New York Excelsior vs Shanghai Dragons

This, in short, is quite a surprise. No one thought we'be seeing such a premier match-up in the "losers' bracket" of the June Joust playoffs primarily because it doesn't make any sense -- how the heck would Shaghai, one of the very best teams in the world, end up in such a precarious position?

They've been wrecking house ever since 2021 began and have done more than enough to warrant everyone's benefit of the doubt. Have they been perfect? Far from it, but we've seen glimpses of their greatness on more than one occasion, so we'll let their fumbles slide for the time being. Whenever they got on the same page and executed to the best of their ability, they've been able to perform at a spectacular level, highlighting in the process the very core of what makes competitive Overwatch so darn exciting.

And they imploded beyond measure against Dallas Fuel. Now, Dallas *are* better. We know as a fact primarily because these two giants already faced off twice mere weeks ago, with the Fuel getting the better of Shanghai on both occasions (3-2 and 3-1). But despite losing, Shanghai always made it competitive, and it seemed that they had what it took to not only mount a comeback but even avenge their losses coming into the June Joust playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Dragons, they failed to deliver in the most crucial of moments, and were quickly punished for their sloppy play; Dallas crushed them like it was nothing, as if they were competing against a bunch of ranked rejects, rather than a seasoned team consisting of some of the best players on the planet. But that's why we all love competitive Overwatch -- it is a different kind of beast, one that highlights both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, often in the span of just a couple of days if not hours.

We know for a fact that Shanghai are better than this, and there's no doubt that they're motivated beyond belief to prove it, too. The Excelsior are fantastic but they're still nowhere near as competent enough to compete with a team of Shanghai's caliber. What'll happen still remains to be seen, but there's definitely a gap in terms of power *and* potential between these two teams and if the Dragons come out the gates swinging, they'll no doubt be able to emerge victorious. In any case, an absolute spectacle is all but guaranteed!