[Musoeun]

THE SHINHAN BANK
PROLEAGUE PLAYOFFS
________________________________

WEEK THREE

As WeMade and SK Telecom 1 advanced, both teams got ready for the decisive battle that would ensure them third place, and a match against a slumping STX Soul team. The Proleague finals loom closer than ever. Find out who advances to the next round as sc2gg continues to provide coverage for the Shinhan Bank 09-10 Proleague.

Table of Contents

• Fall of Fox: Analyzing the Future for WeMade by Musoeun
• The Weekend Review: A Look Back at Week 2 by BachHo
• Five Things to Watch by BachHo
• Faceoff: Proleague Playoffs Semifinals by neobowman

Note: OP and organization by neobowman. Editing and making things confusing done late by Musoeun.

[neobowman]

Tale of the Tape

As you should all know by now, WeMade Fox beat MBCGame HERO in the first round of the playoffs, and then lost ignominiously to SK Telecom T1 in the second round. T1 exposed the guys in white and green as essentially a one-dimensional team - and this could have been predicted.

Against MBCGame HEROShow/Hide Spoiler

Pure 3-1 (1-1 vP, 2-0 vT)
Shine 2-1 (1-1 vP, 1-0 vZ)
RorO 2-1 (1-1 vT, 1-0 vZ)
Midas 2-1 (0-1 vP, 2-0 vZ)
Mind 1-2 (1-2 vP)
BaBy 1-3 (1-2 vT, 0-1 vZ)

vs Protoss: 3-5
vs Terran: 4-3
vs Zerg: 4-1

Protoss: 3-1
Terran: 4-6
Zerg: 4-2

Notably, NaDa and Major didn't play. Neither did sacsri or hero[join]. Neither did LuCifer. Fox brought their A-team, and only the A-team. Notably neither this season's ace (BaBy), nor last season's (Mind) performed well at all - but Mind got poor draws and BaBy did win the crucial game. The credit for advancing in this round goes to Pure, who made the most of good draws.

So here's what it came down to: WeMade showed up weak against Protoss - and MBCGame has no good Protoss. Even worse, WeMade's Terrans fell apart, making SKT's Zerg, who have been playing frequently, a huge threat going into the second round. WeMade's only consistent players - as always - were the double-Zerg threat of RorO and Shine, and even if one great player can sometimes carry a team in playoffs, two merely good players can't.

Not surprisingly, this last week could have been easily predicted.

Against SK Telecom T1Show/Hide Spoiler

RorO 2-0 (1-0 vT, 1-0 vZ)
Shine 1-0 (1-0 vZ)
Midas 1-1 (1-1 vP)
Mind 0-1 (0-1 vP)
sacsri 0-1 (0-1 vZ)
BaBy 0-2 (0-1 vT, 0-1 vZ)
Pure 0-3 (0-2 vP, 0-1 vZ)

vs Protoss: 1-4
vs Terran: 1-1
vs Zerg: 2-3

Protoss: 0-3
Terran: 1-4
Zerg: 3-1

Once again the Zergs held what line there was to hold - Shine and RorO were undefeated, even if sacsri got playing time for no good reason. But with Pure getting bad draws, and falling victim to his lack of army management twice, Fox was doomed.

The Solution

It's hard to say there's just one thing wrong with WeMade Fox, because it's largely difficult to lay a finger on anything specifically wrong with their play. They certainly have, on paper, the makings of Proleague champions. However, we at SC2GG are (in fact not) paid to pontificate, and thus I will point out two glaring holes in their lineup.

I. No Terran vs Protoss Player

Despite the superb play on the last day of Midas against Bisu, WeMade Fox does not have a single player who's a legitimate threat to an A-class Protoss in TvP. For a team built on Terran, this is a huge problem. Shine can only get you so far, and RorO's weakness against Protoss makes him a liability. WeMade needs to find a Terran who is solid against Protoss.

II. No Predictable Protoss Player

Pure has proved himself a Starleague-caliber Protoss player over the last year - but at the same time, he makes blindingly stupid mistakes. His late-game army management - except in PvT - is abysmal. His early-game PvZ decision-making is often awful. He doesn't stand out, particularly, in any way that makes up for all this. And his back-up is LuCifer.

Of course, there are a limited number of players who can play at the top level. But if WeMade could fix even one of these problems - and keep BaBy out of slumps, that would help - they'd be a truly terrifying factor in years to come.

