2019 Toronto Defiant season
# 2019 Toronto Defiant season

The 2019 Toronto Defiant season was the first season of Toronto Defiant's existence in the Overwatch League as one of eight expansion franchises added for the 2019 season. After posting a 5–2 record in Stage 1, the Defiant qualified for the Stage 1 Playoffs, but a 0–3 loss against the Shock eliminated the team in the quarterfinals. The team failed to recreate the success they found in Stage 1 in the following stages, going 2–5, 0–7, and 1–6 in Stages 2, 3, and 4, respectively. A 2–3 loss to the Fusion on August 4 officially eliminated Toronto from postseason contention, and three days later, the team released head coach Lee "Bishop" Beom-joon. Despite numerous roster changes throughout the season, the Defiant finished the season in 17th place overall with an 8–20 record.

## Preceding offseason

Toronto announced their initial inaugural season roster over a span from October 27 to November 27; the team's roster consisted of the following players:

* Lee "envy" Kang-Jae,
* Park "Neko" Se-hyeon,
* Lee "ivy" Seung-hyun,
* Lee "Stellar" Do-hyung,
* Jo "Yakpung" Gyeong-mu,
* Ko "Aid" Jae-yoon,
* Choi "Asher" Jun-sung, and
* Park "RoKy" Joo-seong.

## Regular season

The Defiant opened their 2019 season with a match against the Houston Outlaws on February 15; Toronto won the match 3–2. Toronto finished Stage 1 with a 5–2 record and secured a Stage 1 Playoff berth. At the end of Stage 1, the Defiant were tied with the Philadelphia Fusion for the third seed of the Stage 1 Playoffs. By rule, the teams would have to compete in an offline match to determine seeding; however, both teams agreed on a coin-flip, instead. The Defiant received the third seed and faced sixth-seeded San Francisco Shock in the quarterfinals on March 22. The Defiant lost the series 0–3.

A few days prior to the beginning of Stage 2, Toronto Defiant parted ways with their strategic coach Kim "Don" Dong-wook. A day later, DPS player Lee "Stellar" Do-hyung retired from professional Overwatch for personal reasons. To take his place, Defiant signed Jin "im37" Hong, who had been playing Overwatch professionally for only just over a month, hours before the beginning of Stage 2. In Stage 2, Toronto faced the undefeated Vancouver Titans on May 3. The Defiant lost the series 1–3, putting the team on a five-game losing streak. The loss also officially eliminated them from Stage 2 Playoff contention. The team's final match of Stage 2 was against the Paris Eternal. Toronto went on to win, 4–0, marking their first sweep of the season.

There were more roster changes for Toronto heading into Stage 3. Both tank Daniel "Gods" Graeser and tank Normunds "sharyk" Faterins were moved up from the Defiant's academy team Montreal Rebellion in mid-May. The Defiant also had another roster member leave, as Choi "Asher" Joon-seong retired from competitive Overwatch on May 29. In the middle of Stage 3, Toronto transferred off-tank Lee "envy" Kang-jae, who had not played in a match since Stage 2, to the Shanghai Dragons on June 18. More roster transactions took place the following week, as the team promoted veteran DPS Andreas "Logix" Berghmans from the Montreal Rebellion and signed DPS Liam "Mangachu" Campbell, who had played for Team Canada in the 2017 and 2018 Overwatch World Cup. Toronto performed poorly throughout the stage, losing all seven of their matches.

Toronto snapped their nine-game losing streak on August 1, after defeating the Stage 3 Champions Shanghai Dragons, 2–1. The Defiant faced the Philadelphia Fusion three days later, but the team was unable to scrim prior to the match due to an upper-management decision to send Daniel "Gods" Graeser and Go "Aid" Jae-yoon to a media event in Toronto. Toronto lost the match against Philadelphia by a score of 2–3; the loss officially eliminated the Defiant from postseason contention. Following the loss, on August 7, the Defiant released head coach Lee "Bishop" Beom-joon and announced that assistant coach Matthew "Optidox" Sims, assistant coach Shim "Mobydik" Seung-bo, and analyst Dennis "Barroi" Matz would be taking on the role of head coaches by committee for the remainder of the season. Toronto finished the season in 17th place with a 8–20 record.

