NYXL 3 – 0 LOS ANGELES GLADIATORS
Against a lot of adversity, the NYXL came back to the stage after two straight losses to attempt to make their way into the semi-finals for stage two. Up against the Los Angeles Gladiators, the Excelsior came back strong from their losses and showed fans that they were not here to play.
STARTING ROSTER:
- Seonghyun “Jjonak” Bang
- Tae-Sung “Anamo” Jung
- Tae-Hong “MekO” Kim
- Yeon-Gwan “Nenne” Jeong
- Dong-Gyu “Mano” Kim
- Haeseong ”Libero” Kim
Lijiang Tower
NYXL 2 – 0 GLADIATORS
The Gladiators engaged the NYXL in long, extended fights throughout the entire first round, setting the tone for the rest of the series. In overtime, the New York Excelsior were able to win another chaotic, extended fight, winning the first round and earning the first point here on Control Center.
On the second round, both teams traded kills and engaged in a drawn-out fight before either team even gained control of the point. Ultimately, the NYXL gained control of the point and seemed to dominate in each fight against the Gladiators. In overtime, things were looking rough for New York, as the team lost members left and right. After another long fight, the Gladiators were able to flip the point and finally get some control percentage under their belt. After a few failed pushes, the Excelsior were able to recapture and wipe the Gladiators from the point, earning themselves a map win.
King’s Row
NYXL 3 – 2 GLADIATORS
On their defense, the NYXL seemed more aggressive than fans have seen in the past. The Excelsior’s tank line, looking completely renewed, secured multikills time and time again as they defended Objective A. In one final fight, the Gladiators were able to dismantle the Excelsior’s defense and send New York back to spawn, capturing the payload. The Excelsior were finally able to slow the Gladiators as they turned the first corner after Point B. New York was able to clear the Gladiators off of the point in overtime. They were able to quickly and easily push the Gladiators off of the point on their attack, earning themselves a five-minute time bank to push the payload through the map.
GET. DOWN. #OWL2019@Mano_OWL comes out SWINGING in this Quarterfinal! The @NYXL are up 2-0 right now. Can the @LAGladiators fight back?
JOIN US: https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/CmKNyAJvZX
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) May 11, 2019
Mano, catching a four-man Earthshatter, was able to help the NYXL push the payload through Point B. Shortly after, the Gladiators rallied to push the Excelsior back to spawn. However, the NYXL were finally able to push the Gladiators back as they pushed forward, just a few meters off of the point, and after a long final fight pushed through and completed the map.
Anubis
NYXL 2 – 1 GLADIATORS
On their defense, the NYXL were unable to keep their control of Point A for long before being sent back to spawn. Mano, landing another massive five-man Shatter, sent the Gladiators packing on their second attempt to capture the second point. With every push, the NYXL was able to drive the Gladiators back to spawn with ease. Despite the Gladiator’s massive time bank, the NYXL seemed to have no problems holding them off. After pushing the round to overtime, the Gladiators were unable to capture the remainder of the second point.
.@Mano_OWL SHUTS IT DOWN
➡ https://t.co/aoksKyN8os ⬅#EverUpward #OWL2019 pic.twitter.com/k5g2fZ6Knk
— NYXL (@NYXL) May 11, 2019
On attack, the NYXL marched across the bridge, up onto the high ground, and pushed through despite a difficult fight. They attempted to snowball onto the second point, but were ultimately unable to secure it in one shot. In their second push, the two teams traded kills and engaged in another long fight. The Gladiators tagged in just before the NYXL were able to take the point, saving themselves for another fight before the NYXL were able to clear the point, taking the series.
Conclusion
Moving into the semi-finals, the NYXL need to keep this same momentum to take down their opponents on Sunday night. Their intelligent playstyle put together with this newfound aggression and fire is a recipe for success, and they cannot lose that after this win. The NYXL have a bad habit of getting too cocky and falling on their face because of it, and in order to succeed, they need to really make sure that they keep their heads level.
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Featured photo from NYXL