
Daejeon Hanacitizen FC (South Korea)
ProGamer (Vietnam)
DIH Esports (Vietnam)
Tony Tonyy (Vietnam)
Wolves Esports (China)
MiTR Coffee (Thailand)
Recap of the first three days of EACC Summer 2022
South Korea’s representatives took day one of EACC Summer by storm.
Vietnam’s Tony Tonyy was already at match point against DHFC, but the Korean team made a swift comeback in the last two games. DHFC Sikyung’s Cristiano Ronaldo scored a clutch goal at the 90-minute mark in game five, defeating Tony Tonyy 3-2.
Korean team CrazyWin also picked up a 3-1 win over Chinese squad Nova Esports.
Vietnam won big on day two, with both DIH Esports and ProGamer beating their opponents by a scoreline of 3-1.
Following DIH’s win over Wolves Esports, the squad qualifies as a top six seed of EACC Summer 2022. In the next round, DIH will face fellow VN team ProGamer for a top four position.
Despite the early loss against DHFC, Tony Tonyy finally found success on the third day of competition. The Vietnam team keeps their playoffs hopes alive after a spectacular 3-1 victory over Manchester City F.C.
EACC Summer 2022 witnessed its own Chinese Derby on day three between Wolves Esports and Nova Esports. Wolves got the upper hand and ended Nova’s journey with a dominant 3-0 win.
EACC Summer 2022 schedule
Screenshot by Joseph Asuncion/ONE Esports
August 19
TEAM
SCHEDULE
TEAM
ProGamer
5 p.m. GMT+8
DIH Esports
Wolves Esports
7 p.m. GMT+8
CrazyWin
Loser of Match 7
9:50 p.m. GMT+8
Winner of Match 8
August 20
TEAM
SCHEDULE
TEAM
Kwangdong Freecs
5 p.m. GMT+8
Daejeon Hanacitizen FC
MiTR Coffee
7 p.m. GMT+8
Tony Tonyy
Loser of Match 17
9:50 p.m. GMT+8
Winner of Match 16
August 21
Semifinals — 4 p.m. GMT+8
Final — 9 p.m. GMT+8
You can catch the FIFA Online 4 action on ONE Esports’ Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Follow ONE Esports on Facebook and Twitter for more FIFA news and stories.
Still, the loss should be taken in context. Nadal hadn’t played in more than a month. He’s historically struggled in Cincinnati (his only title came in 2013). And the tournament plays with different balls than those used at the U.S. Open.
“Obviously I didn't play my best match,” Nadalsaidin his post-match presser, later revealing he was only able to play two practice sets in the buildup. “[It is] something that can happen. Historically this tournament has been difficult for me. So coming back from a tough period of time, [it is] something that's easy to accept and easy to say congrats to Borna, that he played better.”
Nadal missed out on two set points in a dramatic first-set tie-break but regrouped to force a decider. Down the stretch, Coric dictated the rallies as he claimed his lone break of the match midway through the final set to earn the statement victory.
“It's difficult to take a lot of positive things, but I need to improve,” Nadal said. “I need to practice. I need to return better. I need days [on the court], and that's the truth. Obviously I had my chances in the beginning. In the tie-break I had two important chances with two set points that I played terrible with two more-or-less easy shots.”
Nadal, 36, won the first two legs of the Grand Slam this season at the Australian Open and the French Open before withdrawing from Wimbledon ahead of the semifinals.
He has won the U.S. Open four times, most recently in 2019.
Nadal will be the No. 2 seed behind world No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev. If the Spaniard were to win the Open, he could stretch his major lead over Djokovic to 23-21.
“You lose, you move forward. I know the way,” he said. “The main thing for me is to stay healthy. It has been a difficult injury to manage, to be honest. The last month and a half hasn't been easy, because having a tear on the abdominal, you don't know when [you are]100 per cent over the thing, so that affects a little bit in terms of not [being] sure if you are able to try your best in every serve."
The next time he plays will be in the Big Apple.
“I need to move forward and just start to think about the energy that the crowd gives me in New York,” he said. “I know it's a very special place for me, and I enjoy it. [I've had] unforgettable moments there, and I'm going to try my very best every single day to be ready for that.”