## Final roster

### Transactions

Transactions of/for players on the roster during the 2019 regular season:

* On April 3, Lee "Stellar" Do-hyung retired.
* On April 4, Defiant signed Jin "im37" Hong.
* On May 21, Defiant promoted Daniel "Gods" Graeser and Normunds "sharyk" Faterins from Montreal Rebellion.
* On May 29, Choi "Asher" Jun-sung retired.
* On June 18, Defiant transferred Lee "envy" Kang-jae to Shanghai Dragons.
* On June 28, Defiant promoted Andreas "Logix" Berghmans from Montreal Rebellion.
* On June 28, Defiant signed Liam "Mangachu" Campbell.
* On July 15, Defiant transferred Lee "Stellar" Do-hyung to Boston Uprising.

## Standings

### Record by stage

* ↑ No stage playoffs were held for Stage 4.

### League

| Pos | Div | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | PCT | MW | ML | MT | MD | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | PAC | Vancouver Titans | 28 | 25 | 3 | 0.89 | 89 | 28 | 0 | +61 | Advance to season playoffs (division leaders) |
| 2 | ATL | New York Excelsior | 28 | 22 | 6 | 0.79 | 78 | 38 | 3 | +40 | Advance to season playoffs (division leaders) |
| 3 | PAC | San Francisco Shock | 28 | 23 | 5 | 0.82 | 92 | 26 | 0 | +66 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 4 | PAC | Hangzhou Spark | 28 | 18 | 10 | 0.64 | 64 | 52 | 4 | +12 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 5 | PAC | Los Angeles Gladiators | 28 | 17 | 11 | 0.61 | 67 | 48 | 3 | +19 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 6 | ATL | Atlanta Reign | 28 | 16 | 12 | 0.57 | 69 | 50 | 1 | +19 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 7 | ATL | London Spitfire | 28 | 16 | 12 | 0.57 | 58 | 52 | 6 | +6 | Advance to play-ins |
| 8 | PAC | Seoul Dynasty | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.54 | 64 | 50 | 3 | +14 | Advance to play-ins |
| 9 | PAC | Guangzhou Charge | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.54 | 61 | 57 | 1 | +4 | Advance to play-ins |
| 10 | ATL | Philadelphia Fusion | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.54 | 57 | 60 | 3 | −3 | Advance to play-ins |
| 11 | PAC | Shanghai Dragons | 28 | 13 | 15 | 0.46 | 51 | 61 | 3 | −10 | Advance to play-ins |
| 12 | PAC | Chengdu Hunters | 28 | 13 | 15 | 0.46 | 55 | 66 | 1 | −11 | Advance to play-ins |
| 13 | PAC | Los Angeles Valiant | 28 | 12 | 16 | 0.43 | 56 | 61 | 4 | −5 | |
| 14 | ATL | Paris Eternal | 28 | 11 | 17 | 0.39 | 46 | 67 | 3 | −21 | |
| 15 | PAC | Dallas Fuel | 28 | 10 | 18 | 0.36 | 43 | 70 | 3 | −27 | |
| 16 | ATL | Houston Outlaws | 28 | 9 | 19 | 0.32 | 47 | 69 | 3 | −22 | |
| 17 | ATL | Toronto Defiant | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.29 | 39 | 72 | 4 | −33 | |
| 18 | ATL | Washington Justice | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.29 | 39 | 72 | 6 | −33 | |
| 19 | ATL | Boston Uprising | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.29 | 41 | 78 | 2 | −37 | |
| 20 | ATL | Florida Mayhem | 28 | 6 | 22 | 0.21 | 36 | 75 | 5 | −39 | |

## Game log

### Regular season

2019 game log (Regular season record: 8–20) :

Stage 1 (5–2)

1

February 15

Toronto Defiant

3

2

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Nepal

2

4

Numbani

5

1

Volskaya Industries

0

2

Route 66

1

2

Busan

1

2

February 22

Atlanta Reign

3

1

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Busan

2

2

Numbani

1

6

Horizon Lunar Colony

4

3

Dorado

0

3

February 24

Toronto Defiant

2

1

Los Angeles Valiant

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Ilios

1

3

Hollywood

3

4

Horizon Lunar Colony

3

2

Dorado

3

4

March 01

Toronto Defiant

1

3

New York Excelsior

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Busan

2

2

King's Row

3

1

Temple of Anubis

2

3

Dorado

0

5

March 03

Boston Uprising

1

3

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

0

Busan

2

2

Hollywood

3

4

Temple of Anubis

2

1

Rialto

2

6

March 07

Toronto Defiant

3

1

Chengdu Hunters

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Ilios

1

1

King's Row

0

2

Volskaya Industries

3

3

Route 66

2

7

March 09

Hangzhou Spark

0

3

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Nepal

2

1

King's Row

3

2

Volskaya Industries

2

3

Rialto

4 :

