Overwatch League, Week 2: Los Angeles Gladiators pull off a reverse sweep to stun Philadelphia Fusion

The Philadelphia Fusion enter their second game of Week 2 with a spring in their step.

The Los Angeles Gladiators entered Week 2 with one impressive win against the Shanghai Dragons and one well-fought loss against the Seoul Dynasty. Now that they’ve played against both Overwatch League extremes, it was time for them to play everyone else, starting with the Philadelphia Fusion.

The Fusion already secured one win this week over the San Francisco Shock, but LA would make it difficult for them to ride that momentum to another one.

Map One: Junkertown

Philadelphia got off to a shaky start, with ShaDowBurn falling early and Carpe accidentally falling off the map as Widowmaker as he temporarily lost track of his place on the map. However, Philadelphia’s reliable Poko was able to scatter the LA team with his Self Destruct, able to get an elimination for good measure.

The second section of the map saw LA find their defensive footing, with Asher on Tracer sowing discord and destruction through Philadelphia’s ranks. With time ticking away, the Fusion finally regained control of the payload and took the second checkpoint in overtime.

Moving into the last section of the map, LA’s Hydration jumped onto the payload, attempting to do damage with a Dragonblade. However, the Fusion dodged right out of the way and fragi on Winston was able to take out Hydration and BigGoose. Carpe and ShaDowBurn pulled out all the stops to push the payload to the threshold, but it was Shaz helping LA to stop it just short of the end.

Los Angeles elected to go without a Bastion on their attack and attempted to gain ground with a very spread out offense. For a very long time, Los Angeles simply hovered around the map, unable to gain any meaningful ground. Finally, they grouped together as they looped around to attack Philadelphia behind the Orisa shield. Hydration’s Dragonblade sent Philadelphia packing, giving the Gladiators checkpoint one.

The Gladiators’ push was stopped around halfway through the next section of the map. With one final push, BigGoose on Mercy was picked off before they can make it to the payload. Shaz triggered his Transcendence to start off his team’s push on the payload, but it wasn’t enough. With the Gladiators’ offense faltering, it was the Fusion who took the first map.

Map Score: Fusion 2, Gladiators 1

Match Score: Fusion, 1, Gladiators 0

Map Two: Temple of Anubis

Moving to the second map of the series, the Gladiators subbed out Hydration for Surefour. However, he along with the rest of his team found themselves hastily backing out of the first point as the Fusion mounted their first attack, with Carpe getting just enough nicks to put the fear of the Widow into LA.

After taking point A, Philadelphia moved aggressively toward point B. While the push looked promising at first, LA was able to fend them off. Subsequent pushes were stalled, including one thanks to a Surefour Riptire that took out both Fusion supports. Finally, ShaDowBurn’s patient Genji play on the point helped Philadelphia gain the ground they needed. By the time ShaDowBurn finally triggered his Dragonblade, his team was there with the follow up. The Fusion soon capped point B.

Los Angeles’ attack stalled pretty much as soon as the doors opened, with Carpe taking Surefour out immediately as Widowmaker. The next push also fell apart, with iRemiix unable to get the positioning he needed as Winston and Bischu getting de-meched extremely quickly. With under two minutes remaining, the Gladiators finally penetrated the higher ground that the Fusion were holding, ensuring the start of their takeover.

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Moving onto point B, the first furious engagement started with both D.Va’s getting de-meched. Poko ultimately fell, getting caught in Bischu’s Self Destruct. But it ended with ShaDowBurn decimating the Gladiators with a Dragonblade, chasing them back while slicing them to pieces. With two minutes remaining, the Gladiators charged down the middle toward the point, remarkably able to outlast a Dragonblade. Then it was Surefour, first wiping the Fusion away with a huge Death Blossom and then following that up with key kills on Philadelphia’s respawns.

With the map tied, the Fusion got one more chance on attack, being the only team with time in the bank. Carpe got to work right away with two quick headshots and Philadelphia moved quickly onto the point. Los Angeles had no time to come back onto the point, giving Philadelphia the win.

Map Score: Fusion 3, Gladiators 2

Match Score: Fusion 2, Gladiators 0

Map Three: Ilios

Hydration came back in for the Gladiators moving into the control map, and picked Pharah to counter ShaDowBurn on the same hero. But it was ShaDowBurn getting first blood, targeting and taking out iRemiix. At 40 percent control for Fusion, LA’s Asher on Tracer got work done on the ground, helping his team steal control of the point and as their percentage built, Asher did not let up, taking out Hydration. Bischu also did his part by taking out an ulting ShaDowBurn. The more Asher’s confidence rose, the farther forward he pushed, able to nab kills on Neptuno and ShaDowBurn behind enemy lines. Just like that, LA went up one on Ilios.

