The LA Valiant vs Seoul Dynasty was a game that proved to go the distance. Despite people assuming the Valiant would get swept once more, it seems this team is slowly coming back to life. With wonderful moments all around, the Valiant are proving that they haven’t lost their old selves quite yet, and that there’s still some fight left in them.
Busan Los Angeles 0-2 Seoul
The game started at the Sanctuary, where everything seemed to come up for Seoul. They showed dominance when it came to team fights, successfully shooing the Valiant away over and over again. Min-hyuk “Michelle” Choi’s aggressive D.Va play was notable for the Dynasty, and in the end, Los Angeles didn’t stand a chance. The Valiant lost the round, 100 – 0.
MEKA Base gave the Valiant a bit of hope. Though they lost the initial engagement once more, they managed to rally together for a successful push. Led by a first pick from Brady “Agilities” Girardi, Kyle “KSF” Frandanisa, and Indy “SPACE” Halpern followed through to dismantle Seoul. They managed to flip the point at 84%, building up 64% of control on their own. Sadly, it was short lived when Dong-eon “FITS” Kim got back into the fray. With one Graviton, he killed half the team, and the Valiant fell quickly. Unable to come back and make a stand, the round ended. The Valiant lost the map, 0-2.
Hanamura Los Angeles 3-2 Seoul
The Valiant were first to attack, and things seemed promising from the start. Quickly, they approached the point, and managed to score themselves a tick while fighting around the Dynasty. From there, things took a turn for the boys in black and gold. Team kills poured in for the Dynasty, with Michelle paying attention to KSF’s ultimate percentage.
Once the overtime meter kicked in, the Valiant got down to business. SPACE led the fight, eating FITS’ Graviton, and Min-chul “Izayaki” Kim used Transcendence to keep their presence strong on the point. KSF got a chance to use his Graviton, then, and together the team pulled off the kills they needed. The Valiant were then free to complete the first point, and keep themselves in the fight.
Despite their initial attack being stalled out by Min-seo “Marve1” Hwang’s triple kill, the Valiant tried a different approach. KSF used another Graviton to keep Seoul away from the point. From there, Agilities, SPACE, and Pan-seung “Fate” Koo were able to pick apart the team, and complete the second point.
The Valiant’s defense seemed to hold up extremely well for the entirety of Seoul’s attack. Between a well placed Earthshatter from Fate and a double kill from SPACE, things looked good for the LA boys. Unfortunately, overtime activated something within the Dynasty. Together, they dismantled the Valiant, earning them the first point and another shot to tie things up.
SPACE tried his best to keep them at bay with more Self Destruct kills to zone the Dynasty out. Marve1 survived, however, and decided he’d had enough. With FITS fighting on the point, Marve1 used his giant Reinhardt body to keep the Valiant in spawn. The Dynasty completed the second point with ease, tying the game up before the half.
Seoul had less time, so their second attack came first. With just a minute to get something done, the Valiant made sure to keep them at the gates. KSF in particular melted Seoul down. When overtime started, Fate took it upon himself to stop Marve1 in his monkey tracks. No ticks were given, and the Valiant had a chance at a map win.
With just under three minutes to attack, the Valiant seemed a little scattered at first. Seoul was able to hold them back for a minute, but once they broke through the gates, it was all green in the kill feed. Fate used his charge to take Michelle out of the equation while SPACE took flight to chase down Jehong “ryujehong” Ryu. The Dynasty fell apart, and the Valiant earned the tick they needed. They ended up winning the map, 3-2.
King’s Row Los Angeles 3-6 Seoul
Tied up at the half, the Valiant had a chance to fight back and prove that they’re growing strong. A quick capture of the first point put them in a good position to take charge, and that they did. They easily walked the payload through the streets of London before taking the second point off of SPACE’s pick. Approaching the third point, Scott “Custa” Kennedy pulled out his fists and got a double melee kill, bringing them to the brink of victory. With a misplaced Self Destruct from Michelle, and an out of position Sang-beom “Munchkin” Byeon, the Valiant took down the Dynasty and completed the map.
