EPT
![[image loading]](http://teamliquid.net/staff/KizZBG/gomtvmsls4banner.jpg)
The first day of MSL groups showcased a not so tantalizing line up of players. HoGil, with less than a 40% win rate TvZ, and Zero, without a single win over a Terran... ever, were thrown to the wolves facing Mind, the returning champ, and Sea, MBC’s proleague Jesus. It seemed a forgone conclusion, but we all tuned in anyway because we’re hardcore like that. On to the games.
[Group A] GomTV S4 MSL - 03 Jan, 2008
2008-01-03 (Thursday), 18:30
Results
+ Show Spoiler +
Mind < HoGiL
Sea > ZerO
Sea > HoGiL
Mind > ZerO
Mind > HoGiL
Sea and Mind Advance
Group A
To start off the festivities we saw Mind and HoGil battle on Katrina, in the only balanced matchup the map offers. The game started in a very typical manner, with HoGil playing a 3 hatch muta build and Mind taking his backyard expo early and bracing himself for harassment. HoGil threw down one more hatch before even attempting to secure a third gas and was able to catch half of Mind’s MnM in the middle of the map. Mind’s play seemed quite lame however, which culminated into a triple whammy of mistakes and unfortunate luck at the 12 minute mark. He suicided a string of MnM into a pair of stacked lurkers, lost a decisive battle as he pushed out to face the main Zerg army, and lost a full dropship to carefully placed scourge. From there HoGil enjoyed his safety and soon after filled the map with dark swarm. This didn’t look so much like a newcomer smashing the champ as it did a tired kid with newly raised expectations falling victim to your choice of “curses”.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/GOMTVMSL_Group_A/PIC1.JPG)
Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
The second game showcased the difference between a power house and a B level pro. Sea kept the Zerg gas count in check and expanded heavily himself. Zero was completely unable to gain control of the center of the map and threw wave after wave of undermanned ultraling armies until he ran out of gas.
After seeing the first two games I didn’t expect much of Sea vs HoGil... good god was I wrong! The beginning of the match was all HoGil. His muta harass was smooth as silk. He exploited Sea’s base design and picked off a ton of marines as he chipped away at the science facility being built at the bottom boarder of the Terran main. Sea lifted the SV to better position his MnM and was fortunate in that it hid the 4 medics supporting his troops. HoGil ran his mutas in for the kill and suffered huge losses, not realizing that the floating building had obscured the true make up of Sea’s defending force. Soon after, HoGil ran a terrifying Lurkling army into Sea’s natural and completely obliterated it. Sea’s troops were all dead, he had no tanks, he was down to only his main CC mining, and bunkers were flying up around his barracks in order to stop the swarm from swallowing his entire base.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/GOMTVMSL_Group_A/PIC2.JPG)
It’s the old 4 medics under a science facility trick! Should’ve known!
Sea displayed incredible poise as he built up his forces, expertly microed a tank at his ramp, and took back his natural. From there, the best comeback I’ve seen in months erupted in a blaze of multitasking and absolutely sick, sick, SICK, MnM micro. Sea’s first attack force walked through defending lurkers and lings like it was invincible. He managed to take down HoGil’s latest expansion and quickly push forward toward the Zerg main. He caught HoGil in a macro transition and as quickly as his own natural had fallen, the Zerg defenders were devastated.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/ManaBlue/GOMTVMSL_Group_A/PIC3.JPG)
How the heck did he come back from this?
I couldn’t possibly do this game justice with a play by play. You simply must watch it.
After such a double take inducing action fest, it only seems poetic that the losers final was poor. Suffice to say, Mind may very well have set the record for most Ultralisks irradiated in one game, and Zero appropriately maintains his tag’s equivalent in wins over Terran players.
In the final tie-breaker match, Mind edged out HoGil, but didn’t look particularly spectacular doing it. His dropship use was pretty one dimensional and his management/sense seemed weak as he again clumsily suicided rallying units to lurkers hidden along his reinforcement line. Mind gets a pat on the back for his win against Savior in the last tournament, but it has become startlingly apparent that his TvZ is his weakest matchup. He won’t make it far in this tournament if he continues to play like this.
If you only watch one!
Match 3 – Winners
Sea vs HoGil
Watch this game and you’ll be sprinting to join FakeSteve on the Sea-bandwagon.
Watch the games for yourself!
Thank you yakii for linking <3
[Group A] GomTV S4 MSL - 03 Jan, 2008
2008-01-03 (Thursday), 18:30
Game 1
Mind < Katrina > 
HoGiL+ Show Spoiler [Game 1] +
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
GomTV
Game 2
Sea < Blue Storm > ZerO+ Show Spoiler [Game 2] +
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
GomTV
Game 3 - Winner's Match
+ Show Spoiler [Game 3] +
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
GomTV
Game 4 - Loser's Match
+ Show Spoiler [Game 4] +
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
GomTV
Game 5 - Tiebreak Match
+ Show Spoiler [Game 5] +
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5
GomTV
* All Youtube VODs by Jon747
