The second week of the Overwatch League Postseason Playoffs began on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 as the Philadelphia Fusion took on the New York Excelsior followed by the London Spitfire’s match against the Los Angeles Valiant. The conclusion of these Semi-final matches took place later in the week on Friday and Saturday.
With a 1-0 series lead from Wednesday, the Spitfire and Fusion looked to close out their series, while the two highest seeded teams in the New York Excelsior and Los Angeles Valiant tried to battle back. Because of such a strong start from both underdogs and the pinnacle of the entire Overwatch League on the line, the closing semifinal series were nothing but competitive. During the final matches, some dreams were shattered. Others were made a reality. The Semifinal Postseason matches of the Overwatch League were a true spectacle and the Grand Finals this weekend are something that you do not want to miss.
In Their Zone
The first closing match took place on Friday, July 20 and the London Spitfire nearly swept the Los Angeles Valiant again. While the Valiant battled back with a map win against the Spitfire, the London Spitfire had a vigorous confidence in their play, taking the series 3-1.
With a 2-0 series victory over the Los Angeles Valiant, the London Spitfire will head to the Grand Finals. A scary part about the London Spitfire is that when they are in their zone, they are incredibly hard to beat. In their four postseason matches that they have won, the Spitfire have only dropped a single map. Heading into the Grand Finals, the Spitfire are looking to carry that momentum against the Fusion. However, the Fusion should make the series close considering how well they have been playing.
The Grand Finals starts Friday, July 27 and ends on Saturday, July 28. Tune into an epic series that will go down to the wire every map.
Down Go the Excelsior
With a strong start to the Semifinals, the Fusion blanked the Excelsior in their first map set, giving themselves a 1-0 series lead. However, with a short break during the week and time to regroup, the New York Excelsior fired back in the second series making it a close one. The number one seed made it close, but the Fusion played resiliently. The Fusion were able to squeak out a 3-2 victory in the second map set, ultimately winning the series 2-0 and securing their spot in the Grand Finals.
As Fusion players and fans rejoiced, the high expectations came crashing down for the New York Excelsior. After demolishing teams in the regular season, the Excelsior couldn’t get past the Fusion in the Postseason – the two lowest seeds took down the two highest seeds. Even though there is heartbreak for some teams, the Grand Finals couldn’t offer two more deserving teams. Philadelphia and London played exceptionally well, they both deserve to be there.
Be sure to tune into the Overwatch League Inaugural Season Grand Finals. As always for more details about the players, league, and playoffs, check out the Overwatch League’s official website.
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Featured Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment/Overwatch