OWL Countdown Cup - LAV vs CHE & GUA vs HAN

General Discussion
1

Countdown Cup • Week 3


East Region Day 2 • Match 1

VS.
Los Angeles Valiant
  
Chengdu Hunters
LP: 0 (0-15 -43)
  
LP: 12 (10-5 +13)

East Region Day 2 • Match 2

VS.
Guangzhou Charge
  
Hangzhou Spark
LP: 4 (4-11 -19)
  
LP: 7 (7-8 +2)

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2

What’s at stake in these matches?

  • Los Angeles Valiant is on the verge of becoming the second Overwatch League team with a winless regular season (following the 0-40 2018 Shanghai Dragons). Regardless of what happens they are already eliminated from Countdown Cup and Post-season potential.
  • Chengdu Hunters have clinched the #1 seed for the East region Countdown Cup Knockouts. Their match against the Valiant however can put them a step closer to clinching Playoffs without going through post-season playins.
  • New York Excelsior finished their Countdown Cup qualifer matches last week with an unstable 2-2 +0 scoreline. They are hoping that Hangzhou Spark take at least 2 maps off of Guangzhou Spark
  • Guangzhou Charge needs to beat Hangzhou Spark with a 3-0 or a 3-1 in order to exceed NYXL’s Countdown Cup score and advance to the Countdown Cup Playins, any other result will eliminate them from both the Countdown Cup Playins and any hope of reaching the overall postseason.
  • Hangzhou Spark are eliminated from the Countdown Cup Knockouts, but must still win this match to have any hope of advancing to the post season playins.
  • Seoul Dynasty are clinched into the Countdown Cup Knockouts at 3rd place cannot fall below that regardless of tonight’s matches.
  • Shanghai Dragons are eliminated from the Countdown Cup Knockouts but are already clinched for the Season Playoffs without playing in the Postseason playin matches.
3

The Guangzhou vs. Hangzhou match is a match I hope OWL officials and rulekeepers are watching extremely closely for any signs of match fixing…considering Hangzhou could likely knock NYXL out of the play-ins (and as a result, the postseason) if they simply throw the match and lose to Guangzhou by the 3-1 or 3-0 scoreline described by WyomingMyst above. I mean, when the situation about Hangzhou and NYXL is dire enough that it warrants a couple tweets about it out of one of the Houston Outlaws coaching staff…then there’s a problem.

Bah, no matter. Chengdu 3-0 over the Valiant, Guangzhou 3-2 over Hangzhou are my predictions.

Quick look at the standings entering today, starting with Countdown Cup:

Chengdu Hunters 3-0 (3 League Points) (+6)
Philadelphia Fusion 3-1 (3 League Points) (+6)
Seoul Dynasty 3-1 (3 League Points) (+4)
New York Excelsior 2-2 (2 League Points) (+0)

-Cutoff-

Shanghai Dragons 2-2 (2 League Points) (-1)
Guangzhou Charge 1-2 (1 League Points) (-1)
Hangzhou Spark 0-3 (0 League Points) (-5)
Los Angeles Valiant 0-3 (0 League Points) (-9)

And now, the overall season standings:

Shanghai Dragons 12-4 (20 League Points) (+19)
Seoul Dynasty 12-4 (12 League Points) (+18)

-Playoff Automatic Cutoff-

Chengdu Hunters 10-5 (12 League Points) (+13)
Philadelphia Fusion 10-6 (10 League Points) (+13)
Hangzhou Spark 7-8 (7 League Points) (+2)

-Play-In Cutoff-

New York Excelsior 7-9 (7 League Points) (-3)
Guangzhou Charge 4-11 (4 League Points) (-19)
Los Angeles Valiant 0-15 (0 League Points) (-43)

Let’s do this!

4

“From what I can tell… nobody won.” - Ashoka Tano, Star Wars Rebels

1 Like
5

Looks like my prediction is coming true…

6

1 map down, 2 to go…

7

Did Jinmu really just conc blast their baby D.Va mid-air and then land a direct rocket hit to prevent the suicide, because…damn.

8

Yeah, I think he did.

1 Like
9

I wish I could aim like that.

10

Yveltal just whent death mercy mode

11

Well, I know one team that will be happy to hear that final whistle…unfortunately for them, a massively disappointing season like that may have their supporters chomping at the bit to send a massive amount of angry emails and mean tweets to the organization.

FINAL (Match 1)

Lijiang Tower (Control): Chengdu Hunters 2, Los Angeles Valiant 0.

Volskaya Industries (Assault): Chengdu Hunters 2, Los Angeles Valiant 1.

Numbani (Hybrid): Chengdu Hunters 3, Los Angeles Valiant 0.

FINAL SCORE: Chengdu Hunters 3, Los Angeles Valiant 0

CHENGDU HUNTERS WINS!

The Valiant become the first team since the 2018 Shanghai Dragons to end up with a winless season in the OWL. Unfortunately, a certain Europe-based team may be joining the Valiant later this afternoon…we’ll see.

As for the Hunters, they go 4-0 in the Countdown Cup qualifier and claim the top seed in the CC Knockouts. They also (at least for now) take the Seoul Dynasty’s spot in the Top 2 of the East Region playoff standings and now put a bit of pressure on the Dynasty to produce in the Knockouts and in Hawaii.

Now, we’re on to the final regular season match for APAC…it’s the Guangzhou Charge taking on the Hangzhou Spark. Will the Charge deny the NYXL’s chances at the playoffs? Or will the Spark put pressure on the NYXL to produce both in the Regional Knockouts and in Hawaii? There is only one way to find out. Let’s rock the house down!

12

Alright, I have trashed the Valiant on Twitter (justifiably) and feel ready to call it a night. Have a good second match everyone!

