While WCS America is recovering from the carnage of Group D, the Ro32 continues as usual across the ocean in WCS Europe.
The first match of the night will feature mYi.StarDust, the Korean Protoss residing in Switzerland, going up against d.BlinG, the hope from the United Kingdom.
StarDust, the Korean of the group, happens to be one of the most non-Korean progamers there is. He's not shy about his limited English vocabulary and powers his way through interviews like an Eastern European player. His ironic Twitter self-description of "cheesedust and s***dust" shows he a sense of humor worthy of any American hipster (alas, he has changed it something more mundane lately). The only thing he really has in common with his Korean countrymen is that he enjoys beating up foreigners for their money.
Woe is to BlinG who must face StarDust in his first match. Playing against a Korean player is always rough, and it only gets worse when you play them in their best match-up. StarDust boasts an absolutely insane 76% PvP winrate since December, and you might even be able to say that he's the best PvP player in the world alongside CJ's herO. It's a very unfortunate first match for BlinG who earned himself consecutive Premier League appearances after having a mostly uneventful 2013, but perhaps the Power of Protoss™ can lead him to victory against the other opponents in the group.
On the other side of the bracket, Empire|Happy and Acer.Bly will meet in a battle of Eastern European pros.
Happy's been one of the players we've been bandwagoning for a while now. He has great multi-tasking when playing bio, is one of the most annoying turtlers in the world when playing mech, and is an all-around excellent player. He's also had a reasonable amount of success against Korean players, though his most famous victories (wins against San and MC at ASUS ROG Summer 2013) seem to be a distant memory by now. Happy suffers from rather peculiar round-of-eight block, in live tournaments, but he's always looked in his element in the online Ro32 phases of WCS.
Though Happy would probably feel comfortable in a macro game against any player, he faces a particularly prickly opponent in Bly. The Ukrainian Zerg's choice of strategies is so unorthodox and outlandish that "getting Bly'd" is now an official part of the European progamer vocabulary. With even players like Dear on his victims list, Bly poses a dangerous threat to any opponent who isn't prepared.
Overall thoughts and predictions
Contrary to expectations at the beginning of the year, Korean pros have been anything but safe picks to reach the Ro16. We're halfway through the Ro32 in WCS America and Europe, and we've already seen ForGG and Jaedong get eliminated. However, we believe this alarming trend should correct itself soon enough, and the stream of foreigner tears will continue to flow uninterrupted.
Happy won StarDust 2-0 in the play-offs of recent Zotac cup, so i believe he has quite good chances against mYi player. So, StarDust and Happy with no doubt, but who's gonna take first place?..
"It's been a perilous year for Koreans in WCS so far." Because in the whole of WCS one Korean (ForGG) failed to advance out of a Group in which a foreigner(s) advanced?
On February 28 2014 00:59 MLG John wrote: "It's been a perilous year for Koreans in WCS so far." Because in the whole of WCS one Korean (ForGG) failed to advance out of a Group in which a foreigner(s) advanced?
I think you must have completely missed the action in WCS EU, but I'm here to save you, so no worries! The following Koreans have been eliminated from WCS EU season 1 (all by the hands of foreigners as it were): First, Tails, Patience, YoDa, Revenge, Dragon, Daisy and as mentioned, ForGG. So far MC, Jjakji and San has made it to the second group stage.
I assume that quite a few Koreans have been eliminated in WCS KR, but I hardly think that is what was meant. WCS AM? Probably the same as WCS KR?
On February 28 2014 00:59 MLG John wrote: "It's been a perilous year for Koreans in WCS so far." Because in the whole of WCS one Korean (ForGG) failed to advance out of a Group in which a foreigner(s) advanced?
I think you must have completely missed the action in WCS EU, but I'm here to save you, so no worries! The following Koreans have been eliminated from WCS EU season 1 (all by the hands of foreigners as it were): First, Tails, Patience, YoDa, Revenge, Dragon, Daisy and as mentioned, ForGG. So far MC, Jjakji and San has made it to the second group stage.
I assume that quite a few Koreans have been eliminated in WCS KR, but I hardly think that is what was meant. WCS AM? Probably the same as WCS KR?
Has eliminated Jaedong, otherwise no upsets here in America Premier
Challenger though... Desrow beat Apoc, Sen beat Check, XiGua beat Tassadar (not really an upset).
