The Toronto Defiant will enter the Stage 1 playoffs as one of two new Canadian Teams in search of a stage championship. Both the Defiant and the Vancouver Titans enter the playoffs as expansion rosters for the 2019 Season. They will join the Atlanta Reign as the only three expansion teams to continue into Stage 1 playoffs.
With no matches of their own scheduled in Week 5, Toronto’s final position was left in question following the Philadelphia Fusion’s victory over the Paris Eternal. With each team sitting at a 5-2 record and a +5 map differential, both teams opted for a mutually agreed-upon coin flip to settle third and fourth place.
After San Francisco’s 3-0 victory over the Seoul Dynasty, the Toronto Defiant would come out on top as winner’s of the coin flip. With the standings finally set, Toronto would be facing off against the San Francisco Shock on Friday at 11 p.m. EST in the quarterfinals.
Toronto Defiant main tank: Gyeong-mu “Yakpung” Jo
The Sixth Seeded San Francisco Shock potentially rank as one of the more unpredictable opponents to fall in Toronto’s path so far. Their shear roster size offers incredible versatility for a team looking to gain any sort of advantage in the Playoffs. Against Chengdu’s aggression, Toronto stood tall and turned back the onslaught. How could the Shock fare compared to the Hunters ferocity?
Realistically, the tank battle will decide much of this matchup. With Matthew “super” DeLisi entrenched as the starting main tank for the Shock, Gyeong-mu “Yakpung” Jo will need to soften the impact from super whenever possible. If Yakpung can slow super, potentially Kang-jae “envy” Lee and Seung-hyun “Ivy” Lee can slow the Shock opposition with aggression of their own.
Key Matchup: Flex Support
Toronto Defiant flex support: Se-hyeon “Neko” Park
Min-ki “Viol2t” Park currently lead’s the league in averaged healing per 10 minutes (11,574). His play on Zenyatta has been masterful for the shock. As a rookie coming into 2019, Viol2t has certainly shined during his recent performances through Stage 1. He will be put against the Defiant’s Se-hyeon “Neko” Park in Friday’s matchup.
Combined with Toronto’s masterful ultimate usage, Neko should play a key role for the Defiant against the Shock. Support ultimate’s are so crucial within the 3-3 composition. Neko’s gameplay regularly swung fights for the Defiant throughout their winning streak towards the playoffs. His experience and incredible skill will need to be a back bone for the Defiant against the formidable San Francisco Shock.
(Image Courtesy of Liquipedia)
If the Defiant are to overtake the Shock and move on in the playoffs, their next opponent will presumably be the New York Excelsior.
If Toronto are to have a chance against the undefeated NYXL, they will need to stay aggressive against the NYXL’s passive engagements. New York’s style will try to expose Toronto’s mistakes. If the Defiant are absent of mistakes and hungry for vengeance, they could very well upset New York’s bid if all runs according to plan for the Defiant.
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