by Pokebunny

Alas, after all the trials and tribulations Suppy and Scarlett went through to earn their places as the only two North Americans in the Ro16, they had the misfortune of being placed in the same group. Well, it depends on how you look at it - we have a better chance of one American in the Ro8 now, right? (No? Maybe?) Well, at least they aren't facing off in the first match. Their opponents HerO and RevivaL, while strong players, are not the worst of draws they could have hoped for.



Match 1: Liquid`HerO vs. Acer.Scarlett

The strength of Scarlett's ZvP is what propelled her through to the Ro16, with two consecutive 2-0 victories over State earning her a spot. Interestingly, Scarlett made it through without taking a series from a Korean in WCS, but her 3 - 2 record in the GSTL proves she is capable of getting work done against good Korean players. Still, she's not quite at that level where we can consider her even with the best the international scene has to offer. Her biggest claims to fame are crushing WCS Canada and North America last year, but she has no big finishes in tournaments with serious Korean competition.

In contrast, HerO is a seasoned veteran with multiple tournament victories behind him. While there are still some questions about whether he can still be counted among the elite in Korean company, he's definitely one of the most accomplished players in the WCS America pool. HerO also was able to make it through to the Ro16 without defeating a fellow Korean, slaying two hopes of the Latin American contingent of WCS America. While his opponents were not among the cream of the crop, MajOr and Killer are still very respectable opponents in the NA scene.

It's hard to tell what kind of ZvP level Scarlett is on, especially when she has to face someone like HerO who just came off a Proleague win against GSL champion RorO. This match should give us a better idea of where both players stand in relation to the rest of the international scene, as they may not have had the chance to showcase their full potential in the previous round.

Match 2: EG.Suppy.RC vs. EG.Revival.RC

While Suppy has made an impact already by simultaneously playing the best and worst game of the tournament to date, RevivaL quietly entered the round of 16 in his usual fashion, slipping by beneath the noise of the IdrA-Polt drama just preceding his victories. RevivaL embodies the classic tale of a Korean good enough to go abroad, win some games, hold up respectably against his countrymen, but never actually put it all together and be the one on the big stage.

Suppy perhaps is in the opposite situation, where all eyes are on him after just a couple big victories. He defeated the Koreans Ryung and Heart to make it through the Ro16, and has instantly been upgraded to 'America's Savior' status. Although, being the only United States players in the Ro16, he sort of takes that title by default.

The match itself looks to be relatively even, with both being on that level where they can threaten the big names, but not looking like realistic contenders to win it all. All of Revival's matches so far were ZvZ and he looked pretty solid with four straight victories after losing the first match to goswser. On the other hand, Suppy historically has been a bit shaky in ZvZ. That seems to tilt the balance in Revival's favor, but Suppy has shown that unlike his opponent, he can rise to the occasion at times and pull off the big wins.

Outlook and Predictions

Overall, both series seem to have a reasonable possibility of going either way, and no player really appears to be the huge favorite. HerO does stand out as the player with the most experience, with both Code S and international accomplishments in his trophy case, but Heart of the Swam has put many players on even footing who may have previously been above the rest. There's quite a good possibility we'll see at least one foreigner victory over a Korean, as we'll have at least three chances for such to happen, but it's hard to say whether or not that will translate into a foreigner actually advancing.

HerO > Scarlett
Suppy < RevivaL
HerO > RevivaL
Scarlett > Suppy
RevivaL < Scarlett

HerO and Scarlett advance