"We just want to see South Korea in the finals"

That was Team USA's collective answer when asked about what excites them most about qualifying for Blizzcon 2017 after their win against Germany during the LA group stages. It was a straight forward answer that represents the teams desire prove them selves against the very best as if victory wouldn't matter if it wasn't against South Korea, the universally accepted best team in the world:


Jake "JAKE" Lyon: "They are one of the strongest teams in Overwatch ever assembled. I have learned so much from that team and I have the utmost respect for them. There is nothing better than being able to play the best, and they are they are the best."

The teams desire to face South Korea also hints comes from a place of confidence. When asked whether or not the chatter about their squad of six actually being the strongest team in the USA was true, they response was immediate:

Adam "Adam" Eckel: "We have scrimmed all the tier 1 teams and [those that say we are the best team in the US] are right. We could compete in APEX"

Team USA has proven to be far more dedicated than the competitive community expected. According to team officials, when the players were asked how much time they are willing to invest into the team, every single member responded in the same manner: "Whatever it takes"

The result of this mentality is one of the most dominant teams in the group stage. They only dropped one map the entire tournament and even defeated China Taipei, the pre-made team made from the official Flash Wolves roster. Keep in mind, this was the same team that was criticized by the majority of the NA competitive community. The team's response was oddly appropriate:


Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell: The American mentality is about striving through adversity. Proving people wrong really motivated us, so thank you to the critics."

One of the most electrifying moments of Team USA's last match between Germany came from JAKE while defending the last point on Horizon Lunar colony. His Soldier: 76 play seemed prophetic and impossibly accurate, much to the live audiences absolutely glee.

We asked JAKE about that last moment and the mindset needed to execute such a play. His response was surprisingly zen-like, considering the incredibly loud hype the play inspired:

"I played that high ground a lot. It is an incredibly powerful position and I've had that a few times before in really important matches, in clutch moments. I just exhale and feel really, really calm. I can't explain it, it's hard to even do that when I am alone and by my self. But it's almost like there is nothing going on.

In my mind, it is like: "Oh, I see the Dragon Blade so I'll save the Rocket Helix. And then the healers will resurrect so I will be aware of that and their pathing. It was almost rote memorization: I've been there a thousand times and I will be there a thousand more times. It's just a matter of forgetting about everything and forgetting about the pressure. Forgetting everything but the game."

Team USA will always be a fan favorite on American soil, but their performance during the group stages position them as a serious threat to the World Cup. No one can know how they will fare against their dream opponent, South Korea, but it's a safe bet that Team USA will be seriously prepping for the Blizzcon world championship.