(Assuming of course that there are years to come for Broodwar proleague.)

This post has been edited by Musoeun: Jul 31 2010, 02:39 AM

[neobowman]

The Weekend Review

Quarterfinals: Day 1


SK Telecom T1 vs. WeMadeFOX

Game 1: s2 > Sacsri on Roadrunner
Game 2: Bisu > Pure on Polaris Rhapsody
Game 3: n.Die_soO > BaBy on Match Point
Game 4: Canata < RorO on Fighting Spirit
Game 5: BeSt > Midas on Grand Line SE

Day 2: SKT1 wins 4-1, getting the 1-0 lead in the series.


Thoughts: Man. Sacsri. What the hell was WeMade thinking? I understand WeMade's desire to try and mix things up, but come on, this kid? Things only got worse when Pure was matched up with Bisu - easily the last person Pure wanted to take on. WeMade should have known that T1 was going to abuse map stats and keep putting BeSt and Bisu here. In fact, it was just bad, bad, bad from beginning to end. T1's coach remarked after the games that he thought WeMade's coach tended to overthink things, and I have to agree with him. Putting a real player in Sacsri's spot and keeping Pure on Match Point could have turned this around completely. It was almost as if WeMade wanted to lose this series. If that's the case, they did a bang up job of it here.

Quarterfinals: Day 2


SK Telecom T1 vs. WeMadeFOX

Game 1: s2 < Shine on Judgment Day
Game 2: BeSt > Mind on Grand Line SE
Game 3: Fantasy > BaBy on Match Point
Game 4: Hyuk > Pure on New Heartbreak Ridge
Game 5: n.Die_soO < RorO on Roadrunner
Game 6: Bisu < Midas on Fighting Spirit
Game 7: Bisu > Pure on Polaris Rhapsody

Day 2: SKT1 wins 4-3, eliminating WeMade 2-0 to advance to the next round!

Thoughts: An infinitely better lineup from WeMade thankfully pushed the series to the final game. This was definitely a "pure" loss in the end. I called Pure vs. T1 Zergs to be a big factor in this series, and his loss to Hyuk in Game 4 was certainly a big one. The team's insistence to send him out against a Protoss on Polaris Rhapsody is also disappointing. This is really a point where FOX wished they had an ace to field, and a problem they'll have to fix in the future if they want to make it any further.

Full credit has to go to SKT1 for being cool, calm, and collected in their roster choices, nailing BeSt and Hyuk two very big games. They played a smart series and earned their spot in the next round. I would be quaking in my boots if I was in the STX locker room at the moment, because SKT1 stopped looking like an underdog and started looking like the defending champions this week.

This post has been edited by neobowman: Jul 30 2010, 08:47 PM

[neobowman]

Five Things to Watch


1 | Kal - Slump or Chump?

2-8. That's how well Kal has played in Proleague since the beginning of June. STX's late season spiral was beyond failure, landing themselves in near doomsday position. The team should really thank Hwaseung OZ for keeping them at number two, because CJ and T1 would have wiped the floor with them by this point. Kal has had plenty of time to break the slump, however, and get back into shape for this week's games. His initial MSL game with Jaedong - though a loss - looked somewhat refreshing, but by no means convincing. As the one player that went through the season nearly undefeated against T1, and with maps like Polaris Rhapsody floating around, Kal is going to have to be the one that takes charge and brings STX to the finals. Where he goes, SouL will follow.

2 | The BeSt?

Polaris Rhapsody and Terran heavy teams have been a welcome sight for BeSt so far. At 5-0, he's become Bisu's Scottie Pippen, ensuring that SKT1 never goes down without at least an ace match. It's that kind of insurance that wins championships really. BeSt's PvT has been bloody brilliant, and surprisingly so has his other matchups. With the most relaxed schedule of the stars, he has the luxury of focusing 100% on the games ahead. With the promise of an epic ceremony if T1 was to win the Proleague title, he's kept up his end of the deal with some of the best play we've seen from him since '08. Add to the fact that he won every game played against STX this season, and you can see why he may just very well be the best thing that T1 has up their sleeve this series.