Seoul’s attack started just as quickly, with the Dynasty taking the first point with ease. As the payload progressed, however, Seoul chose a more aggressive attack. They left the payload behind, and their attempt to steam roll was punished by the Valiant. They kept them at bay long enough for the Dynasty to reset. When they came back, however, Marve1 was ready. With another huge Earthshatter, the Dynasty wiped the team, and earned the second point. The third point gave the Valiant multiple chances to stabilize, with Agilities pulling out an emergency Roadhog to save the day. Unfortunately, overtime gave Seoul power, and Michelle managed to get the picks they needed. Seoul completed the map just in the nick of time.
Seoul only had a minute to attack the second time around, but made the most out of every single moment. Marve1 charged another Earthshatter, and the Dynasty were free to pick up the first point in overtime. Throughout the entire map, Seoul needed to remain on the payload, otherwise the overtime meter would rapidly deplete. The Valiant tried and tried, but the Dynasty could not be taken down. Seoul ended up finishing the map in overtime, ensuring the Valiant had an uphill battle in front of them.
Despite having more time to attack, Seoul didn’t want to give the Valiant any chance of earning a win. They held them back at the choke, continually pushing them away from the point. In the end, Los Angeles couldn’t even manage to touch the point. The Valiant lost the map, 6-3.
Junkertown Los Angeles 3-2 Seoul
Down but not out, the Valiant opted for a standard GOATs composition as they attacked on Junkertown. Though their initial attacks were stalled out, KSF finally broke through. From there, substitution Young-seo “KariV” Park earned a double kill, clearing the way for the Valiant to take the first point. The path towards the second point had both of the teams switching positions, with the Valiant attacking from a defensive stance. SPACE earned the first pick, and KSF was free to focus Michelle and FITS on the high ground. The second point was then theirs to take.
The third point seemed to come quicker, as they continued towards the end of the map. With KSF and KariV teaming up to get their picks, SPACE was free to zone out the Dynasty with a Self Destruct. With no one to contest, the Valiant completed the map with time to spare.
The Valiant’s defense started off strong, with the boys managing to hold off the Dynasty just under the bridge. However, Marve1 and Fits wanted more, and together, they wiped the Valiant off the map. The second point brought more of the same, as the payload wound around the corner. FITS used a graviton surge, and Michelle’s Self Destruct caught four Valiant players. With another team wipe, the Dynasty were able to get the second point with ease.
A steam roll seemed inevitable, but the Valiant rallied together to fight back. KariV stood his ground, and KSF helped with the necessary picks to send Seoul back to spawn. Their last push was stalled with another graviton from KSF, and SPACE helped get the kills they needed. Seoul was unable to touch the point, and the Valiant won the map, 3-2.
Oasis Los Angeles 1-2 Seoul
A game that no one expected to go the distance did just that in a rousing map five. Going to the Gardens first, everything was coming up for the Valiant. Taking the point quickly, they didn’t relinquish their hold once. KSF and Fate joined together to bat the Dynasty off the map, and the Valiant won the first round 100 – 0.
At the University, things took a turn. The Dynasty came out swinging, holding off the Valiant until the very end. At 99%, the Valiant had their chance to fight back, and managed to flip the point with a team wipe. Sadly, their hold didn’t last very long. A calculated boop onto Fate sent him down the hole in the middle of the map. Without a Reinhardt shield, Seoul was free to kill half the team and reclaim what was theirs. The Valiant couldn’t rally back together, and the Dynasty took the round.
City Center was the last chance for the Valiant to make their stand. However, their DPS heavy composition played against them, and allowed Seoul to take the point first. Switching to GOATs, they then suffered at the hands of FITS on Sombra. A massive EMP earned the Dynasty a team wipe, and Los Angeles found it hard to fight back. Despite being spawn camped, Custa and SPACE made it towards the point. They were sadly taken care of, however, and Seoul took the victory. The Valiant lost the map 2-1.
Conclusion
The Valiant are finally showing signs of life. This was a game that many people expected them to lose in a sweep, but these boys are putting the pieces together. With coordinated plays, and switching between Izayaki and Kariv, there’s hope yet that the Valiant can earn another win. Stage 2 Playoffs aren’t entirely possible this late in the game, but if they keep improving, the team we saw last year could make a resurgence down the line.
Featured Image Courtesy of the Los Angeles Valiant.
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