Most League of Legends fans likely didn’t predict that today’s LCK Summer Split playoff series between DWG KIA and KT would be so close. From DWG’s domination in the first two games to KT almost registering a reverse sweep, it was an intense clash between the two teams. In the end, DWG prevailed over KT in game five and secured the 3-2 series victory.
DWG started strong in the series. In game one, they managed to stay ahead of KT and maintained their gold lead by securing map objectives. Even when KT took down the Elder Drake, DWG just backdoored the enemy Nexus, bagging the first game.
DWG dominated the next game, too. There was a moment in the mid game where KT were able to turn the game to some degree thanks to the brilliant setup from Rascal’s Ornn. But DWG obliterated them in the next teamfight to register a massive lead.
Even after suffering back-to-back losses, KT did not give up. They picked up Swain for Rascal and Sylas for Vicla and made this composition somehow work. With Aiming’s Lucian dealing burst damage, KT were able to take down DWG to get their first win in the series.
KT’s resilience was truly tested in game four. Deokdam’s Nilah and Showmaker’s Ahri were able to turn almost every teamfight in DWG’s favor. They even aced KT and almost completely opened up their base.
But KT held their ground and somehow got the Hextech Soul to help execute a remarkable comeback. With this win, they carried the series into a decisive game five.
In the last game of the series, both teams seemed to have leveled up their gameplay. There were a lot of shining moments throughout the match, from ShowMaker’s Corki picking up a quadra kill to Aiming’s fed Zeri kiting a fleeing DWG team.
But KT finally made a mistake when they decided to go for the Cloud Soul. During this time, DWG executed a successful backdoor and took down the enemy Nexus, bagging the game and series.
This was a fantastic series between the two teams. Although KT have been knocked out of the 2022 LCK Summer Split playoffs, they showcased their potential today. With this victory, DWG KIA will advance to the semifinals and face T1 next on Aug. 21.
After the departure of Karl "Karl" Baldovino and Kim "Gabbi" Santos, T1 were active in the transfer window looking for players that would give them the best chance of helping them qualify for The International 2022 (TI11). Earlier today, T1 announced the arrival of former OG superstars and back to back TI champions Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen and Anathan "ana" Pham to its regional qualifier roster after teasing the duo’s arrival on Facebook.
Shortly after the announcement, OG’s podcast, Monkey Business released an episode that focused on Topson and ana’s move to T1. In it, Topson,– who will be serving as a stand-in for T1 during TI11’s Southeast Asia (SEA) Regional Qualifiers, explained his decision to join the team alongside ana.
Topson Explains His Decision to Join T1 for the SEA Regional Qualifiers.
To the surprise of many, T1 announced the arrival of Topson and Ana to their roster for the upcoming SEA Regional Qualifiers, after teasing their signature heroes on its Facebook page hours before the announcement. Topson previously announced that he is making his return to competitive Dota 2 scene after an eight month break, with OG’s approval for him to explore other opportunities ahead of TI11. The twenty-four year old mid laner took a break following the conclusion of The International 10 to spend time with his family, as well as live streaming in both Europe and SEA Dota 2 servers.
At first, Topson’s move to T1 was more of a rumor as the mid laner made it clear in OG’s Road to The International with BMW featuring himself that he wishes to compete in the Western European scene as he sees it as the strongest region there is at the moment.
However, on OG’s Monkey Business newest podcast episode Topson explains his decision to join T1 as well as the backstory of how the move happened in the first place. “At first, I came back to Finland to find a team for the TI qualifiers but I didn’t really try hard to find a team so I thought if I can’t find a decent team, I’ll just wait until after TI11.” said Topson.
[Relevant section begins at [1:14:05]
Topson went on to say that ana, his former teammate at OG reached out to him asking if he’s looking for a team ahead of the TI11 Regional Qualifiers. “If you have something in mind, I’m down.” said Topson after ana's proposal about finding a team. “EU is really hard to find a decent team, same goes for its qualifiers. North America (NA), I don’t want to go there, China, I don’t want to go there as well. As for SEA, SEA could work.” he added when he explained his discussion with ana regarding the region they both wanted to play in.
