EPTWCS America Season 1 - Premier League
Ro16: Group A Recap
Snute and Alicia Advance
Ro16: Group B Preview
TheStC, Apocalypse, CranK, mOOnGLaDe
Brackets and standings on Liquipedia
All VODs on MLG's Youtube Channel
Premier League: Ro16
Group A Recap
Results from Live Report Thread by Shellshock1122.
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
NesTea vs. Snute
NesTea <Whirlwind> Snute
NesTea <Bel'Shir Vestige> Snute
NesTea <Daybreak> Snute
Snute wins 2-1!
Alicia vs. Sen
Alicia <Whirlwind> Sen
Alicia <Bel'Shir Vestige> Sen
Alicia <Cloud Kingdom> Sen
Alicia wins 2-1!
Winners' Match
Snute <Bel'Shir Vestige> Alicia
Snute <Neo Planet S> Alicia
Snute <Cloud Kingdom> Alicia
Snute wins 2-1!
Losers' Match
NesTea <Whirlwind> Sen
NesTea <Bel'Shir Vestige> Sen
NesTea <> Sen
NesTea wins 2-0!
Final Match
Alicia <Whirlwind> NesTea
Alicia <Bel'Shir Vestige> NesTea
Alicia <> NesTea
Alicia wins 2-0!
Snute and Alicia advance to RO16!
NesTea <Whirlwind> SnuteNesTea <Bel'Shir Vestige> SnuteNesTea <Daybreak> SnuteSnute wins 2-1!Alicia vs. Sen
Alicia <Whirlwind> SenAlicia <Bel'Shir Vestige> SenAlicia <Cloud Kingdom> SenAlicia wins 2-1!Winners' Match
Snute <Bel'Shir Vestige> AliciaSnute <Neo Planet S> AliciaSnute <Cloud Kingdom> AliciaSnute wins 2-1!Losers' Match
NesTea <Whirlwind> SenNesTea <Bel'Shir Vestige> SenNesTea <> SenNesTea wins 2-0!Final Match
Alicia <Whirlwind> NesTeaAlicia <Bel'Shir Vestige> NesTeaAlicia <> NesTeaAlicia wins 2-0!Snute and Alicia advance to RO16!Viking Returns to America
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Liquid`Snute takes #1 spot in Group A, AX.Alicia comes through in second place.It wasn't the Korean invasion Americans needed to be worried about. Instead, it was the Norwegian
Liquid`Snute who became the first player to make it to the WCS America quarter-finals, while also cinching a Premier League seed in the following season as well. With a superb overall performance, Snute became the second non-Korean players to advance from his group (the first being Suppy in the Ro32). Snute's first opponent was
LG-IM_NesTea, a three-time GSL champ once known for his incredible prowess in ZvZ. However, the glory days looked far in the past for Nestea, as he took a 1 - 2 loss against the Norwegian. While a roach attack gave Nestea the early lead in the series, Snute defended expertly against early ling-bane attacks in games two and three to come from behind and take the series.Next up for Snute was Axiom's
Axiom.Alicia, a player who had once earned silver at MLG's NYC studio back at least year's Summer Arena. However, he had to concede that at least last night, Snute was the better player under MLG's Red and Blue lights. Once again it was a victory after falling behind for Snute, as he lost a lengthy first game when Alicia ploughed through a thick swarmhost defense line. However, Snute fought back with strong roach-hydra-viper play in games two and three, and he picked his opponent apart before he could find a counter for deadly abducts.With Snute through to the round of eight, that left
Gamania.Sen, Nestea, and Alicia to fight it out for second place. Unfortunately for Taiwanese fans, Sen was the first to go, getting 2 - 0'd by Nestea in a Zerg mirror. It came down to a close showdown between Nestea and Alicia for the final spot. While Nestea tried to impose his will over his countryman, he couldn't find a way to overcome the might of Skytoss. With Void Rays erasing everything in sight, Nestea had no chance but to surrender out of WCS AM, just months after falling out of Code S.All the best to the rest
Sen: There won't be a top four finish for Sen this time around, as he got put in a difficult Ro16 group and couldn't overcome the odds. His one win on the night did happen to be quite a fancy one, using brood lords and ultralisks to walk all over Alicia's forces.NesTea: It was not a good tournament for Nestea, but it wasn't really a surprise considering Nestea's continued decline in form. Even Artosis' most enthusiastic cheers couldn't power 'the creator of the universe' to victory. While Nestea hyperbole is sometimes fun, it grows more awkward with every game Nestea shows he's nothing like he was before.Premier League Ro16: Group B Preview
