With EFFECT still in Korea, many were wondering if this would be the game where Shanghai Dragons could secure their first win.  But with their 3-1 loss, the first reason why they lost is clear:

1. They were unprepared for Brigitte.

The commentators at OWL named Mickie’s Brigitte as MVP of the match.  

However, many have noted that it’s not just Mickie’s performance, but that Shanghai actively played into him.  Custa stated: “no team should ever allow Brigitte to do what Mickie did.”  Overwatch content creator, Stylosa, put it much harsher, stating that the majority of Overwatch Contenders teams could beat Shanghai at this rate.

2. Lackluster play from Daemin and Ado

Although Diya’s McCree on Oasis was questionable, there was no doubt he performed on Dorado and King’s Row, with his stats looking very close to OWL’s current top Widowmaker: Sayaplayer.

The second reason why Shanghai lost was that Ado and Daemin failed to adapt as they both played Tracer into Mickie’s Brigitte.

Fearless has also been criticized for playing Winston into Brigitte, but playing dive did see its successes.  On Dorado, Diya’s Widowmaker created crossfire as Fearless jumped in with Winston. Even with Mickie on Brigitte, Dallas lost the fight as Seagull and OGE abandoned him to go for Diya.

But ultimately, their attack failed.  Ado’s Pharah was ineffective on Dorado A & B against Mickie’s D.Va and Taimou’s Widowmaker, costing valuable time.  And on Dorado C, his overtime Riptire would be shot down by Taimou.

On Defense, Ado’s Junkrat dies early to Hanzo and fails to combo with Zarya’s Graviton Surge.  And on Dorado C, his switch to Genji does not produce results as his Dragonblade is neutralized by Mickie’s Brigitte and ultimately costs his team the defense.

3. Don’t forget about Seagull

The third reason why Shanghai lost is that Seagull’s hero pool is deep and his performance is consistent. There has been a lot of ups and downs regarding how Fuel utilizes Seagull, but everything went right this week. The current meta (and any meta with strong individual hero counters) is ideal for taking advantage of Seagull's flexibility.

His Pharah is the reason why they closed out Hanamura:

With Seagull on D.Va, Mickie is free to play Brigitte.  And on Oasis, Seagull’s D.Va bomb scored a 3k which ultimately allowed them to take the map.

On Dorado, his Hanzo gave Dallas double sniper pressure which made it difficult for Diya’s Widowmaker to play properly and also scored a crucial kill on Ado’s Junkrat.  They pushed through Dorado A & B without losing a team fight.

Ultimately, Shanghai Dragons lost because of poor composition.  However, it’s unfair to say it’s only because Shanghai played dive into Mickie’s Brigitte.  Daemin and Ado's play was suspect at best and Seagull’s hero pool allowed for Mickie to play Brigitte and throw curveballs at Shanghai when his Hanzo showed up on Dorado.