YAWI focused on Season 10 title

ECHO team captain Tristan "YAWI" Cabrera keeps his eyes glued on the ultimate prize as he braces for the Season 10 Playoffs of the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines from 20 to 23 October at the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan in Robinsons Bridgetowne in Quezon City.

One of the best roamers in the league who used to banner fan-favorite Nexplay, Yawi said he is focused on improving his game and leading ECHO to the title of this prestigious Mobile Legends event.

In fact, his improvement and maturity were so obvious that no less than ECHO country manager Mitch Liwanag commended him for jacking up his performance.

"Nobody guided me when I was in NXP (Nexplay). There were so many things happening there like streaming so I was not focused on the MPL," YAWI told Daily Tribune in an interview.

"When I moved to ECHO, the focus was just the MPL and the surrounding was quiet and comfortable. By playing here, I feel like I have matured and become more disciplined even though I am not yet at my peak because there are still a lot of things to work on and improve."

Sideliners were quick to tout ECHO as a "super team" when YAWI and M2 World Championship Most Valuable Player Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno joined the team in Season 9.

ECHO started strong in the first half of the regular season, but opposing teams were soon able to break its cloak of invincibility.

ECHO suffered its biggest heartbreak when it bowed to Omega Esports, 0-3, to become the first team to get the boot in the Playoffs.

YAWI said nobody should be blamed for that painful setback other than themselves.

"We lacked discipline and we did not have patience in Season 9, which is what we're now working on for the Playoffs," the 20-year-old YAWI added.

"The entire Mobile Legends community can expect us to give our best in the coming Playoffs as we try not to repeat the heartbreak of Season 9."

Unlike the previous season, there would be no more early exit as ECHO is now safely in the upper bracket of the Playoffs in which it is set to face the winner between defending MPL champion RSG PH and ONIC PH on 21 October.

For YAWI, Season 10 is about showing their growth and exacting revenge from Omega Esports.

"Expect more aggressive plays from us," YAWI said.

"Of course, our mindset would change in the Playoffs because that is where the real battle is. I do not want fans to expect so let us see what's going to happen."

"All teams are difficult to beat, but I think Omega Esports will be the toughest because they are monsters in the Playoffs regardless of how they were ranked in the regular season."

"And, of course, they were the ones who defeated us in the previous season."