13

Guangzhou take Ilios with relative ease, but Hangzhou come up clutch on Volskaya Industries, and we are all tied up heading into the second half.

AFTER MAP 2 (Match 2)

Ilios (Control): Guangzhou Charge 2, Hangzhou Spark 0

Volskaya Industries (Assault): Hangzhou Spark 4, Guangzhou Charge 3

MATCH SCORE: Hangzhou Spark 1, Guangzhou Charge 1

NEXT UP: The second half of Charge vs. Spark, starting with Numbani (Hybrid) and then moving on to Rialto (Escort). If the Charge lose one more map, the NYXL will advance to the Countdown Cup Knockouts. To misquote RuPaul: “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines, and may the best team WIN!”

14

That one final DVA bomb swung the game for the Sparks.

15

There is going to be a big virtual party in New York City tonight (and for more than one reason), the inhabitants of the virtual space had better leave town…and New Yorkers have BERNAR and his Hail Mary D’Va bomb to thank for sending them through to the Knockouts.

AFTER MAP 3

Ilios (Control): Guangzhou Charge 2, Hangzhou Spark 0

Volskaya Industries (Assault): Hangzhou Spark 4, Guangzhou Charge 3

Numbani (Hybrid): Hangzhou Spark 5, Guangzhou Charge 4

MATCH SCORE: Hangzhou Spark 2, Guangzhou Charge 1

NEXT UP: The Charge have officially been eliminated from the Countdown Cup Knockouts as well as the postseason. The NYXL have just clinched the last spot in the Countdown Cup Knockouts, and will face the Chengdu Hunters first thing tomorrow morning. But first things first, the match at hand needs a conclusion. We’re heading next to Rialto (Escort) next with the Hangzhou Spark on MATCH POINT. NYXL fans, you are now Charge fans the rest of the way through this match.

16

The Charge might be out of the playoffs, but they will not go quietly, and we are heading to a Map 5, ladies and gentlemen!

AFTER MAP 4

Ilios (Control): Guangzhou Charge 2, Hangzhou Spark 0

Volskaya Industries (Assault): Hangzhou Spark 4, Guangzhou Charge 3

Numbani (Hybrid): Hangzhou Spark 5, Guangzhou Charge 4

Rialto (Escort): Guangzhou Charge 3, Hangzhou Spark 2

MATCH SCORE: Guangzhou Charge 2, Hangzhou Spark 2

NEXT UP: OVERTIME! To misquote RuPaul once more, “2 teams stand before me. Prior to this morning, you were asked to prepare for the possibility of a Map 5 on Lijiang Tower. Guangzhou, Hangzhou, whoever wins this Best of 5 map takes game, set, and match…wins a League Point…and saves themselves from humiliation. The time has come…thunder sounds…for you to play…for THE VICTORY! Good luck to both teams…AND. DON’T. ****. IT. UP!”

17

The Guangzhou Charge at least go out with a high note, but the cost was high.

FINAL (Match 2)

Ilios (Control): Guangzhou Charge 2, Hangzhou Spark 0.

Volskaya Industries (Assault): Hangzhou Spark 4, Guangzhou Charge 3.

Numbani (Hybrid): Hangzhou Spark 5, Guangzhou Charge 4.

Rialto (Escort): Guangzhou Charge 3, Hangzhou Spark 2.

Lijiang Tower (Control): Guangzhou Charge 2, Hangzhou Spark 1.

FINAL SCORE: Guangzhou Charge 3, Hangzhou Spark 2

GUANGZHOU CHARGE WINS!

FINAL COUNTDOWN CUP STANDINGS

Chengdu Hunters 4-0 (4 League Points) (+9)
Philadelphia Fusion 3-1 (3 League Points) (+6)
Seoul Dynasty 3-1 (3 League Points) (+4)
New York Excelsior 2-2 (2 League Points) (+0)

-Cutoff-

Guangzhou Charge 2-2 (2 League Points) (+0)
Shanghai Dragons 2-2 (2 League Points) (-1)
Hangzhou Spark 0-4 (0 League Points) (-6)
Los Angeles Valiant 0-4 (0 League Points) (-12)

CC Knockouts Match-ups

4 New York Excelsior @ 1 Chengdu Hunters
3 Seoul Dynasty @ 2 Philadelphia Fusion

EAST REGION PLAYOFF STANDINGS ENTERING CC KNOCKOUTS

Shanghai Dragons 12-4 (20 League Points) (+19)
Chengdu Hunters 11-5 (13 League Points) (+16)

-Playoff Automatic Cutoff-

Seoul Dynasty 12-4 (12 League Points) (+18)
Philadelphia Fusion 10-6 (10 League Points) (+13)
Hangzhou Spark 7-9 (7 League Points) (+1)

-Play-In Cutoff-

New York Excelsior 7-9 (7 League Points) (-3)
Guangzhou Charge 5-11 (5 League Points) (-18)
Los Angeles Valiant 0-16 (0 League Points) (-46)

Bold=In Countdown Cup Knockouts

Looking at these standings, the NYXL hopium is alive and well…all that is required of them is to win against the Chengdu Hunters and then place 3rd in the CC Global Play Tournament, which will not feature the dominant Shanghai Dragons. It’s a major ask of the NYXL, but stranger things have happened before.

The main battle will be at the top…atm, the Chengdu Hunters are currently second in the East Region playoff standings, but Seoul will look to claim it back if they can make it to Hawaii.

That’s all she wrote for the regular season on the APAC side of things…but we’re barely halfway through the weekend. We have the final regular season matches for NA kicking off at high noon Pacific (3pm Eastern). Though we know the 9 teams who will be going to the postseason, the main question now is who will get what seed in the West…and the answer to that is currently clear as mud. We hope to get some answers this afternoon! For now, enjoy the rest of your morning!