WCS AM continues with day two of it’s Ro16 groups, this time featuring a trio of Koreans with international benefactors, along with the lone Australian representing his country. Can
mOOnGLaDe continue his wild streak? Will Korean Terrans threaten to dominate all three WCS regions?Group B: 
TheStC, Apocalypse, CranK, 
mOOnGLaDe
TheStC, Apocalypse, CranK, mOOnGLaDeMatch 1:
coL.TheStC vs. Quantic.ApocalypseOur first match comes to us courtesy of the multitude of American teams that have decided to pick up wandering ronin Koreans and have brought them under the wing of freedom and liberty, in hopes that they will soar like eagles under the banner of the red, white and blue. At first glance it’s easy to shrug off Apocalypse's chances in this first match. Overshadowed by Complexity’s TheStC both in results and popularity, Apocalypse hasn’t ever had a breakthrough run in a tournament before, with this WCS America run being his personal best. So what’s stopping us from dismissing Apocalypse from the get-go?
Well, for one, TvT has been his best match-up throughout Wings and continues to be in Heart of the Swarm. Though there isn’t much data, he steamrolled through Fenix in his Ro32 group and he took MVP’s Dream down in the Acer Teamstory Cup as well. Maybe he doesn't have the name value of the other players in this group, but this is his chance to prove to the world that his Ro32 result wasn’t just a fluke and he is here for a reason. If he should make it through to the Ro8 when teammate HyuN hasn't even made Challenger... well, that would be something to talk about.
While Apocalypse has a lot to prove, it’s looks to be all in a day’s work for Complexity’s TheStC. Ending Wings with a slew of top 8 finishes in premier tournaments, his momentum has slowed somewhat in Heart of the Swarm, with only sporadic appearances in the Acer TeamStory Cup as well as online tournaments. However, after getting first in his Ro32 group, TheStC looks to be back on form and is the one to beat in this group. It still remains to be seen though, as he hasn’t played enough games in Heart of the Swarm for us to say that he’s 100% back to his Wings of Liberty form, especially in TvT and TvP.
Match 2:
AX.CranK vs. Nv.mOOnGLaDeIt’s a battle of fan favorites in our next match, with Axiom’s CranK up against Australia’s Sweetheart, Nv’s mOOnGLaDe. From a personal sponsorship to being a captain of a team, Crank has been doing very well for himself throughout the end of 2012 and the start of 2013. CranK has been doing especially swimmingly in recent weeks, playing a key part in Axiom Acer's current #1 GSTL position, both in and outside the booth. Crank himself picked up the clutch ace match victory against Azubu's Symbol last weekend, which has got to have him feeling good.
Meanwhile, our Australian player hasn’t been doing as well as his opponent in his home country's leagues, falling out the Australian Cyber League last April in some bracket phase ZvZ's. On the other hand he's done well in the overseas WCS America, defeating Illusion and Maker to reach the Ro16.
In terms of data for this match, there's not much to go by in mOOnGLaDe's case, with just a 0 - 2 loss to Light in the aforementioned ACL on his HotS record. With CranK defeating Sen in his Ro32 group and Symbol just a few days ago, mOOnGLaDe will be hard pressed to win.
Outlook and Predictions
A new day dawns, and with it exists the possibility for these players to make a name for themselves in the new expansion. Dominating this group would make a mark on not only WCS AM but their careers, a much needed boost for some and a potential life saver for others. With two big names tossed into the ring, the underdogs will have a chance to prove themselves and finally get the recognition they deserve.
TheStC > Apocalypse
CranK > mOOnGLaDe
TheStC > CranK
mOOnGLaDe > Apocalypse
mOOnGLaDe > CranK
TheStC and mOOnGLaDe advance
