The Overwatch League season has seemingly flown away. That is, with the Seoul Dynasty’s regular matches for the Summer Showdown now done, they only have four matches remaining. This comes from the shortened season for the Overwatch League, with only four matches per minor tournament for a total of 16 regular season matches. With that, the APAC standings are quite close together, which brings math into the picture to see how a team might finagle a top position going into playoffs for the Grand Final. Here are the final four matches for the Seoul Dynasty.
The Final Four Matches:
The last four matches are a mix of easy to extremely difficult. The most essential component is going to be the balance between the map differentials and the number of wins a team can accrue. Though the Seoul Dynasty are sitting at the number two spot, it is not in a comfortable position. They can easily be bumped by any of the teams that are right on their heels.
#1 Hangzhou Spark:
The Spark is middling in the overall pack but showed a strong face during the June Joust. The hero pools are still unknown, which could drastically swing the favor in either direction. It is not their easiest match but also not their hardest either. There are definite threats that need to be addressed when the Dynasty are strategizing for this match. It is also a match, though the meta is just starting to be figured out, that needs to be a win. A 3-1 or 3-0 victory would be nice for the map differential, but the win in itself is important as they are tied for fourth alongside the Fusion.
#2 LA Valiant
The LA Valiant could be considered the Seoul Dynasty’s easiest match. This is a throwback to Season 1 where teams were focusing on preparing for the Shanghai Dragons over teams that were more competitive as they didn’t want to be the first team that the no-win team won against. There is pressure to go against the LA Valiant. To lose even one map is a sign to the community that the team isn’t looking as strong. This can be seen in the match against the Philadelphia Fusion. That one map loss on Numbani not only took their chance to play in the tournament away but also made many fans question the team. This is the match that the Dynasty needs to 3-0 so that they have a buffer for the two harder matches that come in Week 17.
#3 Shanghai Dragons
The Shanghai Dragon are now back-to-back champions of the June Joust and Summer Showdown. They are the ultimate boss. The last time these two teams met it was an easy 3-0 victory for the Dragons. Now that the season is winding down map differentials are extremely important. The only reason that the Seoul Dynasty are holding onto the second spot is because of their +14 map differential against the Chengdu Hunter’s +7. If the Dynasty lose this match it has to be done in a close fashion to protect their map differential. That needs to be the case as the Hunters do not play the Dragons this Countdown Cup rotation. They face easier opponents in the Valiant, Spark, and Charge. That means that there is potential. for a +9 in their map differential with whatever the outcome that the NYXL match could bring about.
#4 Philadelphia Fusion
Just like in the case of the Shanghai Dragons this is an essential match. The Fusion and the Dynasty have been close in the rankings since the beginning. The first match that either of these teams played was against each other and it will also be their last match in the regular season. The Fusion are not far behind the Dynasty and a few wins can have them go above Seoul in the rankings. The Dynasty pulling a win, even if it is close is essential to guarantee that they make it into the playoffs.
What Needs to Happen:
The Shanghai Dragons have already qualified for playoffs. They are way ahead of any of the other APAC teams. It is important that the Seoul Dynasty holds onto the number two spot. They face some hard teams at the end of the season. This is the time that they can gain momentum into the playoffs. To preserve the team’s map differential is essential as if they win two matches only they would be at 11 points, and any team with seven points who win all their matches would be also at 11 points. Three wins during this rotation would guarantee the team going into the Countdown cup at least third place (not counting the tournament points that could be added). To win is important, but even more important is to make sure that teams close to them, (Hunters, Fusion, Spark), don’t win or make it into the Countdown Cup.
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