Stage 1 Playoffs

Quarterfinals

March 22

San Francisco Shock

3

0

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

8:00 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Busan

1

3

King's Row

0

3

Horizon Lunar Colony

2 :

Stage 2 (2–5)

8

April 05

Washington Justice

1

3

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

5:45 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

0

Lijang Tower

2

0

Hanamura

1

2

Eichenwalde

3

3

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

2

9

April 06

Toronto Defiant

2

3

Boston Uprising

Burbank, CA

1:45 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Busan

0

4

Hanamura

3

1

Eichenwalde

3

0

Rialto

1

1

Oasis

2

10

April 11

Toronto Defiant

1

3

Philadelphia Fusion

Burbank, CA

8:30 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

0

Busan

2

4

Paris

3

2

Blizzard World

3

2

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

3

11

April 13

Dallas Fuel

4

0

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

3:00 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Oasis

0

5

Paris

4

3

King's Row

0

3

Rialto

2

12

April 18

San Francisco Shock

4

0

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

5:30 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

0

2

Hanamura

1

2

Eichenwalde

1

3

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

0

13

May 03

Toronto Defiant

1

3

Vancouver Titans

Burbank, CA

7:00 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

0

Oasis

2

2

Temple of Anubis

0

1

King's Row

2

2

Junkertown

3

14

May 05

Toronto Defiant

4

0

Paris Eternal

Burbank, CA

12:00 noon PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

1

2

Temple of Anubis

1

3

King's Row

2

6

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

5 :

Stage 3 (0–7)

15

June 07

Paris Eternal

3

1

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

4:00 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Ilios

2

1

Paris

0

2

Hollywood

1

3

Havana

2

16

June 14

Toronto Defiant

1

3

London Spitfire

Burbank, CA

5:45 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Ilios

1

0

Volskaya Industries

1

3

Hollywood

4

2

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

3

17

June 22

Toronto Defiant

0

4

Guangzhou Charge

Burbank, CA

3:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Ilios

2

2

Paris

4

0

Hollywood

3

0

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

3

18

June 28

Toronto Defiant

0

4

Los Angeles Gladiators

Burbank, CA

7:15 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Nepal

2

1

Horizon Lunar Colony

2

3

Numbani

4

3

Dorado

4

19

June 30

Houston Outlaws

3

1

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

3:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Oasis

2

3

Horizon Lunar Colony

2

2

Eichenwalde

1

3

Dorado

1

20

July 06

Toronto Defiant

1

3

Atlanta Reign

Atlanta, GA

12:00 noon PST

   Details

Cobb Energy Center

0

Oasis

2

1

Volskaya Industries

0

3

Eichenwalde

4

2

Dorado

3

21

July 07

New York Excelsior

4

0

Toronto Defiant

Atlanta, GA

2:30 pm PST

   Details

Cobb Energy Center

2

Nepal

0

2

Horizon Lunar Colony

1

3

Numbani

2

1

Havana

0 :

Stage 4 (1–6)

22

July 26

Toronto Defiant

1

3

Washington Justice

Burbank, CA

4:00 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

1

Busan

2

2

Temple of Anubis

1

1

Blizzard World

2

2

Havana

3

23

July 28

London Spitfire

3

1

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

1:45 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Ilios

2

1

Temple of Anubis

0

3

Hollywood

0

3

Junkertown

2

24

August 01

Shanghai Dragons

1

2

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

7:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

1

1

Volskaya Industries

2

3

Hollywood

3

3

Route 66

4

25

August 04

Philadelphia Fusion

3

2

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

1:45 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

0

0

Volskaya Industries

1

0

King's Row

1

3

Havana

2

2

Busan

0

26

August 08

Toronto Defiant

1

3

Florida Mayhem

Burbank, CA

7:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Ilios

0

1

Hanamura

2

1

King's Row

3

2

Havana

3

27

August 10

Seoul Dynasty

2

1

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

1:45 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

1

2

Volskaya Industries

2

4

Blizzard World

3

0

Junkertown

1

28

August 18

Florida Mayhem

4

0

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

3:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Busan

0

4

Hanamura

2

3

Blizzard World

1

6

Route 66

4 :

