It had the look of a historic upset until South Korea predictably took control narrowly escaping out of a decisive game three orb a draw. The American Overwatch squad accrued three quarters of the Hanamura’s first point before a brilliant stall that led into a Korean hold and draw. Korea avoiding a 3-2 deficit was the main factor behind the win.

The game itself was historic because it’s the first time a Korean team has ever dropped a singular game at Blizzcon. The perception (and reality) is that Korea is far and away the best region in Overwatch. Results back this claim up. Heading into this matchup, an American victory seemed like a pipe dream.

The explosive DPS plays from young and talented Hyan “Flow3r” Yeon-Oh, intelligent Tracer play out of Park “Saebyeolbe” Jong-yeol and consistency from the supports is unmatched. That’s why up until this point they hadn’t dropped a single game. The US pushed them to their limits, and nearly had them on the brink of elimination. A late game rally on Hamaura was the difference.

The play from the United States team was superb, even in a losing effort. With the help of a raucous Southern California crowd, Jake “JAKE” Lyons, Adam “Adam” Eckel, and Jay “Sinatraaa” Won competed closely with the best players in the world. At no point did the US ever looked outclassed. It was the first blemish on an otherwise perfect record for the South Korean squad.

It could be a sign of things to come or a result of the US having better talent than most realize. Any progress made towards matching the dominance Korea has shown early on in Overwatch is promising. Even with a first round exit, the underdog American team showed they’re no walk over.

American fans will recognize this team as the same familiar names with an influx of new talent. Matt “Coolmatt69” Lorio has bounced around from club to club, but has consistently been the best flex player in the US. Fans of the Houston Outlaws will get a chance to see Coolmatt69, Jake “JAKE” Lyons, and Shane “Rawkus” Laherty on a regular basis.

One of the few players not picked up in the Overwatch League was Adam “Adam” Eckel, who took it personally, and ended up outplaying Yang “tobi” Jin-mo’s Mercy for a majority of the game. The premier Lucio and Mercy main in Korea got surpassingly out-resurrected by quite a bit. Adam elevating his game, along with the rest of the US, made for some of the most exciting and heart throbbing Overwatch matches yet.

It was apparent that they belong in this game. Another year of play and development has partially closed the gap between the World and Korea. Most of these player competed in the contenders series, which improved the overall play of each region. Now the United States, with its vast player pool, gets a chance to try and tap into that.

An Overwatch World Cup Classic

The same sentiment kept being passed around.

The intensity, back-and-Forth action, and adrenaline from an American team pushing the best country in the world to their limits made it feel like a finals match. USA proved there’s areas to exploit on the Korean roster. Korea struggled on the back-line and made questionable character choices throughout the first few games. The US capitalize Korea switching off their base composition.

All in all, it was one of the most entertaining and hard-fought Overwatch matches in history. Completely unexpected which makes it even more compelling. Homegrown talent stacks up well and this performance is something the US can build on. Korea on the other hand will look to take home their second consecutive Overwatch World Cup against France.

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