Toronto Defiant (2-1) vs LA Valiant (0-3)
As the second week of the Overwatch League comes to a close, the matchup of the Toronto Defiant vs LA Valiant was not one to be missed! Though the Valiant saw another defeat, their game play hasn’t faltered at all. With some top tier plays coming out from both sides, this matchup was one of the closest yet.
Ilios Toronto 2-1 Los Angeles
Coming into the first round, the Valiant had their eyes on the prize. Immediately, they took control of the point, and held it down without much of an issue. However, a big bomb from Kang-jae “envy” Le caused the point to shift in favor of the Defiant, earning a point cap. It only took one reset and a won team fight for the Valiant to take their point back. Despite a flip and a last minute hold to 99%, the Valiant managed to take the lighthouse for their own.
The well was all Toronto. Though the Valiant managed to take control of the map first, the Defiant flipped it with ease. Once they got hold of it, they didn’t let it go, allowing them to tie up the first round.
Traveling to the ruins, the Defiant once again turned up the heat. Though the Valiant made an effort to hold their capture percentage, Toronto repeated the process. Once they got the point, they didn’t let it go. With the Defiant taking the last point, the Valiant lost the map, 1-2.
Hollywood Toronto 3-3 Los Angeles
Though the Valiant had a rough start in the beginning, the point cap came about with two minutes to spare. As Los Angeles pushed the payload through the map, team fights played into their favor in spades. Accompanied by a massive D.Va bomb from Indy “SPACE” Halpern, the Valiant managed to complete the map in overtime.
With the tables turned, the Toronto Defiant managed to rise above. Though they struggled to cap the point, and only made it through the second point during overtime, they still completed the map as well. With both teams ending in overtime, each one had one minute to get as much progress as possible.
Both teams managed to full hold the other, leaving the map at a draw.
Horizon Lunar Colony Toronto 4-3 Los Angeles
Coming off of a great game, the Valiant pushed through with a twist to their GOATs comp. With Young-seo “KariV” Park playing Reaper for the first push, before switching back to Zarya, they pulled off a first point cap with ease. Though the second push proved harder to overcome, the Valiant succeed with a two point cap.
With the tables turned, the Defiant found a slow and steady start to their capture. They did push through, managing a two point cap after some hard fought clashes against Valiants tank line.
The Defiant attacked first for the second round, and in both pushes, they managed to cap the point in overtime. A lot of their success during those fights can be credited to some top tier D.Va play from envy, who had massive bombs and pushed the point both times to completion.
Though the Valiant’s attack seemed hopeless, a surprise turn of events gave them the first point cap. An amazing play from Min-chul “Izayaki” Kim, the Zenyatta player, pushed them through. However, they couldn’t pull off the snowball, and ended up losing the map, 3-4.
Dorado Toronto 2-3 Los Angeles
Though they had already lost the series, the Valiant didn’t give up. A swift push through the first and second point, credited to plays from SPACE, gave them an easy way towards victory. A completed map gave them a shot at a map win for the series.
With the Defiant attacking, they managed to push through the initial strongholds of the Valiant’s defense. However, big team fights right at the gate had them pushing the Defiant back. Amazing synergy earned the Valiant a map win, 3-2.
Conclusion
It’s unfortunate that, while they’re playing well, the Valiant keep losing their games. Their map wins are due to the amazing synchronicity that this team has developed. Their talents should not be slept on, and this team is ripe for their first series win. Next week, they face tough opponents. However, with the way they pushed the NYXL to the brink, it’s possible we could see more amazing plays—and a win—from this incredible team.
Featured Image Courtesy of the Overwatch League.
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