London Spitfire vs Dallas Fuel

For the third match of the day we have an incredibly exciting match between the London Spitfire and Dallas Fuel.

Now this is an incredibly exciting fight for sure, regardless of the fact that Dallas looked like a shadow of their former selves every time they stepped foot on the big stage in the Blizzard Arena.

Game after game they failed to step up and play at the highest level. At best, you could argue that they're still figuring out a couple of things but to seem them fail at every single challenge is rather disappointing. That anticlimactic trajectory peaked yesterday in their match against the Houston Outlaws.

Dallas was annihilated in every way, shape and form. The were unable to set up any play, any strategy and weren't competitive on any map that was being played on.

Junkertown - a map where Dallas built somewhat of a reputation to be innovative and strong was exactly the map where they failed to get even a single point! Houston set up an impenetrable defense, spearheaded by Jake's staple Junkrat. Much of the same can be said for Lunar Horizon Colony, Oasis and even Eichenwalde. It was tough for Dallas to do anything really, especially when Bani resurrected 33% of all Houston's deaths. Dallas simply couldn't find an opening - all night long.

When the dust settled, Dallas ultimately rolled over and lost in under ninety minutes. (including pauses, analyst segments, etc.)

What are the reasons for such a lackluster beginning to their OWL run? So far it seems like a serious lack of synergy and communication, especially within their tank lineup. Cocco is the more passive, subdued Winston but they often lack aggression. With the constant swapping of him and xQc, it's tough for the team to mesh. The same could be said for their DPS lineup as they constantly have to choose between Taimou and Seagull but in reality neither one did that great. The constant breaks of momentum do no good for the rest of the roster either.

Against the Valiant they were too defensive, too afraid to pull the trigger and were forced to play Valiant's game. Against Houston though, they didn't even have a plan of their own it seemed.

But perhaps the most alarming signal was just how ineffective EFFECT was on every single map. He was constantly getting shut down by the Outlaws and was a complete non-factor. When one of your most respected and skilled players isn't able to play Overwatch, it's hard to stay competitive.

According to EFFECT there is no main shotcaller on Dallas which is one of the main reasons for their lackluster performance. But there is another important factor - many people fail to realize that the Overwatch League is essentially a consolidation of global talent meaning Dallas don't have an edge they once did. They need to step up, quite a bit if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.

As for the London Spitfire, the only thing people are waiting for is the day when they clash with Seoul or New York. We already know they're Top 3, there is no doubt about it, but the fight at the top will be a vicious one.

The all-Korean squad has settled on a very frightening roster, spearheaded with Rascal and Profit as a sensational DPS duo. They had a little trouble on Junkertown but London always starts off slow, painfully slow. That's perhaps a next-level tactic as they enter the second map with relentless force and pressure. Philadelphia kept things somewhat competitive for a while, but when London stepped foot on Lunar Horizon there was no hope for Philadelphia fans.

They were incredibly clean and in-sync with every play they went for. They were almost toying with Fusion, with Profit dealing 26% of his team's damage across six different heroes played.

Dallas has the drive, the motivation. All players consistently go to social media and speak their hearts out so it's probably only a matter of time before they step up and improve. Sadly it won't be in time for their match against London. Spitfire are simply on another level, and with a completed roster that's a mix between KongDoo and GC Busan veterans, they should take this in relatively easy fashion.