Topson then went on to explain that ana went to T1 to negotiate as the latter had contacts with Park "March" Tae-won, the coach of T1 as well. "Ana was the one who was kind of pushing for it at first. I was like, yeah let's go. If ana is motivated to push for things, I am like dude we're going," he added.
Ana was also coordinating with OG CEO JMR Luna for the paperwork regarding Topson’s move to T1. JMR Luna noted that he would only agree to let the move happen if both Topson and ana are committed to play together in the Regional Qualifiers as the negotiations were mixed up between OG’s and T1’s representatives. Topson also noted that ana might have not joined T1, if the former was not joining the team as well.
Finally, Topson expressed his excitement to join T1 ahead of their bootcamp in Singapore for the TI11 SEA Regional Qualifiers, as he revealed that he has been watching T1’s performances in the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) the whole season and its struggles with the emergence of Talon Esports and the powerhouses of Boom Esports and Fnatic.
“I’ve watched T1 during the DPC season, they were good before but now they are struggling. I don’t know. The players are good but it is more about building chemistry with the other players in T1 to actually become a team, and hopefully go through the qualifiers and become the best SEA team at least and go to TI.” said Topson.
For T1 fans, they can look forward to seeing Topson and ana play alongside T1 for the duration of the TI11 SEA Regional Qualifiers starting on 3rd September.
MANILA, Philippines–Magnolia staved off elimination and prevented TNT from marching to the Finals after a 105-97 victory that reduced its deficit to 3-2 in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup semis on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Mark Barroca waxed hot in the first half then played the role of stabilizer that enabled Ian Sangalang, Paul Lee and Calvin Abueva to deliver and keep the Hotshots alive in the best-of-seven series.
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Coach Chito Victolero’s wards extended the matchup to a sixth game on Sunday despite repeated rallies by TNT, which pulled within three on five separate occasions in the fourth.
“We did a good job sustaining that defense for 48 minutes and we were able to limit our fouls and played a physical game so credit to all of them because they showed their mental toughness even with our backs against the wall,” said Victolero.
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Barroca scored 25 points, making 16 in the first half which saw Magnolia overcoming a slow start to take a 59-45 halftime lead.
He would spend much of the fourth quarterbacking the team, with Lee, Sangalang and Abueva making key baskets amid repeated rallies by the Tropang Giga.
A jumper by Barroca started a Magnolia pullaway after TNT cut it to three for the final time at 95-92 on Glenn Khobuntin’s triple with under four minutes left.
Jayson Castro scored 18 points but Mikey Williams was again contained by the Magnolia defense, going 5-of-16 from the field while turning the ball over four times despite 13 points.
The scores:
MAGNOLIA 105 — Barroca 25, Abueva 16, Lee 16, Sangalang 16, Jalalon 15, Dionisio 10, Dela Rosa 3, Reavis 2, Escoto 2, Wong 0.
TNT 97 — Castro 18, Rosario 17, Erram 16, Williams M. 13, Pogoy 13, Khobuntin 12, Williams K. 6, Montalbo 2, Reyes 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.
Quarters: 28-26, 59-45, 81-73, 105-97.
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Filipino-American guard Jalen Green from Houston Rockets during a press conference in Manila on Thursday. –LANCE AGCAOILI
Jalen Green made his return to the Philippines on a triumphant note, no longer the high school kid with Filipino roots who dazzled opponents and fans with his exuberant talent.
Three years since his last visit, Green is back in town as a young National Basketball Association (NBA) talent who had completed a rookie campaign with the Houston Rockets—a team he hopes to one day turn into a winner.
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It also gave the 20-year-old the opportunity to repay the support he has received since dazzling fans and opponents while playing for a Filipino-American team in the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Finals.
“It feels great [to be back],” Green said in a press conference held as part of a promotional tour for shoe company Adidas.
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“Coming here to the Philippines [where] everyone gives much love and support, and to give my love and support back to them means the world to me,” he added during the short event at Adidas Brand Center inside Glorietta 3 in Makati City.
His family, including mother Bree Purganan—whose grandfather hails from Ilocos Sur, is also here. Green expressed his desire to explore the country more as compared to his previous visits.
Green played for Fil-Am Sports USA in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the NBTC where he is best remembered for dunking on then-Ateneo high school star Kai Sotto during a game at Mall of Asia Arena.
