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Team United States beat three-time Overwatch World Cup champions Team South Korea in an electrifying matchup. The two Overwatch teams faced off as part of the World Cup 2019 semifinals.
United States’ 3-1 victory comes as part of an unofficial redemption arc. The team was eliminated by South Korea in the quarterfinals in 2017, and its 2018 campaign was anticlimactically cut short by the United Kingdom in the quarterfinals.
For the 2019 season, it’s bringing a star-studded cast: All of its main players are signed to Overwatch League teams, including the league’s 2019 MVP, Jay “sinatraa” Won, who has been a part of the team since 2017 and plays for the San Francisco Shock, the Overwatch League’s season two champions.
Team South Korea is an Overwatch behemoth. Its ranks are completely filled with high-level talent from the Overwatch League, including fearsome hitscan Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok, praised off-tank Choi “ChoiHyoBin” Hyo-bin and Overwatch League 2019 Rookie of the Year Kim “Haksal” Hyo-jong. Additionally, they’re three-time Overwatch World Cup champions. Winning a map from Team South Korea is often considered a victory in itself, regardless of the match outcome.
Team South Korea started the match at an advantage, winning the first map, Busan. But that wasn’t enough to hold the United States’ steady comeback. The western team refused to give up an additional map after Busan (Horizon Lunar Colony ended in a draw).
Both teams’ DPS players had plenty of moments to shine: Sinatraa’s Doomfist proved to be a decisive deterrence in Hollywood, while Corey Nigra and Park “Architect” Min-ho’s Reapers managed to snag a series of multi-man Death Blossoms over the maps. Ultimately, the United States’ determination and taste for redemption prevailed.
Team United States advances to the finals and will face off against the winner of the second semifinals, disputed between Team France and Team China.
