Orange and Gold Await The Spark In This Weekend’s 2021 Play-ins

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Orange and Gold Await The Spark In This Weekend’s 2021 Play-ins

Publish Date: September 3, 2021

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The Hangzhou Spark find themselves fighting an uphill battle going into the 2021 postseason. Following a turbulent regular season, to say the least, the Pink and Blue squad narrowly squeaked into the 2021 Overwatch League play-ins with just a four map win difference against the NYXL. Falling to 7-9 after losing their last four games, The Spark now need to find a way to quickly regroup in

this weekend’s single-elimination tournament

against the Philadelphia Fusion and Seoul Dynasty.

#4 Philadelphia Fusion (10-6)

Photo: Philadelphia Fusion/Twitter

The first roadblock in Hangzhou’s path to the playoffs is the fourth-seeded Fusion. These teams last clashed back in Week 17 where the Fusion defeated the Spark 3-1. The difference going into this matchup, however, is the makeup of the backline. Following Jeong-ho “MCD” Lee’s recent departure from the team, the Spark’s current support lineup has now given way for a much-needed shake-up for a struggling roster.

[Related: Looking At The Numbers, Again: M1ka and ColdEst Arrive In Time For The Play-ins ]

The insertion of both Liu “M1ka” Jiming and Tong “ColdEst” Xiaodong could all be the difference in this underdog matchup for Hangzhou. There is not a lot of tape that Philadelphia can look at for the Chinese support duo, so the Spark would have that advantage. The pair’s motivation to prove themselves in the OWL and solidify their starting spot on the team’s roster during the play-ins might also be enough to give Hangzhou the edge.