On August 1, Team Liquid PH faces ONIC in a marquee Semifinals Best-of-5, with the winner moving on to the Final. Expect a battle of two titans clashing on the world stage.

Match Overview

Team Liquid PH 

TLPH surged into the knockout rounds after a clutch reverse sweep over ONIC Indonesia to punch their ticket to the playoffs. With Sanford anchoring the EXP lane and setting up his team’s tempo, they’ve gained confidence and cohesion in every match.

Strengths:

• Strong early-game aggression and jungle control
• Sanford’s leadership in high-pressure scenarios
• Flexibility in drafts and clutch execution

ONIC 

ONIC arrives as the fearless front-runners, and once again among the most polished squads in the tournament. Their discipline, experience, and ability to grind out macro advantages make them formidable in long series.

Strengths:

• Elite macro execution and map control
• Kelra’s consistent mechanical output and timing
• Proven synergy in high-stakes matchups

Key Matchup: Sanford vs Kelra

This series likely hinges on whether Sanford can carve space in the EXP lane and set tempo for TLPH or whether Kelra can anchor ONIC’s scaling and dominate the later fights. Sanford’s early rotations and timing are essential, but Kelra’s consistency in teamfights and sharp positioning could tilt the series toward ONIC if he’s allowed to scale cleanly.

Prediction

TLPH has momentum, but this match feels familiar. ONIC’s strategic depth, playoff experience, and ability to punish mistakes make them a tough nut to crack in a BO5. Most likely, TLPH grabs a strong early game, but ONIC’s composure and timing will carry them through. So I predict that ONIC will beat TLPH with a score of 3:1.

ONIC is looking to reaffirm their dominance, while TLPH hopes to redefine the hierarchy. The winner advances to the final, with clashes against the world's best team.