Boston Uprising (7-7) vs London Spitfire (9-5)
In their first match of the stage, the Boston Uprising faced off against the London Spitfire. For the Uprising, this game was a chance for Boston to get some just desserts, after the Spitfire swept them in Stage 2. Despite their poor showing in the Stage 2 playoffs, London was also ready to prove something to the League, and to the fans. Together, when they clashed, odds were tested in this new meta.
Oasis (Boston 0-2 London)
The game started at the City Center. Though Boston showed potential, the Spitfire always seemed to have the upper hand. Despite new showings from players like Renan “alemao” Moretto and Zion “Persia” Yang, Boston’s 3-3 composition did not match up well against the Spitfire. Notably, Jae-hee “Gesture” Hong was winning the tank match-up against Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth, and in the end, they took the round decisively.
The Gardens showed much of the same. Despite a brawl for the main point, Gesture once again proved his worth. His shatter wiped the Uprising off the map, and London took control. Boston tried again and again to break their defenses, but the Spitfire were more coordinated. Last minute pushes fell to their defense, and London full held at 100% to 0%. Boston lost the map, 0-2.
Horizon (Boston 0-1 London)
Looking to come back, Boston made their attack first. They were slow to start, with a lot of focus being thrown on flex support Jeffrey “blase” Tsang. Near the two minute mark, the Uprising clicked. Together, they stepped onto the point, pushing London to use their ultimates and secure some picks in the showdown. They managed to nearly capture the entirety of the first point when London regrouped, and forced them back. Despite a good last minute shatter from Fusions, Gesture stood his ground, and landed a shatter of his own. The round ended, and Boston failed to complete the point.
On the defense, things were looking strong for the Uprising. They managed to zone the Spitfire by playing to the high ground. A shatter and Self Destruct combination from Fusions and Richard “rCk” Kanerva got them two crucial picks, making things look good for the boys in blue. Unfortunately, when London came back, Jun-ho “Fury” Kim responded with his own Self Destruct. Getting a triple kill, the Spitfire were free to charge the point, and complete their capture. Boston lost the map, 0-1.
Eichenwalde (Boston 1-2 London)
Down two at the half, the Uprising had a chance to reclaim their bearings in this series. Their initial attack started off slow. However, things started to ramp up once Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse earned a pick on Seung-tae “Bdosin” Choi . From there, Fusions was free to clean up the rest of the Spitfire, and the payload was ready to move. London still had some spawn camping to do before Boston could fight back. Their ability to stay grouped allowed them to push the payload right to the gates of the castle. Unfortunately, a support ultimate that came too late cost the Uprising their lives. The round ended just shy of the second point, and Boston was denied a second tick.
Their defense started the same as the one on Horizon. Boston were strong, and getting the right picks that sent London packing back to spawn. However, with just over a minute left, the Spitfire clapped back. They fought tooth and nail to capture the point, and despite a good pick onto Fury from rCk, they succeeded. Boston did some spawn camping of their own, with a well placed graviton from Colourhex keeping them at a distance. Once they broke through that hold, however, London wasted no time in rolling through the streets of Eichenwalde. Persia came in too little too late in the end, and London breached the gates. Boston lost the map, 1-2.
Dorado (Boston 1-2 London)
The series was already lost, but Boston still had once more chance to earn a map win, and even out their map differential. On the attack, the first point was smooth sailing. Fusions led the charge, and helped the Uprising push the cart through the streets of Dorado. When London attempted to spawn camp, Persia kept his team alive. From there, Boston were able to push the payload under the bridge, just shy of the second point. Almost an exact repeat of the previous map, London used clutch ultimates that kept Boston away from the payload. The round ended, and Boston was denied their second point.
Boston’s defense didn’t show too much promise in the beginning. London was able to break through their hold, and keep Boston on their toes. The first point was achieved easily, and London used it to their advantage. With an interesting rotation, they chose to hold the high ground. Boston didn’t know how to respond to the aggression, and London charged in with it. Gesture made huge plays to wipe the team, and the Spitfire were free to earn the checkpoint. Boston lost the map, 1-2.
Conclusion
This first showing was rough for the Boston Uprising. This is the second time that the London Spitfire have swept them entirely, keeping their map differential deep in the negatives. Their second opponent this week is easier to deal with, and hopefully, they can implement some changes during their Saturday off. Additionally, though the match was gritty from start to finish, new addition Persia had certainly made an impact. It’s hard to tell if him and alemao make a better duo than Kristian “Kellex” Keller and Minseok “AimGod” “Jeff” Kwon, but the Uprising are willing to try new things. For the rest of Stage 3, this means their potential can only grow.
Featured Image Courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment.
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