Asher continued to rule the streets on the next point, able to take out Neptuno while Hydration dealt successfully with Carpe. With the brawl getting close to the point, Bischu secured it with a Self Destruct and then finished up with a kill on fragi. But Philadelphia finally found their footing thanks to a Neptuno Transcendence, and with the point in their control ShaDowBurn reestablished his reign over the skies, taking out people on the ground and Hydration in the air. With their control at 99 percent, ShaDowBurn took out an ult-ing Hydration while Poko took care of the point on the inside. The Fusion capped the point, forcing Ilios to map three.

Moving into the Ruins saw Asher and Carpe both move onto Widowmaker. Carpe immediately asserted his dominance at the hero, getting a headshot onto Asher. But as Carpe got his picks, so did the rest of the Gladiators. Hydration on Roadhog especially went wild, owning the point with his hook. With the rest of the team solidly on point, LA cruised to a map win.

Map Score: Fusion 1, Gladiators 2

Match Score: Fusion 2, Gladiators 1

Map Four: Numbani

The Gladiators got their chance to tie up the series and force the matchup to the fifth map, but they would have to win Numbani first.

The Fusion approached the first objective patiently, getting ticks on the objective a little bit at a time. As Philadelphia made their final occupation of the first point, ShaDowBurn patiently waited to use his Dragonblade at just the right moment, slice and dicing both BigGoose and Surefour. As the payload moved down the streets of Numbani, ShaDowBurn and Carpe did a fantastic job of picking apart members of LA to prevent them from being able to make a concerted push.

Moving into the last section of the map, the fighting grew intense with devastating ultimates getting traded back and forth. Poko slung a Self Destruct into the mix, getting three kills with it, but ultimately it was Hydration on Doomfist who made a big enough impact to stop Philadelphia’s forward momentum. Just as it looked like the Fusion would bring it home, the Gladiators ripped that chance away.

Not to be outdone, Carpe came out on defense as Doomfist but met a sad end when he was booped off the map thanks to Hydration on Pharah shooting out a concussive blast. As the Gladiators escorted the payload down the path, Hydration rained down rockets unchecked, catching any Fusion player not under cover. Even though ShaDowBurn was finally able to cut Hydration out of the air, the Gladiator tanks stayed solidly on the payload and pushed it forward to the second checkpoint.

And the Gladiators would not stop there. The Fusion were completely bottled up by a Soldier 76 ultimate by Surefour and then a Dragonblade from Hydration. LA pushed the payload home, forcing the series to a fifth and final map.

Map Score: Fusion 2, Gladiators 3

Match Score: Fusion 2, Gladiators 2

Map Five: Lijiang Tower

The Gladiators barreled out of the gate with a triple-DPS composition and with Surefour on Widowmaker to drive the nail in the coffin. They immediately took the point and Surefour got to work stalling the Fusion with a headshot on BigGoose. To contest this damage, Carpe shifted onto his own Widowmaker and with the Valkyrie in hand, the Fusion mounted a successful push onto the point.

With his team comfortably in control of the point, it became Carpe’s turn to take some skulls, with an 100 percent elimination on Surefour and Asher. But the Gladiators reared right back, changing up their composition. The Fusion fought fiercely, with ShaDowBurn flying around the point in an attempt to grasp hold of the point. Finally it was LA ending up with the first cap.

Philadelphia gained control of the next objective first. Then Carpe as McCree was able to pick off Shaz to stall LA momentarily. The next engagement became a game of who would be baited who to use their Earthshatter first. While the Fusion was first to give in, Shaz’s Transcendence prevented LA from losing their lives. But then Fusion threw in a Graviton, which caused LA to use their Mercy ultimate as well. With both support ultimates used, LA walked away with nothing.

But Hydration on Junkrat had quietly built up a Riptire by this time and he decided to use it to perfect effect, clearing out the point. As the LA Gladiators took control, it became Asher on McCree getting nasty picks onto the fusion. In the last couple seconds of the fight, control of the point traded back and forth until finally the Gladiators shook off the Fusion, sunk in their nails and hung on for the win.

Next: Overwatch League, Week 2 recap: New York Excelsior vs. Los Angeles Valiant

With a win on Lijiang Tower, the Gladiators took back the series with a reverse sweep and got the victory.

Map Score: Fusion 0, Gladiators 2

Final Match Score: Fusion 2, Gladiators 3

Player of the Match: Hydration, Los Angeles Gladiators