MLP San Diego Playoff Upsets: MLP San Diego hosted the play-in round and quarterfinals for this year’s playoffs, with perfect weather, large crowds, and exciting matches. Columbus stunned Dallas in a three-DreamBreaker showdown, while St. Louis, New Jersey, Columbus, and LA advanced to the semifinals. The next round begins in New York on Friday, August 22.
Play-In Round: Texas and Orlando Advance
Texas narrowly defeated Miami 21-19 in a dramatic play-in match. Miami, led by Jay Devilliers and Yuta Funemizu, held a 2-1 lead but lost the final mixed match, sending the game to the first DreamBreaker of the weekend. “Miami played hard all year, and they deserve a lot of credit for fighting hard to the last point,” noted observers.
Orlando beat Utah 3-1 despite missing Dylan Frazier due to injury. Grayson Goldin stepped up for Orlando, while Utah appeared slightly off their usual form.
Quarterfinal One: St. Louis vs. Orlando
Top-seeded St. Louis chose Orlando for their quarterfinal match. Matches were best-of-three. St. Louis dominated early, winning the first three matches. Orlando claimed the women’s doubles 11-6, but St. Louis came back to win the next three matches 3-1, advancing to the semifinals.
Quarterfinal Two: Dallas vs. Columbus
Second-seed Dallas made a surprising choice to face Columbus instead of Texas. The decision proved costly. Columbus’s Andrei Daescu dominated the first match 2-0 against JW Johnson, forcing a DreamBreaker. Dallas came back to win 21-18.
In the second match, Daescu again beat JW Johnson 2-0. Dallas led 2-1 before Daescu and Parris Todd won mixed 11-2. In the second DreamBreaker, Lea Jansen went 8-0 against Tyra Black, giving Columbus a 21-14 victory.
The deciding match saw Columbus take both gender doubles, with JW Johnson now 0-5 against Columbus. Dallas rallied in mixed, and JW Johnson beat Daescu 11-8 to force a third DreamBreaker. Columbus won 21-18 after CJ Klinger’s backhand passing shot hit the line.
Quarterfinal Three: New Jersey vs. Texas
New Jersey chose Texas as their opponent. They won the first match 3-0 after a close 12-10 victory in women’s doubles. Texas fought back, winning both mixed matches to force a DreamBreaker. Anna Leigh Waters led New Jersey to a 21-13 win in the final match.
Quarterfinal Four: Brooklyn vs. LA
LA, led by Ben Johns, defeated Brooklyn 3-1. Brooklyn managed to win the women’s doubles match but lost the other three matches. LA moved on to the semifinals with strong singles and mixed play.
Semifinals Set
The semifinals in New York will feature St. Louis, New Jersey, Columbus, and LA. St. Louis cannot pick New Jersey, so Columbus is the likely opponent. LA will face New Jersey. The matches could feature more DreamBreakers, potentially deciding the champion.
News in Brief: MLP San Diego Playoff Upsets
MLP San Diego playoffs saw exciting matches and surprising upsets. Columbus beat Dallas in a three-DreamBreaker thriller. St. Louis, New Jersey, Columbus, and LA move to the semifinals in New York starting August 22. Fans can expect more thrilling games and close finishes in the next round.