2019-02-28 / Photo: Stewart Volland for Blizzard Entertainment
Last week, the Philadelphia Fusion faced off against the Washington Justice. With only one match under their belt, it is difficult to say whether the Fusion have improved or not after their disastrous second week. The Washington Justice are also not a great team to judge progress as they are currently one of the weaker teams of the stage.
Despite being one of the bottom teams, the Washington Justice managed to tie Philly 1-1 before the half. Ilios was a rough map for the Philadelphia Fusion. Lighthouse, in particular, was painful to watch as Philly struggled against Washington’s defense. Their inability to group up properly allowed the Justice to get constant picks on the Fusion’s support line, which resulted in Philly losing the map. After the Fusion’s loss to the Florida Mayhem the week prior, fans felt a familiar pit forming in their stomachs. Luckily, the Fusion were able to turn things around on Hollywood, Anubus. and Route 66. The Fusion locked in a 3-1 victory over the Washington Justice, but fans did not feel confident walking away from that series.
2019-02-28 / Photo: Stewart Volland for Blizzard Entertainment
Even with Isaac “Boombox” Charles back on the starting lineup, Philly looked messy and disorganized during this series. It has been disheartening to see the Fusion continue to struggle with inconsistency. After tightening down on their core roster, fans were hoping to see a stronger Philadelphia Fusion going into Season 2. However, it seems that by doing so, more holes have been revealed in the Fusion’s lineup. While Elijah Hudson “Elk” Gallagher is a great main support player, the Fusion might need to invest in another flex or off support player so they can avoid incidents like Week 2 in the future.
Gael “Poko” Gouzerch saved Anubis with this incredible DVA self destruct. Eating Hyang-ki “SanSam” Kim’s graviton surge, Poko denied the Justice their attempt to take the point. With the help of Jae-hyeok “Carpe” Lee setting up a graviton surge, Poko landed a two-kill bomb on the Washington Justice and completely changed the direction of the fight.
2019-03-03 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
The Valiant have had a rough first stage. Following their loss to the Guangzhou Charge, the Valiant are the first team to be disqualified from stage playoffs. Not a single win under their belt, watching the Valiant struggle has been heartbreaking to witness. The Valiant were one of the stronger teams last season, even going so far to win stage four playoffs.
The meta has not been kind to the Valiant. Questionable coaching decisions, like not putting in Scott “Custa” Kennedy because he understands the meta too well have fans and non-fans alike scratching their heads. The Valiant often look disjointed as a GOATS team. The Valiant’s individual players are extremely talented, Min-chul “Izayaki” Kim, in particular, comes to mind as he has popped off on Zenyatta multiple times throughout the stage. However, as a team, they have yet to fall in sync with one another. Fans want to believe in the Valiant, but it is unlikely that things will change for them until the meta shifts.
So far this season, Poko has been the only member of the Fusion to play consistently well during matches. While he might not always nail an infamous Poko bomb, he is consistently keeping guard of his backline as best as he can. This week, fans will be sure to see Poko pop off against the Los Angeles Valiant.
Follow me on Twitter: @Sybil_OW! I’m always happy to discuss anything I’ve written! You can also “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles written by other TGH writers!
