Boston are coming after the teams at the top, taking down San Francisco as they look for a better spot on the ladder. Here’s a brief breakdown of the match.
The first map, Hanamura, was a hard fought victory for the San Francisco Shock as they looked to improve their position on the ladder. The Shock had first attack, and were able to capture the first checkpoint with plenty of time remaining. Moving their attention to the second point, the Shock were able to bully Boston off the point, and ultimately secure it with over 4 minutes remaining on the clock. When it came time for the Boston assault, they too were able to secure the first point with time to spare, setting up an exciting engage on the second point. Though they weren’t able to do so quite as fast, Boston secured the second point with time to spare and set up overtime. In the overtime round, Boston managed to secure the first point, but proved unable to breach the defences of the Shock a second time, running out of time to capture the point. For San Francisco to take the map, they would need to capture the first checkpoint and at least a tick of the second. The first step they achieved in overtime, with barely 30 seconds to attack the second point. In the frantic battle that followed, San Francisco managed to secure enough of the second point to claim the map victory.
The second map, Nepal, provided a much better outcome for Boston. Both teams were hotly contesting the first point, though the Shock fell short in critical moments, allowing Boston to claim the first round. For the second round, both teams spent a significant amount of time on the point, though despite throwing everything into the fray, San Francisco could only achieve a 93% secure rating, while Boston proved the stronger team as they secured the round and the map to tie things up.
The third map, Hollywood, proved an extremely difficult battle for the Shock, as their first attempt on attack allowed them to secure the payload, but not advance it to the second point. Despite their strength, San Francisco fell just shy of the second checkpoint in the face of an overwhelming Boston defence. When it came time for Boston to make their attack, they were quickly able to secure the payload and begin the ball rolling. While the Shock tried their best to defend, Boston proved to be an unstoppable force, reaching the required distance with minutes to spare.
The fourth map, Route 66, was a much closer battle than before. San Francisco managed to move the payload slowly but surely as they reached checkpoint after checkpoint. By the time Boston managed to stop them, the Shock had nearly reached the final checkpoint, though this would be as far as they would get. For Boston, their attack went much the same, though with a single, critical difference. San Francisco held their defence just a little better than Boston did, stopping the cart just shy of the required distance and setting up an exciting final round.
The final map, Ilios, started out well for Boston, securing the first point early and holding onto it for the duration of the first round. Despite everything, San Francisco were unable to dislodge Boston from the point, making the next round a must win in order to keep their dreams alive. San Francisco started the second round much better than the first, reaching 99% before being forced off by Boston. Though Boston held it for a brief period, the Shock were quick to retake the point, setting up a third and final round for the entire series. Boston grabbed the point early, and though San Francisco contested as much as they could, they were ultimately unable to capture the point, resulting in a Boston victory 3-2.
Boston have managed to claim victory here today, setting themselves up nicely as Stage 2 nears its finale. For more Overwatch action, check out how the New York Excelsior exerted their dominance over the Dallas Fuel, and to see when the teams are clashing again, check out the Official Schedule page, here.
