Boston Uprising (7-10) vs Houston Outlaws (5-12)
A team on the rise versus a team struggling to find their place. That was the tale of the Boston Uprisings vs Houston Outlaws. After a game changing victory over the San Francisco Shock, the Outlaws looked to keep their newfound streak going. Boston, on the other hand, suffered two losses last week. In this match, they sought to right the wrong, and to try and find some fighting spirit in this otherwise tragic Stage 3.
Nepal (Boston 0-2 Houston)
At Nepal, flex damage players Jeffrey “blasé” Tsang and Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse surprised fans by switching roles. With blasé on Zarya and Colourhex on Brigitte, they tried to make their stand on the point. However, the Outlaws were dominant in their display. Austin “Muma” Wilmot showed particular aggression on Wrecking Ball, and because of that, Boston found it hard to get to the point. They never did, unfortunately, and were full held at 100% to 0%. The Outlaws took the round.
At the Nepal Village, things seemed a little more optimistic. Though it took longer than it should have, Boston managed to flip the point in their favor. With a more DPS heavy composition, blasé managed to get the right picks on Tracer, keeping the Outlaws at bay. However, they came back with a vengeance. Despite another flip from Boston, the power of Dante “Danteh” Cruz was too strong to handle. The Outlaws came back and staved off the Uprising. They lost the map, 0-2.
Volskaya Industries (Boston 1-2 Houston)
On the attack first, Boston felt comfortable on a map they’ve called their own. It was slow to start, but another DPS heavy composition allowed them to take the first point. Once they obtained it, they chose a GOATs composition, with Richard “rCk” Kanerva on his signature Sombra. With nearly six minutes to attack, things kept falling short. In the end, they were unable to crack through the Outlaws hold. They stopped with one point.
Their defense looked strong as well, with Colourhex flexing onto his Widowmaker. In a similar fashion, Jiri “LiNkzr” Masalin, switched, and showed dominance on a hero he’s known for. For the Uprising, this wasn’t exactly ideal. The Outlaws managed to take down Boston with ease, and the first point was captured. Their initial second push was stalled out with a well timed EMP from rCk, but it wasn’t enough. When they came back, Danteh showed just how valuable of a player he is. They only needed one tick, and they got it easily. Boston ended up losing the map, 1-2.
Numbani (Boston 1-2 Houston)
Down at the half, the Uprising looked to right the wrong at Numbani. They attacked first, with a quick cap on the first two points. Danteh kept them back, however, and caused them to reset. When they returned, Colourhex pressed forward, getting the picks they needed to capture the first point. The payload moved slowly, and was stalled out just shy of the second point. Muma and LiNkzr worked together to keep Boston back. In the end, the timer ticked down, and Boston only got one point.
When the sides were switched, Boston chose a damage heavy composition to hold their ground. With blasé on Doomfist, and Colourhex paired with Kristian “Kellex” Keller for Pharah and Mercy, things looked good. They kept the Outlaws back for a very long time, though the boys in green found their breakthrough at the one minute marker. From there, things came up for the Outlaws. Though Boston tried to hold their ground, they found it hard to fight against Danteh and Muma. The Outlaws rolled to the second point, and earned their win. Boston lost the map, 1-2.
Havana (Boston 0-1 Houston)
Though the series was lost, Boston had a chance to make a stand in the final map of the series. Switching back to a Sombra GOATs composition on the attack, the Uprising showed some signs of life as they quickly approached the first point. When the Outlaws returned, Muma decided he’d had enough. A huge Earth Shatter put the Uprising to sleep, and his hammer swept them away. From there, the Uprising couldn’t find their footing. They came up short, and didn’t breach the first point.
With the series already in the bag, the Outlaws took some interesting liberties with their hero choices. With Jacob “Jake” Lyon on Bastion, and Shane “Rawkus” Flaherty on Symmetra, they had a good time enjoying their comeback. Boston was too scattered and shaken to really compete, sadly. Though they tried, the Uprising couldn’t find their footing. Houston rolled through the first point, and swept. Boston lost the map, 0-1.
Conclusion
It’s a tough time to be an Uprising fan. The upset look on their faces said it all, and it’s clear that they’re struggling with some quick minute choices. Though switching it up could make sense in the long run, it’s just a little too late in the game to rely on these. Between players switching heroes, and constantly switching up their support line, Boston is falling from grace. Sunday gives them a chance to put a win on the board against a team that resembles them. Fans can only hope that Boston has what it takes to bounce back, and topple the Philadelphia Fusion.