Boston Uprising’s debut in Stage 3 was less than savory. Both games had them suffering at the hands of their opponents, one of which most predicted as an easy win. For those teams, good things are on the way. For Boston, however, it’s a wake up call. Something needs to change, and some questionable choices in playing with the support line late in the game has fans scratching their heads. This second week gives them a chance to get back on their feet, and hopefully, earn their first win.
Despite a disappointing showing in the Stage 2 playoffs, the London Spitfire have recovered with ease. In their first game of the stage, they took on the Uprising. Sadly, Boston was swept off the map, with London asserting their dominance in a quick fashion. Boston looked better this second time around against such a strong team, with nearly successful attempts at multiple full holds. However, in the end, the Spitfire showed why they’re the champions.
2019-05-03 – Overwatch League 2019 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
Flex player Richard “rCk” Kanerva didn’t have an easy job going into this game. Jun-ho “Fury” Kim is easily the best off tank in the League, eating ultimates like it’s easy. However, on both Sombra and D.Va, rCk proved his worth. His clutch plays were the reason that Boston held out for as long as they did against this aggressive team. He should be notably commended for his efforts in trying to stall them.
This game was a shock to many Uprising fans. After a dominating round one, the game seemed solidified in their favor. However, in the end, the Eternal got the better of them, and took victory for themselves. This game showed another chance at a different support duo, taking Minseok “AimGod” “Jeff” Kwon off the bench and pairing him with Renan “alemao” Moretto. Things weren’t exactly clicking, unfortunately, and Boston struggled to keep their trend going upwards. When they face the Eternal again later this stage, the Uprising will have to show their strength, and their worth.
2019-05-03 – Overwatch League 2019 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
Despite losing the long haul battle, Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth showed again why he’s one of the best main tanks in the League. With clutch plays that involved him flying across the map to score necessary kills, Fusions is resilient, even in the face of defeat. His gameplay was notably wonderful, with aggression that tied in wonderfully with AimGod’s sniper support style. Next time around, Fusions will get his well earned revenge.
The Outlaws are a team that haven’t found their streak yet. Coming off of a winless stage, they’re hungry for a victory. Boston shouldn’t be the team that falls to them, but their performance from this last week has certainly shaken fans up. In an ideal world, where the Uprising are fielding their main starting roster, this game should be an easy win for them. Hexegrams says it best—it’s impossible to ever bet against this scrappy team.
That being said, the Uprising have a lot to prove. Their performance against the Paris Eternal is something they need to review and work on before decisively taking on the resilient Houston Outlaws. They should be able to handle it. Houston has a talented roster, even if their pieces aren’t always aligned, and Boston should not be counting them out by any means. However, in the end, the Uprising should take home the victory.
Prediction: Boston wins 3-2
If Houston fields their DPS superstar Jiri “LiNkzr” Masalin, all eyes will fall to Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse to be on top of his game. Houston has found their wins against powerhouses like the Vancouver Titans when they lean into their strengths. Damage is easily atop that list, and if Boston wants to keep their competitive edge and stay in the game, they need to retaliate in the very same way. Colourhex has shown what a force of nature he is on Widowmaker, and it’s safe to say that this Widow duel can and will be exciting for everyone to see.
This matchup will always be hard to predict. In so many ways, the Philadelphia Fusion and the Boston Uprising are extremely similar. They’re both inconsistent with their play styles, and both have struggled in Stage 2 and Stage 3 to find a solid foundation. Philadelphia, analytically speaking, should have the upper hand in this game. Jae-hyeok “Carpe” Lee is a force to be reckoned with, regardless of what hero he is playing.
Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
However, Fusions is the better main tank of the teams. Additionally, their support lines will be clashing nonstop. Where Jeffrey “blasé” Tsang has the upper-hand on Josh “Eqo” Corona, Alberto “neptuNo” González has the upper-hand on Kristian “Kellex” Keller. AimGod and Isaac “Boombox” Charles are evenly matched, in some senses, and Gael “Poko” Gouzerch can throw down against rCk in another leveled face off. These two teams are near mirror images of each other, in strengths and weaknesses. For that reason, it could truly go either way.
Prediction: Philadelphia wins, 3-2
This main tank will set the tone for the entire matchup. In a GOATs meta, so much relies on your Reinhardt player. It’s been shown time and time again that Fusions is one of the best in the League. Su-min “SADO” Kim, however, has been consistently struggling, and unable to find some even ground. Despite that, his team is still successful in picking up wins. For this reason, Boston’s victory will come at the hands of how well these two face off against each other, and who can find the advantage.
Featured Image Courtesy of the Overwatch League.
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