by: Zealously

T8_TRUE vs Azubu_BBoongBBoong

The first match of the night looks like it could be a coin-flip, with Team 8's TRUE going up against AZUBU's BboongBboong. TRUE's form in the match-up was hard to judge coming into his last match, he beat Crazy and that is the only real result he has in the match-up, with his two Proleague ZvZs both being losses. Considering this and the KeSPA players' aptitude for preparation, it's very possible that he could be coming into this series well-prepared after having studied a lot of VoDs, but it's also possible that him narrowly edging out Crazy accurately showed his skill level in the match-up; it's all very hard to say without having more games to judge from.

But where TRUE is hard to analyse and hasn't played many games, Bboong is the opposite. He has played several series against high-level Zergs recently. He crushed Hyun in Code S, and managed to take a game off RorO (who then proceeded to beat Life) in the Round of 16. Had he been matched against any Zerg other than RorO, he might very well have gotten through that group or at least made a statement by getting to the Winners' Match. In either case, Bboong's the clear favorite in this series. It is very possible that TRUE shows up having improved further, but there is no reason to believe that a player with "Code S-level" ZvZ shouldn't beat a Zerg who has been mediocre at best.

Prediction: Bboong 2 - 0 TRUE

LG-IM_LosirA vs SKT_soO

The second ZvZ of the night is another eSF – KeSPA showdown, as Losiracat goes up against a player just as eager to kill fun as Sniper – soO. Not only did he knock Mvp out of GSL completely, he went on to stomp more MVP as he beat Killer in the next round, potentially stopping the MVP wise man's comeback entirely by sending him to the Up&Downs. He must be considered the underdog in this match-up as well, as he goes up against a third very likable player in the third round.
Losira, a former GSL finalist, fell in the Round of 16 of Code S after losing a hilariously long and extremely close series to Gumiho and then getting eliminated by a fully rested MC who even had time to take a nap while Losira and Gumiho duked it out.

Both of these players have won their most recent games against Zerg, with Losira beating Symbol and DRG in the Up&Downs, and soO beating Shine, Savage and YoungJoo in Proleague. Aside from DRG, none of these players are known for their intimidating ZvZ, which puts a small question mark over this match-up as well. With the risk of repeating myself, KeSPA players are known for their preparation and there is no telling what the SKT Zergs can whip together for soO. Losira on the other hand, has equally good or better team mates on IM. Nestea, Byul, Ragnarok and true will all be eager to see their team mate reach Code S again.

All in all, I think Losira is the heavy favorite here. He has shown generally better play across match-ups, and he beat DRG not too long ago which is a considerable feat by any standard. With team mates like the one he has, the preparation LG-IM and Losira can bring to the table should be more than enough to match SKT's and soO's.

Prediction: Losira 2 - 1 soO

Samsung_Shine vs LG-IM_Squirtle

Another LG-IM is scheduled to play tonight as the newly signed Squirtle gets to play the Samsung KHAN version of Shine. Squirtle played a very strange series against Soulkey in the Round of 16, where questionable decision making put him in bad situations time and again only to be (almost) saved by very impressive battle control and general micro. He did end up falling eventually after his base was ravaged by a scouted but undefended attack, but not before showcasing the kind of micro that sets him apart from many other Protoss players.

For Shine, this match is perhaps the worst he could have hoped for. Though he did beat Huk 2-0 quite recently, he has never beaten a player of Squirtle's caliber in ZvP. Assuming Shine watched Squirtle against Soulkey in Code S, Shine will know that his best chances lie with all-ins. Baneling busts and early pools appear to be a Squirtle's weakness, and if Shine has picked up on that, it will be his best shot at winning this series. But, given the fact that Squirtle almost won a game where his expansion was ravaged before it could yield any profit simply on the back of stellar micro, Shine looks outmatched in this series.

Prediction: Squirtle 2 - 1 Shine

KT_Flash vs SKT_Rain

The last match in Code A is fittingly also the most hyped one, as the Ultimate Weapon plays Rain – WCS Asia champion and GSL semifinalist, for the final direct seed into Code S. This is it, for both players. The Rain hype train was derailed completely as he forfeit his Code S spot to go to Dallas and then got eliminated by Dream in Code A, and this is his best chance at a comeback given the terrifying nature of the Up&Downs. For Flash, he has been in the Up&Downs twice, and fallen on head-to-head records both times. In his Ro32 interview, he once again pointed out just how intent he is on advancing to Code S, and this sets the stage for a truly great match, with high stakes for both players.

Although Rain isn't getting as much hype as he used to, and doesn't look as dominant as he once did, he is still most certainly a force to be reckoned with. His last 5 games were all victories as he beat Keen convincingly in the latest round and sKyHigh, Taeja and Reality in Proleague. Flash's best match-up hasn't been quite as convincing recently, with losses to Bong, Argo and Flying. But Flash has been known to fall off somewhat in preparation for individual leagues, and with how badly he seems to want Code S, there is a distinct possibility that he has been practicing almost exclusively on the GSL maps.

All in all, this match can most certainly go either way. Both players have a lot of motivation and are likely to be very focused on this match. Both players have strong records in the match-up, and both have shown that they can be absolutely terrifying opponents across all match-ups.

In the end, I'm going to give this to Flash with a very, very narrow 2-1. This match is a tossup if there ever was one, and with the level of play both of these guys have brought out from time to time, it's going to come down to their form tonight and whatever specialised builds and strategies they might bring to the table. SKT has been known to focus a lot on Proleague whereas Flash has often gotten more practice time for individual leagues, and that's more or less his sole advantage coming in to this series.

Prediction: Flash 2 - 1 Rain