Overwatch League Recap: Dallas Fuel vs Vancouver Titans

The Dallas Fuel roster had only made stage playoffs once before, and much like last time, the Boys in Blue didn’t make it far. Vancouver was basically playing with their food all match, they had no respect for Dallas and they had no reason to. Three quick maps, and Dallas was handed a decisive defeat.

It was GOATS from both teams to start, a composition that the Titans have always looked amazing on. Despite getting picks during the fights and building ultimates quickly, Dallas still lost. Minseok “OGE” Son was being bullied very hard and it cost them Map 1.

The Fuel had confidence in what they wanted to do, but Vancouver played their own game. Again the Fuel were able to trade picks but not able to finish any fight. Dallas was swept on both maps 100-0.

Dallas took the attack slow and steady, building up ticks, Rally and Graviton Surge. With clean play from the Fuel except for OGE falling, Dallas was able to capture Point A but were halted at the end of B for several minutes. Off the back of a pick from Lucas “Note” Meissner’s D.Va Bomb, the Fuel captured B. The last point was stopped at the very end by a surprise Roadhog from the Titans.

Point A saw Dallas getting run over, and OGE was dead in an instant. Fights kept breaking out with kills on both teams, but Vancouver’s mid fight coordination was better. Aggression came out from Dallas on the second point with decisive engagements and even better ultimates. The Fuel held on to the second point for several minutes and reset ultimate economy going into the last point. Pure aggression from the Titans pushed the Fuel back into their spawns. Despite the efforts of Note at the end, Dallas lost King’s Row.

Anubis started with Winston for both teams, and an Ana for the Titans. Despite playing slow and methodically the aggression from Vancouver stopped Dallas in their tracks. The Fuel were sent back to spawn without any eliminations to speak of.

On the last map, Vancouver looked more dominant than ever over the Fuel, shutting them out of the playoffs. The Titans did what casters called “play with their food” by bringing out DPS and one support. They didn’t have to slow down on their way to Point A, and it was over in the blink of an eye.

Was this not expected? Dallas made it into the playoffs with a fairly easy schedule in the stage. However Vancouver has not lost a single match in over a year. It was amazing that the Fuel made it into playoffs, considering how disastrous last season was. The improvements the Fuel have made are amazing, and with stage three on the horizon more changes could be coming for Dallas. Ashley “Trill” Powell has moved up from Contenders to the main Envy roster, this could signal incoming trades or simply two main tanks for the roster. Burn Blue and go next.