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Here Lies the Dream: Overwatch League Play-Offs Winner Round 3 and Losers Round 2 Preview
Suprising Frontrunners
Overwatch League (OWL) Play-Offs has commenced. Now entering Day 3 of the tournament, the early frontrunners have emerged in the form of Seoul Dynasty, Dallas Fuel, London Spitfire, and Houston Outlaws. Whilst the former two are to no one’s surprise, the latter two, especially the Houston Outlaws, given their victory over tournament favorites San Francisco Shock to make it here.
As we head into a new day of competition, here is a preview of the matches to come, starting with the Losers Bracket Round 2:
[PLAY-OFFS LOSERS ROUND 2]
Philadelphia Fusion vs. LA Gladiators [[Nov 1st, 09.30pm GMT]]
Despite their recent loss to the London Spitfire, LA Gladiators is still considered one of the top teams in the tournament. It will be difficult to imagine a second consecutive loss to an underdog though not impossible.
Coming into Play-Offs, the Gladiators roster was stacked with talent, boasting the likes of Kevin “kevster” Persson and new addition, rookie tank player Corey “Reiner” Scoda. Looking nigh unbeatable, they are in strong contention for a comeback performance against the Fusion,
As for Fusion, it is most likely a sendoff for them for the year. They have look decent during the regular season, however, odds are not in their favor. Funnily enough, London Spitfire was the team responsible for sending both these teams to the lower brackets.
[twitter url="https://twitter.com/overwatchleague/status/1587306288307904514"]
Shanghai Dragons vs. San Francisco Shock [[Nov 1st, 11.00pm GMT]]
Shanghai Dragons’ recent form has been questionable in the regular season. Coming in as the defending champions, so far, their showing has been subpar. In their match against Hangzhou Spark, the end felt inevitable, with the Spark clearly the better team. The Dragons will need to buckle down if they want to have any chance at a comeback.
San Francisco Shock came into the tournament as perhaps the second biggest favorites after Dallas Fuel. The addition of Kim “Proper” Dong-hyun late last year has propelled the Shock to the stratosphere, especially amongst their rookie lineup brimming with talent. Which made last nights loss to Houston Outlaws all the more shocking to watch.
The Shock are likely to win the matchup given recent performances (omitting last night as a one off), however, the Dragons are no slouches, and this matchup will be a tough one.
Atlanta Reign vs. Florida Mayhem [[Nov 2nd, 12.30am GMT]]
Atlanta Reign has shown a surprising lack of form in the Play-Offs thus far. Should they continue, this match will very heavily favor Florida Mayhem. The Mayhem has come in looking hot, fresh off the Countdown Cup win, and it currently looks to be a dominant win for them.
Toronto Defiant vs. Hangzhou Spark [[Nov 2nd, 02.00am GMT]]
Toronto Defiant fought hard through the Countdown Cup for the final qualifier spot, however their form coming into Play-Offs seem a step down from their counterparts. Hangzhou Spark have looked tough so far, having beaten defending champions Shanghai Dragons and lost a close game against Dallas Fuel. The Spark is extremely likely to emerge victorious.
[twitter url="https://twitter.com/Reinforce/status/1587311676881133568"]
[PLAY-OFFS WINNERS ROUND 3]
Seoul Dynasty vs. Dallas Fuel [[Nov 3rd, 12.30am GMT]]
Two heavyweights will battle it out in this clash for the ages. With both teams as heavy favorites to win the whole tournament, this matchup will come to who shows up on game day.
Dallas Fuel have spent the majority of 2021 and 2022 signing stars to their roster. With the current star-studded roster, they match the MVP level performance of Seoul Dynasty’s Park “Profit” Joon-yeong and new signing Yoo “smurf” Myeong-hwan.
London Spitfire vs. Houston Outlaws [[Nov 3rd, 02.00am GMT]]
Both teams on a dream run at the moment, Houston Outlaws current form indicates a win for them, however, the last time they met in the Regular Season, Spitfire won decisively. The question is whether it is in the cards for Houston Outlaws to continue to dream run or will it be dashed by London Spitfire’s own miraculous recovery of form.
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