His twin appearances gave Filipinos an early glimpse of the player who would end up fulfilling his NBA dream as a second overall pick of the 2021 Draft.
“[The support has not] changed since I was in high school,” he said. “[Since] I came here in my sophomore, junior year to now it’s been the same and I appreciate everyone for keeping that same love, that same energy.”
He played 67 games for Houston in his rookie year, averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. But the Rockets, on a rebuilding phase, had the league’s worst record with a 20-62 record.
That has stoked Green’s hunger entering his sophomore season, where he will be joined by No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith.
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“The specific parts that I want to work on in my game is to make better reads, make decisions faster and just learn how to win,” said Green. “We had a rough season last year, we’re in a rebuild situation so just learning how to win.”
Long-term goals, however, is for Green to help the Rockets more out of the cellar.
“My mindset is to go and win and be the best version of myself. Like I said, I have to build that winning mentality,” he said. “The thing with my team is that we’re very young and we’re in a rebuild, trying to get everyone on the same page, trying to go in the right direction.”
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The women’s team of Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Tania Sachdev and R Vaishali may not catch the eye in the same fashion as India’s young brigade in the open section. They are getting the job done though. They have won all their six matches at the 44th Chess Olympiad here, vindicating their status as the top seeds in the women’s section.
Their supremacy seemed certain to be challenged by Georgia on Wednesday. The east European nation is seeded third and is led by world No 6 Nana Dzagnidze.
Riding on Humpy’s victory over Dzagnidze, the hosts beat Georgia 3-1. R Vaishali reinforced her potential with a win against Lela Javakhishvili in 36 moves. Tania Sachdev and Harika Dronavalli earned half a point each courtesy of draws against Salome Melia and Nino Batsiashvili respectively.
The highlight without a doubt was Humpy’s performance. There were some unsettling moments after the opening exchanges, particularly when the 35-year-old moved her queen to b3 and rook to d1 in successive moves. Humpy knew she had to be very precise thereafter.
“Moving my pawn to c6 on move 23 helped me get back into a position. All my dubious moves worked out well eventually. It was a comfortable win towards the end,” Humpy told a media conference after the sixth round.
This is Humpy’s first event in the classical format after almost two-and-a-half years. “My start to the tournament was very shaky. I struggled a lot. Even though I had winning positions, I was not able to convert. I was also bad with time management. I am gradually improving. I hope the success continues in the coming rounds,” said Humpy.
With Thursday being a rest day, the hosts are in a good position to recharge their batteries before renewing the quest for a medal. They are currently on top of the standings.
“This was a very important win. We have a few strong teams and one of them was of course Georgia. We wanted to make sure we kept winning. Winning before the rest day makes it extra special. There is one day to relax. The players have been putting in a lot of effort. Initially, there was some pressure when the games started. After the middle game, we were comfortable on all boards,” GM Abhijit Kunte, captain of the women’s team, said.
The second Indian women’s team drew 2-2 against Czech Republic after Vantika Agrawal, Padmini Rout, Mary Ann Gomes and Divya Deshmukh were all held. India C beat Australia 3-1.
In the open section, India B suffered their first defeat of the competition on Wednesday. D Gukesh notched up a sixth win on the trot against Gabriel Sargissian–Armenia’s highest-rated player – B Adhiban and Raunak Sadhwani lost. Nihal Sarin shared the spoils with Hrant Melkumyan. The hosts have slipped to third as a result while Armenia are leading the table.
The second-seeded Indian team of P Harikrishna, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi and Krishnan Sasikiran also had a modest result–a 2-2 draw–against Uzbekistan. Harikrishna, who had a tough match-up against world rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, was the only Indian player to register a victory. India C beat Lithuania 3.5-1.5.
Norway continue to struggle
The Norwegians came into the tournament as one of the more fancied teams. The presence of world champion Magnus Carlsen had a lot to do with it, but the world No 1 needed more backing from his teammates. That hasn’t been the case so far. His win against Australia’s Anton Smirnov on Wednesday counted for little yet again as Aryan Tari and Jon Ludvig Hammer lost.
Vivek Krishnan is a sports journalist who enjoys covering cricket and football among other disciplines. He wanted to be a cricketer himself but has gladly settled for watching and writing on different sports.
