San Francisco Shock: Stage 2 Week 4 Preview

The Shock have been having one of the most successful stages to date, and that’s not going to change this week. This is because…well, the Shock don’t actually play in Week 4. The Dallas homestead only features eight teams, and the Shock are not on that list.

So the Shock get a nice break from kicking everyone’s teeth in. As such, this “preview” won’t actually focus on what is happening for the Shock in Week 4. Rather, it will focus more on the Shock’s play last week, and what the games in Week 4 could mean for the Shock in the playoffs.

Toronto Defiant

Well this was an absolute drubbing, and that’s putting it mildly. To be honest all of the Shock’s games lately have been pretty one sided to say the least, but some were definitely hoping that this game might expose them. The Shock’s three wins before this had come at the hands of the Charge and the Valiant, two teams who were in massive slumps at the time. The entire league was fully aware that the Shock were a threat, but this game showed everyone just how threatening they were.

It’s really hard to say who the Shock’s best player is because they work so well together, and this game exemplified that. The Shock worked as a well oiled machine, cleaving through the Defiant in short order and really cementing themselves as a top threat.

Hangzhou Spark

Courtesy of Ben Pursell For Blizzard Entertainment

This still ended in a 4-0, but for the first two maps the Shock actually looked vulnerable. The Shock nearly dropped a map (oh, the horror) not once, but twice to the pink n’ blue. This was a bit scary periodically, but at the end of the day the Shock got it done, and they completely dominated for the last two maps.

This game did show that the Shock can still operate when they are put under pressure. The Spark came dangerously close to besting the Shock during the first two maps, but both times the Shock kicked it into high gear at the last minute and cleaned house. Being able to perform under pressure like that is very important, so it is good to see that the Shock still have this ability.

Week 4 Implications

Image Courtesy of the Overwatch League

The Shock don’t actually play in Week 4, but some teams that they could potentially encounter in the playoffs actually do. Every single team in the Dallas home week are in the hunt to a certain extent, with Houston being the only exception. The Shock will likely encounter a lower seed if they continue on their current course of kicking everyone’s butt. This means that several of these teams should be on the Shock’s radar.

Some games that the Shock should look out for are the games involving the Hunters, the Eternal, the Valiant and the Fuel. All of these teams are currently hovering around the playoff cutoff, and gauging their overall effectiveness would be beneficial for the Shock. Helpfully, the Eternal and the Hunters both play the powerful Spitfire, which will be a very helpful scouting match for the Shock or any other good team.

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Featured Photo Courtesy of the San Francisco Shock

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