Today team USA announced the seven starting players for their roster. The announcement was made in a twitter post via an image that listed the players along with their roles and parent teams. For those who have followed the Overwatch league many of the names will be familiar. Four of the twelve teams are represented in the starting group, with two from the Houston Outlaws and San Francisco Shock. Here’s a quick rundown of the starting players.
The DPS
The DPS squad strats off with none other than the Los Angeles Gladiators super star Hydration. The former CLG player has more than just the world cup on his plate. The Gladiators will be fighting in the Overwatch League Playoffs this week. For players at his level though, it’ll just be good practice.
Speaking of players on his level, San Francisco Shock wonder kid Sinatraa is also going to be on damage duty. Despite not making it to the playoffs, this player is bringing all the talent he showed last year at the world cup. He’ll combine that with the experience only playing in the Overwatch League can give you. Rounding out the DPS team is ZachaREEE. This flex/DPS has been playing for Fusion University who, after winning the first season there, are the best team in Overwatch Contenders NA right now. It wont hurt that Aaron “Aero” Atkins, the coach of FU(n) when they accomplished this feat, is the coach of Team USA and will know how to get the best out of ZachaREEE.
The Tanks
Even non-Houston fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Muma starting. This guy has been a big part of the Outlaws success and in the current meta he may be the best American main tank. He’ll be backed up by SPACE in the off-tank role. A star player in his own right, SPACE has been no small part of the Los Angeles Valiants’ success. Between these two players anything, even a win over a certain team from the Korean Peninsula, could happen.
The Support
Coming back for his second world cup appearance is the flex/support from the Houston Outlaws. Another integral part of the green wall’s success has been Rawkus. Though he may not be in the playoffs he will be able to focus his energy on the World Cup. Backing him up is the second player from the Shock and one of my favorite players, Moth. The main support had a slew of first place finishes before the Overwatch League. Fans and teammates alike will be looking for him to help replicate that success with team USA.
For those that missed it, team USA had already announced the twelve players that made up the entire team on July 4th. The star spangled stream on twitch not only celebrated the nations 242nd but announced the 12 players who had made the cut. As the stream ends you can hear someone yell, “Beat South Korea.” From the audience. It’s a statement that sums up the feeling of the fans as we all compare this roster to the recently announced Korean one. These two teams have met in the quarter-finals both years of the competition. Both times the games were explosive but ended with a Korean victory. South Korea went on to win it all both years making them the defending champions.
Hopefully, this is the roster that can change that. We have the talent for it this year, along with the leadership to go all the way. The USA group kicks off on September 7th. Keep an eye on the official site for more details, and come beck here for more analysis.
