Overwatch League 2019 Stage 1 playoff preview: Who will advance?

San Francisco Shock

Seed: 6th (4-3 record)

Quarterfinal Opponent: Toronto Defiant (3rd seed)

Match Time: Friday, March 22 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET

The roster for the San Francisco Shock is a mile and an inch deep. They are one of two teams to fill all 12 roster spots, the other being the Seoul Dynasty. However, the quantity on the Shock’s lineup doesn’t necessarily make up for its relative lack of quality. Outside of Jay “Sinatraa” Won and Minki “Viol2t” Park, who leads the league in damage and healing output, the Shock doesn’t have the star power or skill to hang with the big boys. Where teams like the Titans, Fusion and Excelsior all have solid and established starting fives, the Shock frequently rotates players in and out.

The effect of this becomes obvious when the Shock go up against a team like the Excelsior. There’s a definite gap in communication between the Shock and the Excelsior. The Shock don’t move like they’re communicating effectively or are all on the same page. They make mistakes that teams such as the Excelsior can capitalize on and turn against them.

The San Francisco Shock are 0-2 against stage playoff teams. They lost 3-1 against the Vancouver Titans in Week 2 and 4-0 to the New York Excelsior in Week 5.