The last time fans saw the Philadelphia Fusion was back on March 8, 2020. They lost their first match to Terence “SoOn” Tarlier and the Paris Eternal. The team was prepping for the London Spitfire when COVID-19 started spreading in the US. The Overwatch League went on to miss two straight weeks. Games resumed last weekend with some very needed attention paid to the Pacific division.
On March 31, the Overwatch League released the schedule for weeks nine and ten, with the Fusion playing three games over that span. However, the good news was followed up by a very disappointing but understandable move. To continue the fight against COVID-19, the Overwatch League decided to cancel all homestands and move to an online-only format for the remainder of the season. Without crowds to back them, the Fusion look to continue their dominance against a questionable Justice team.
Here To Play
Teams need to lose sometimes to bring them off their high horse. To make them aware of where they went wrong. This is the position that the Fusion is currently in. Going into their week five loss to Paris, the Fusion were riding high with a 4-0 record and fans touting them as one of, if not the best team in the Overwatch League. This mindset can hurt teams and it did when the Fusion played down to the level of Paris. There were a few other variables in there as well to give credit to the Eternal. SoOn carried that match, landing pulse bomb after pulse bomb. When the Eternal went up 2-0, the match looked hopeless for the Fusion, then Paris went back to old Paris. The Fusion fought back, forced a game five, only to end in an epic overtime defeat.
The Fusion has had almost a month of time to practice, collect their thoughts and work out the kinks. This will work out in their favor as they come into the weekend against a Justice team looking to stay consistent. The threat of their strong DPS core in Corey “Corey” Nigra and Ethan “Stratus” Yankel should not be downplayed but the Fusion’s biggest enemy in this match is themselves. Josue “Eqo” Corona’s word that the Fusion won’t stoop down to their competition needs to be a reality. Eqo said this prior to their loss to the Eternal, where at points, they “stooped” down to their level. The Fusion should come out victorious this weekend, assuming they keep the “peddle to the metal”.
Player To Watch
This week’s player to watch is Daniel “FunnyAstro” Hathaway. With Brig receiving the ban hammer this week, FunnyAstro is invited to dominate on Lucio. The Fusion is a very well rounded but their support core enjoys stealing the limelight. Hathaway has proven himself as a powerhouse in the league with his performance thus far. In his Fusion debut against the Washington Justice, he tied Jaehyeok “Carpe” Lee in eliminations in three of four maps. There are moments throughout this season where a team fight looks lost for the Fusion but FunnyAstro comes in with the clutch Lucio beat. Look for FunnyAstro to make a splash as the Fusion return to dominance this weekend.
Prediction: Fusion win 3-0
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Featured Image Courtesy of The Overwatch League.
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