The Los Angeles Valiant could not shape up in the way they had hoped for their first match of Stage 2. Though, no one really expected them to win. Their opponents were some of the strongest they’ve faced yet. Week 2 looks slightly better, but will nevertheless be an uphill battle.
Courtesy of the Overwatch League
This was a match of polar opposites. The Shock had just left the playoffs, ending at second place. The Valiant left Stage 1 with 0 wins, and therefore no spot in the playoffs at all. Needless to say, everything went as expected. Each map was a very convincing victory by San Francisco. The Los Angeles Valiant looked many times to simply be at a loss for what to do. The majority of their team fights were in vain, and they continued to walk back from spawn only to be overwhelmed again by the Shock.
Alongside that, their ultimate usage was questionable semi-frequently. The Valiant were plain and simple playing at an overall lower level than the Shock in this series. If it wasn’t for the individual talent of the players, the maps would have been even worse of stomps. The match ended 4-0 in favor of the San Francisco Shock.
The nature of the series makes it hard to choose someone who truly had an impact. Although, main tank Pan-seung “Fate” Koo looked rather consistent throughout the series. He did his job as a Reinhardt, keeping his shield up and making space for his team.
Courtesy of the Atlanta Reign
The Atlanta Reign, having recently lost DPS player Daniel “dafran” Francesca, looked very weak during the first week. They still have the vast majority of the players that they’ve had from the start. They look weaker, but missing one player does not change the skill level of the others.
This will certainly still be a tough match for the Valiant. Though, it will also be their best chance at getting a win. Atlanta was unable to win either of their matches this week. As they are still in the process of creating cohesion with their new DPS, the Los Angeles Valiant can use that to their advantage. In the end, though, not much has changed for the Reign. It once again falls on the Valiant to improve themselves.
Prediction: Reign win 3-2
Courtesy of the Overwatch League
Much like the match versus the San Francisco Shock, the outlook for the LA Valiant is very poor. The LA Gladiators had improved over the course of the first stage, and are now sitting at an overall positive record this season. Even more to their credibility, they won both of their first week matches in Stage 2.
Although the Gladiators are not looking as dominant as the Shock, they undoubtedly hold the second spot in the California Overwatch League team rankings. In terms of individual skill, the Gladiators and the Valiant are not so far apart, but the LA Valiant cannot seem to figure out GOATs just yet. It looks as though the Los Angeles donning green and gold are looking at a very rough series.
Prediction: Gladiators win 4-0
DPS Kyle “KSF” Frandanisa, despite not seeing much playtime so far, is always a treat to watch when he’s actually on DPS. With the surge in popularity of the Hammond + three DPS + two healer composition, there are many more opportunities to see DPS Heroes being played on stage. More specifically, KSF boasts a mean Widowmaker that’s sure to impress if it ever does come out of its lair.
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Featured image courtesy of the Overwatch League
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