3 | By the Numbers

At 4-1, SK Telecom T1 has dominated the season series, and with just about every combination of players possible. I don't know what it is, but STX just never seems to matchup well against Bunky's army. Interesting notes:

• n.Die_soO made the most appearances for the team thanks to his two-kill in Winners League. He is 2-4 overall though.
• At 4-2, Kal leads STX in games won against SKT1.
• Match Point may be the map to watch, with teams going 2-2 there this season.
• BeSt does not seem to lose on Polaris Rhapsody.

Round 1

BeSt > CuteAngel on Moon Glaive
Bisu > by.hero on Fighting Spirit
Hyuk < Kal on Outsider SE
fantasy < Calm on Tornado
Ace Match: fantasy > Calm on Match Point

SK Telecom T1 3:2 STX SouL

Round 2

n.Die_soO < Kal on Heartbreak Ridge
BeSt < Shuttle on Match Point
fantasy > Calm on New Tornado
Bisu < CuteAngel on Outsider SE

SK Telecom T1 1:3 STX SouL

Winners League

n.Die_soO > Shuttle on Roadrunner
n.Die_soO > Calm on Fighting Spirit
n.Die_soO < Modesty on Judgment Day
fantasy > Modesty on Neo Moon Glaive
fantasy < Kal on Match Point
Hyuk > Kal on New Tornado

SK Telecom T1 4:2 STX SouL

Round 4

fantasy > Calm on Match Point
n.Die_soO < Kal on Fighting Spirit
Canata < Shuttle on Grand Line
BeSt > Bogus on Polaris Rhapsody
Hyuk > Calm on Roadrunner

SK Telecom T1 3:2 STX SouL

Round 5

s2 > Calm on Judgment Day
n.Die_soO < CuteAngel on Fortress
BeSt > Kal on Polaris Rhapsody
Canata > by.hero on Grand Line SE

SK Telecom T1 3:1 STX SouL

4 | Key Matchup: Fantasy vs. Calm

Producing some of the finest games in this season's Proleague, fantasy and Calm have constantly bring the hype back into progaming with their games, but for STX hype hasn't quite been good enough. At 3-1, fantasy leads the season series between the two players. Both have struggled recently in their own way though; fantasy started off pretty mediocre this playoffs, taking a loss here and there, most notably to hydra in the CJ series. He's still managed to garner two big wins - the ace against CJ, and the win against BaBy which helped influence T1's ace match win - but I can't help but feel he's been a bit underwhelming. His dual individual league play could also be a strain on his shoulders as both are beginning to hit the high points of the leagues.

After an equally ugly Round 5 alongside Kal, Calm's had the time to recover and find his game. Sort of. His MSL loss against Stats showed that he still had some kinks too work out. I actually believe the break did him more harm then good. He's always tended to be more of a momentum type of player. His creativity is fueled by his success, and recent months have not been kind to him. He'll have to find a way to put that all behind him, however, when he takes on fantasy. The two have played so often that it seems implausible that they not encounter each other again, this time in their most high stakes battle.

5 | SKT1's sAviOrs. Hyuk hyuk!

It's still hard to believe that the backbone of T1's success not just during the playoffs, but during the entire season has been their Zerg lineup. s2, Hyuk, and n.Die may never be all-stars, but they can be two-time champions if they continue doing what they do. The trio were invaluable in the WeMade series, with s2 and n.Die claiming the unexpectedly easy Day 1 wins and Hyuk pulling off the huge victory against Pure on Day 2. Seeing as they don't really specialize in anything, they've proven to be a major asset for T1 in that they are willing to play anywhere and everywhere. Their presence makes it almost impossible to guess where T1 will put them next as we saw this past week. Having a large cast of Zergs at your disposal is a major asset this season considering the map pool, and T1 have certainly proven that.

With a weakened STX team taking the floor, these three musketeers will continue to be SKT1's saving grace as the team forges on with their title defense.

[neobowman]

STX SouLvs. SK Telecom T1

With the proleague playoffs continuing to chug along, STX and SKT are set to meet up in an epic matchup where the winner will face off against the monstrous KT Rolster. This week, Neo has developed a split personality for the sole purpose of arguing with himself in the faceoff.

_____________________________________________________________________

Dear SKT Neo

_____________________________________________________________________

Welcome. To. Faceoff. This week's games are a war, to decide who can get slaughtered by KT Rolster, and who is going to die just a tad bit sooner. We are in the semifinals of the Proleague Playoffs (if you could call it the semifinals) and the stage is set for the two proleague powerhouses, STX SouL and SK Telecom T1 to clash in an epic battle. And by epic, I mean a completely one-sided victory in the favour of STX SouL.

