Home » Contenders Trials NA Recap #2

Contenders Trials NA Recap #2

Brandon Padilla

Publish Date: October 17, 2018

Another week in North America’s Contenders Trials has come and gone, and with its passing comes another round of games for us to recap! These matches gave us some of the most impressive scorelines so far, and we’re not out of the woods yet.

Skyfoxes

Week 2 Results: 0-4 vs Second Wind, 3-1 vs U4, 3-2 vs Phase 2

Current Standings: 1st (5-1, +10)

Remaining matches: vs Bye Week (10/20)

This overhaul has definitely helped the Skyfoxes, but it hasn’t made them a perfect team, as cool as that would have been. A 0-4 stunner against an apparently rejuvenated Second Wind, a map loss to U4 and a nailbiter against Phase 2 are all far from the lofty heights of this team’s first week in Trials, but are hardly anything to panic about. The team still kept it together in the trenches, and it’s clear that they’re going through their growing pains with as much grace as they can muster, which is a blessing for a new team in a big – and soon to be bigger – spotlight. With a Contenders berth already guaranteed for the Foxes, the team will be comfy – but hopefully not complacent – when they face off against Bye Week on Saturday.

Second Wind

Week 2 Results: 4-0 vs Skyfoxes, 4-0 vs SMC, 4-0 vs U4

Current Standings: 2nd (4-1,+14)

Remaining matches: vs Phase 2 (10/20), vs Bye Week (10/21)

WOW. I guess my dour review of the team’s Week 1 performance lit a fire under these guys, because you don’t get much better than three 4-0 finishes, including one against the current #1 seeds. That’s a black eye the Foxes won’t soon forget, but Second Wind are not done. They play Phase 2 on Saturday, and have a nice cooldown match against Bye Week on Sunday. Like the Foxes, their Contenders spot is all but wrapped up, and it seems like they’ve gotten out of their uncomfortable growth phase just in time.

GOATS

Week 2 Results: 1-3 vs U4, 3-1 vs Phase 2, 3-1 vs Bye Week

Current Standings: 3rd (4-1, +4)

Remaining matches: vs Bye Week (10/20), vs SMC (10/21)

GOATS had quite the weekend, cruising to comfortable victories over Phase 2 and Bye Week. Their loss against U4 was decidedly less comfy (and a bit concerning, if we’re gonna be frank here.) Overwatch’s favorite quadrupeds will need to clean up where they’re sloppy, but it won’t be an easy task with off-tank player Coluge out of the line-up.

It’s an unfortunate reality, but one many players have to face on the Path to Pro. Without financial support, and with many younger players balancing work, school and home life, the rigors of professional Overwatch can simply be too much. Best of luck to Coluge, and best of luck to GOATS, who play their final games against Bye Week on Saturday and SMC on Sunday. Also, Nomy was killin’ it out there. Good to see he hasn’t lost a step.

Phase 2

Week 2 Results: 4-0 vs Bye Week, 1-3 vs GOATS, 2-3 vs Skyfoxes

Current Standings: 4th (3-2, +5)

Remaining matches: vs Second Wind (10/20), vs U4 (10/21)

Phase 2 are slipping slightly, and I don’t know if they’ll be able to stop. Sure, they were one of the most consistent teams in this season of Open Division, and sure, they’ve stood up to some of the best talent in their bracket time and time again. Thing is… that was with Hawk.

Now that he’s become the horse guy from the Godfather, Phase 2 are left without one of the best D.Vas in his tier, and in a meta where D.Va is as crucial a hero as ever. The roster has always been pretty flexible, so I’m not too worried. If they can’t recover, though, it could be a quick trip back to Open Division. These next three teams are right on their heels, and they have a tough match-up against Second Wind on Saturday, followed by a U4 crew that apparently has some upset potential after beating GOATS last week. May the Juice sustain you, Phase 2.

Bye Week

Week 2 Results: 1-3 vs SMC, 1-3 vs GOATS

Current Standings: 5th (2-3, -1)

Remaining matches: vs Skyfoxes (10/20), vs Second Wind (10/21)

I’ve been a little rough on Bye Week so far, but their results don’t leave space for much else quite yet. Losses against SMC and GOATS to follow up a rough Week 1 means that Bye Week are looking at the very real possibility of another trip through Open Division. With match-ups against Skyfoxes and Second Wind… it’s do or die for these guys. If they win, though… what a story that would be!

Shu’s Money Crew

Week 2 Results: 3-1 vs Bye Week, 0-4 vs Second Wind

Current Standings: 6th (2-3, -2)

Remaining matches: vs U4 (10/20), vs GOATS (10/21)

SMC turned things around as best they could this week, fending off Bye Week in a close game before being shut out by Second Wind on Saturday. To be fair to the Crew, Second Wind had, well, a second wind coming into this week’s Trials. If I were them, I’d definitely write that one off and look to the future, where they face off against a beatable U4 crew on Saturday and long-term OD rivals GOATS on Sunday. They’re not out of this yet.

U4

Week 2 Results: 3-1 vs GOATS, 1-3 vs Skyfoxes, 0-4 vs Second Wind

Current Standings: 7th (2-3, -2)

Remaining matches: vs SMC (10/20), vs Phase 2 (10/21)

U4 haven’t had the best time of it, but there are small sparks of potential here and there that leave me hoping, however faintly. The win against GOATS was an impressive upset, and their matches against fellow former Open Division teams means that nothing is guaranteed until the final overtime wick burns away. What they did to GOATS can also be done against SMC or Phase 2, especially with Hawk out and Brandito looking less like a Doomfist god than usual. With the worst map differential of all 2-3 teams, though, they’ll need to be perfect to have a chance, if they have a chance at all. Otherwise, there’s nothing left but the cryin’.