On February 28 2014 00:59 MLG John wrote: "It's been a perilous year for Koreans in WCS so far." Because in the whole of WCS one Korean (ForGG) failed to advance out of a Group in which a foreigner(s) advanced?
I think you must have completely missed the action in WCS EU, but I'm here to save you, so no worries! The following Koreans have been eliminated from WCS EU season 1 (all by the hands of foreigners as it were): First, Tails, Patience, YoDa, Revenge, Dragon, Daisy and as mentioned, ForGG. So far MC, Jjakji and San has made it to the second group stage.
I assume that quite a few Koreans have been eliminated in WCS KR, but I hardly think that is what was meant. WCS AM? Probably the same as WCS KR?
Has eliminated Jaedong, otherwise no upsets here in America Premier
Challenger though... Desrow beat Apoc, Sen beat Check, XiGua beat Tassadar (not really an upset).
On February 28 2014 00:59 MLG John wrote: "It's been a perilous year for Koreans in WCS so far." Because in the whole of WCS one Korean (ForGG) failed to advance out of a Group in which a foreigner(s) advanced?
I think you must have completely missed the action in WCS EU, but I'm here to save you, so no worries! The following Koreans have been eliminated from WCS EU season 1 (all by the hands of foreigners as it were): First, Tails, Patience, YoDa, Revenge, Dragon, Daisy and as mentioned, ForGG. So far MC, Jjakji and San has made it to the second group stage.
I assume that quite a few Koreans have been eliminated in WCS KR, but I hardly think that is what was meant. WCS AM? Probably the same as WCS KR?
Has eliminated Jaedong, otherwise no upsets here in America Premier
Challenger though... Desrow beat Apoc, Sen beat Check, XiGua beat Tassadar (not really an upset).
On February 28 2014 00:59 MLG John wrote: "It's been a perilous year for Koreans in WCS so far." Because in the whole of WCS one Korean (ForGG) failed to advance out of a Group in which a foreigner(s) advanced?
I think you must have completely missed the action in WCS EU, but I'm here to save you, so no worries! The following Koreans have been eliminated from WCS EU season 1 (all by the hands of foreigners as it were): First, Tails, Patience, YoDa, Revenge, Dragon, Daisy and as mentioned, ForGG. So far MC, Jjakji and San has made it to the second group stage.
I assume that quite a few Koreans have been eliminated in WCS KR, but I hardly think that is what was meant. WCS AM? Probably the same as WCS KR?
You're right, I didn't even think to consider Challenger League... Here's some stats:
2014 WCS America Season 1 has 17 Koreans in the Ro32, the record is 18 2014 WCS America Season 1 will have 7-12 Koreans in the Ro16, the record is 12 2014 WCS Europe Season 1 has 8 Koreans in the Ro32, the record is 9 2014 WCS Europe Season 1 will have 4-7 Koreans in the Ro16, the record is 6
The final 2013 WCS Standings saw Koreans occupying 19 of the top 20 spots. The current 2014 WCS Standings have Koreans occupying 17 of the top 18 spots
Not exactly a year of peril so far, unless you're specifically referring to Korean Terrans in GSL.
It is true that the number of Koreans hasn't gone down so far (at least in WCS EU) and this is obviously partly because those that were already in challenger league or premier league got a free spot for challenger or premier league, without having to qualify for it whatsoever. Furthermore, in WCS EU premier league group stage 1, Koreans were deliberately placed in separate groups so there will be no Korean knocking out another Korean at this stage (either). So the remarkable thing in a sense is that there won't at least be a nominal increase of Koreans in WCS EU after season 1, since only Jjakji made it through the qualifiers all the way, and at the same time, Daisy was knocked out of challenger league. The "peril" probably refers to the fact that (for WCS EU) Jjakji is the only Korean to actually make it to PL from the qualifiers. Six other Koreans tried and failed to take a spot in the challenger.
In my opinion I don't particularly like that players, regardless their nationality, keep their place in the highest league per automatic when the new year starts. The WCS ranking points are reset and so should PL be. Let the year start with a huge qualification contest in January - February to find the Premier League material of year 201X and then let the fun begin!
EPT
StarDust, 
Happy, 
Bly
Protoss (3): MC, BabyKnight, San
Terran (3): Bunny, jjakji, Dayshi
Zerg (2): Nerchio, VortiX
