San Francisco Shock vs Dallas Fuel

For our second match of the day we have an incredibly exciting match-up between the Dallas Fuel and the San Francisco Shock.

This could by all means be one of the most interesting matches in quite some time. If someone told you that the Dallas Fuel would be sitting in the Top 5 right now with three wins and only a single loss, after occupying the very bottom of the standings over the last three stages - you wouldn't believe them and with good reason. They were simply bad in every way, shape and form and not adept at fighting at the highest possible level. Sure, they had some incredible raw talent and some of the most cerebral and experienced players in the entire League - but absolutely no leader and no cohesion. It was as if everyone wanted to play the game in a completely different way, all the time.

However with a change in their coaching staff - after KyKy left for the Outlaws, Dallas signed Philadelphia Fusion University team coach Aero who led the Philly academy to great heights in the Contenders league - and a serious change in the meta, the boys in blue started playing out of their minds.

There isn't a soul alive that could have thought that even without EFFECT in the line-up they would be able to play at such a high level but it's evident that the shifts in the meta allowed them to better utilize their strengths, regardless of their actual weaknesses.

Perhaps the biggest, most important unsung hero of their roster is Seagull. He led all D.Va's in week two in hero damage and final blows and he's definitely performing like one of the most cerebral and impactful D.Vas right now. To make matters even more interesting he's in a unique position within the league - he doesn't only play tank for Dallas but he has a deep pool filled with some incredibly important projectile heroes and he's fantastic on all of them - Genji, Pharah and Junkrat.

The ability to simply swap him from one position and hero to another is a huge benefit for Dallas as they're currently always prepared to adapt, to answer and to go for something new and untested.

On the other hand both Taimou and Mickie deserve a heap of praise. We haven't seen Taimou this dominant since... well, he was never this dominant in the Overwatch League. He is echoing his Contenders Season One level of play and it's been an absolute thing of beauty. He does have insane streaks so when he's not on the top of his game he's a complete non-factor but when he comes to play and has the right mindset he's an absolute beast.

Fortunately for Dallas he's been a beast almost consistently over the last two weeks.

Mickie is also a big factor in their wins as he's not just the best Brigitte in the League but allows his team to play in such an aggressive "in your face" kind of way and vice versa.

They're playing like a team possessed and this is probably a result of better coaching and overall management. They always had a ton of potential but they were always lacking the discipline and drive to make things work.

That said, they didn't really have the hardest of schedules and that plays a big factor. They outclassed the Shanghai Dragons which was expected then proceeded to get smashed by the Gladiators. Week two fared a bit better when they beat Boston - who is by all means a bottom three team right now and then upset the Philadelphia Fusion. Is a win over the Fusion a huge morale boost? Absolutely but they haven't really been playing that well either as they had an even easier schedule up until their clash with Dallas. With a better understanding of the meta they had the upper hand and while we're not taking anything away from Dallas' success, this match tonight will be the first real test.

As for the Shock, they're entering week three with a very solid 3W-1L record, and other than a close loss to London last week they've been on a tear. They showed a very deep understanding of the meta, they've been playing at an incredibly high level and they're currently aiming for the stage four playoffs. They're not the epitome of consistency which is a problem against top tier opposition but they have the tools to take any team to five maps - it's just a matter whether or not they come to play as a cohesive unit or not.

This is almost impossible to predict with confidence. While the Shock look like a very, very strong team in the making this could really be the moment when Dallas steps up and becomes a stage playoffs contender. The amount of innovation and fearlessness that they displayed over the last two weeks was astounding, and paired with insane individual performance they make a really frightening enigma right now.

Regardless of the outcome tonight, seeing Dallas play this well is a phenomenal thing. They were one of the most beloved and hyped up teams in the entire League and a lot of fans started tuning in just to see the old EnVyUs roster compete. This is their renaissance and after months of abysmal play they're not only playing well but they're playing like one of the best teams in the League right now - and that's actually not an overstatement.

This is their meta and if they continue playing at this level they actually have a chance of reaching the Stage 4 playoffs which would for many be the dankest of timelines after barely getting six wins in three stages.

We're going with San Francisco on this one but it could be incredibly close. We're betting on Crusty's (their head coach) experience and leadership as well as the fact that he showed a great understanding of the current meta. That said, don't bet a lot as the Shock also have the tendency to fall apart at the most random of times.