Let's look at the teams SKT has beaten to get this far. Their first matchup in the playoffs, against CJ Entus. Here, the team showed their lack of depth with their ridiculously inconsistent Zerg lineup failing once again, and netting one win in the entire round. That's 3 matches and a Bo7 in each match. They only won with the strength of their three top players. Fantasy didn't even win all of his games against an inferior lineup of CJ players. True, you could say that because two out of the three best are performing, they have a chance, but let's look at the next round.

First match, WeMade makes a completely idiotic move in sending out Sacsri first game, and they appropriately get punished for it by losing. Second match, once again SKT Zergs fail, and they has to rely on their aces to win. Except Bisu LOSES and the series is forced to an Ace match. Yes, Bisu wins the deciding game, but to lose a game to Midas is just inexcusable. Now, I have nothing against Midas, but a top-class player should be able to handle someone of his skill level easily.

Let us recap. SKT, while they have a seemingly unstoppable lineup on paper, they have never done very well with this set of players. The Zergs are about as reliable as Brood War on Windows 7, the big three in the lineup never seem to all be winning at the same time, and the team has no other players, pretty much. STX has depth, two reliable Aces and a sturdy main lineup. Take your pick.
_____________________________________________________________________

Dear STX Neo

_____________________________________________________________________

Interesting arguments. The way I see it, they'd stand up to a paper airplane, but SK Telecom 1 is a intercontinental missile carrying a nuke.

STX. Depth. Are you kidding? Calm, Hero, Kal and Shuttle. I don't even know if I should count Hero and Shuttle. Who else do they have? Modesty? Nice ZvZ, 57%, but then you see his ZvP and ZvT at 25 and 36 percent respectively. July is burnt out, I don't know if he should even be on the A-team. Frozean. Haha. You might have a chance if you get Tossgirl to distract SKT with some fanservice, but she'd just be seduced by Bisu's handsome face anyway.

Kal and Calm. They are good, but are they at SKT's level? I don't think so. Last ten games, Calm is 4-6. How about Kal? It should be better, right? Well, 3-7. STX has been slumping for the entire fifth round, and almost lost the place to MBC. If even momentum isn't even on STX's side, how can you even hope to win against BISU, BEST, and FANTASY? Yes, the Zergs are inconsistent, but who needs your zergs to win over 50% of the time when you have three of the best players in the game on one team.?
_____________________________________________________________________

Hey SKT Neo

_____________________________________________________________________

True enough, STX has been slumping as of late. But they got a pretty lengthy break after the regular season finished. Oh, did I mention their new practice partners? The Samsung and Estro teams? Some of them, including the Psi Storm God himself, will be moving into the STX house to help practice. Against Bisu and Best, Jangbi and Stork will improve STX's versus Toss play so much, that double B won't stand a ghost of a chance.

Consider the Khan protoss. Two solid S class progamers who have free time on their hands help out a team. Who does SKT have to practice with? Bisu and Best could probably only play against each other as they have no other good players in the team.

And also, STX HAS CHICKEN! They already enticed Hwaseung Oz to play harder with chicken. They could do it with their own team, or perhaps blackmail some SKT players. CHICKEN!
_____________________________________________________________________

Yo STX Neo

_____________________________________________________________________

You talk about Jangbi and Stork teaching the STX team? I'll let these two pictures win the argument for me.

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End Transmission

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Which Proleague titan will be victorious? Stay tuned for the final results to see who wins this week's Faceoff challenge.

This post has been edited by Musoeun: Aug 7 2010, 12:29 AM

[krndandaman]

SKT > STX

immense momentum for skt.

and jangbi is slumping hard so he wont be much

[blackestmoon]

Jangbi?

[Musoeun]

Basically neobowman is awesome and the rest of us were slacking.

[Lahv]

STX gon win

[Lahv]

STX's new uniforms looks so awesome. Unlike SKT's

[protoss_111]

Is neobowman a schizophrenic? He had an argument to his other self.

[CaffeineFree]

Man ace was hard to watch..

[Youma]

Fantastic match! Love both teams, but cheered for STX since T1 has won 5 proleagues already, enough is enough.

[TheSCII]

nice read. quite long, but good, SKT1>STX

[Lahv]

Damm SKT so good D: