One Shall Fall: OWL Countdown Cup Toronto Defiant vs Florida Mayhem Featured Recap

Qualifying for Play-Offs

The Overwatch League (OWL) Countdown Cup concluded last night. Two final spots for the OWL yearly Play-Offs were still up for grabs and 4 Western teams remained. Of the four matches, the Upper Finals was of particular note, featuring tournament favorites Toronto Defiant and Florida Mayhem as they locked horns. After winning their respective matches against Washington Justice and Boston Uprising, both teams were looking to secure an early qualification.

Winning the match would have meant instant qualification and one of the two spots. Losing would have meant facing the winner of the Losers Semifinals and another Bo5 series.

 

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A Match to Remember

Map 1- Oasis

Toronto would fire the first shot of the battle, with a quick 2-0 point grab on Oasis. Florida would attempt late point retakes both times, nonetheless, Toronto were quick to slam the door shut. Florida actually controlled the first point, charging it to 95%, however, a turnover from Toronto would prevent its realization.

Heroics from Jung-woo “Finale” Lim are of especial note, as the star DPS player of Toronto was off to a flying start in the first map. After aiding his team in seizing back control of the point, he would shut down Florida’s supports and backlines with constant harassment on the Tracer. “Finale’s” Genji on the second point would also play a pivotal role in preventing Florida’s re-entry onto point.

Furthermore, Florida would enter this first map with a slight edge over Toronto, boasting a 55.6% winrate over Toronto’s 50%, making the latter’s convincing win even more impressive.

 

Map 2- Eichenwalde

Moving on to hybrid, Toronto moved with confidence as they looked to further their lead. An early point grab would see them attempt to convert the cart push as well. Florida’s stalwart defense however, had other ideas.

A power combo GravBlade from Ham “SOMEONE” Jeong-wan and Baek “Checkmate” Seung-hun slammed back Toronto’s ambitions and momentum. Florida would manage to secure a turnaround and eventually take Eichenwalde 2-1 after a successful push of their own.

Nevertheless, the efforts of Toronto Heesu “Heesu” Jeong and Choi “HOTBA” Hong-joon especially, made the map competitive with impressive plays on their Sojourn and Zarya, respectively.

(*GravBlade refers to the ult combo of Zarya + Genji, eg)

 

Map 3- Circuit Royal

With the wind out of their sails, Toronto was beginning to look worried as Florida grew sharper. Taking it to Circuit Royal, Florida was looking to assert some dominance, boasting a 62.5% winrate over Toronto’s 36.4%. The stats indicated it would not be close, and it was not. Florida would allow a point grab for Toronto before shutting the gate completely.

Florida’s double pointed spear of Isaiah “Hydron” Rodriguez and Ham “SOMEONE” Jeong-wan melted any semblance of a push mustered by Toronto on defense. Once swapping over, Ham “SOMEONE” Jeong-wan was unkillable and undeniable as he brute-forced a path to victory for Florida.

 

Map 4- Colosseo

Despite the overwhelming stats once more, the two teams would clash hard in the final map of the series. A veritable tug of war, Toronto’s 35.7% winrate did not do them justice as they pushed Florida to the brink of overtime.

With time ticking down, Florida had control of the robot with Toronto defending. Florida star Baek “Checkmate” Seung-hun would then decide games were over through an astounding quick 4k on the Dragonblade, sealing Toronto’s fate to the lower brackets.

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Final Score: 3-1 (Florida Mayhem Win)

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One more Chance

Despite their loss, Toronto managed a valiant game against Florida, the only match of the tournament on the West side to see the losing team score a point against the winners.

That said, Toronto will face stiffer competition in Play-Offs, having qualified after their win against Boston Uprising later that night. Entering as the final team of the tournament, they will face Houston Outlaws, a team that has historically matched them well.

 

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Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment