EPTAM Challenger: Day 4 Preview
by Darkhorse
Challenger League is winding down, with just a handful of Premier League spots left to be determined. Much of the best has been left for last, with former champions, fan-favorites and foreign hopes stepping up to play on the final day
EG.Jaedong vs 
NonYDay 4 kicks off with the most hyped match of the night, although it could end up being the most one-sided one. Jaedong comes in as the heavy favorite, having won several silver medals in 2013 and emerging as the champion in last weekend's Lone Star Clash 3. Jaedong's early 2014 slump was worrisome, but his form at LSC suggested that he's back on track.
WCS America fans will all remember how Jaedong was unceremoniously ousted from Premier League last season at the hands of Has, falling to the Taiwanese Protoss' insidious cheese rushes. Jaedong will be out to prove that the loss to Has was an anomaly that will not be repeated. Jaedong is a player that should be making runs for the WCS America championship, not falling out of Premier League in the Ro32.
Nony is certainly the underdog in this series, and he comes in with few recent tournament appearances. Nony is a true veteran of the North American scene, having been one of the best American Brood War players and one of the strongest foreigners in the beta of Starcraft II. There are plenty of fans who would love to see Nony upset Jaedong here and return to a strong, championship caliber form. However, he has had trouble in the PvZ matchup in tournament matches, at least until recently. If Jaedong was still playing like he had been in the past few months, I would give Nony a decent shot here. However, Jaedong seems to be getting to the end of his slump and should take care of business here.
Prediction: Jaedong 3 - 0 Nony
ZOO.Top vs mYi.KaneTop is another Chinese player who is quickly becoming a WCS America regular, although he hasn't enjoyed as much success as countrymen Jim and MacSed. Instead, Top has hovered in Challenger League or the Ro32 of Premier since Season 1 of last year, and has yet to have a breakout season. Top has been consistent in his placings, but hasn't wowed anyone with his skill. He plays an odd style that focuses on putting his opponent off balance with a variety of timings and all ins. Top has done little to prove that he is a real contender in WCS AM, and he will need to make a statement with this match to be thought of as a threat in Premier.
Kane is one of the stronger players in North America and has been for some time, despite not having the incredible results of a player like Scarlett. He places well in NA only competition such as the MLG Ender's Game Invitational, but has struggled in WCS AM. He has never made Premier League, and made his first Challenger League last season, where he was defeated by MajOr. Having now advanced back through the qualifiers, Kane will finally be looking to claim his spot in Premier. It has certainly been a long time coming for the Canadian Zerg, and he should have a good shot if he scouts well. Top is certainly a strong player, but I think if Kane can prepare himself for the potential early aggression, he should have a good chance of winning this series.
Prediction: Top 2 - 3 Kane
HKA.Sen vs Sol.GuitarcheeseFan favorite Sen once again makes an appearance in WCS AM after a disappointing Ro32 elimination in Season 1. Sen is one of those players that just won't go away, making deep runs at large tournaments throughout Starcraft II's history. However, he has never really come close to a WCS AM title. Sen is still undoubtedly a dangerous player and a player that is respected by foes and fans alike. However, he needs to make something happen in WCS to stay relevant in the scene outside of Taiwan. I think Sen has a good shot of doing this if he manages to reach the offline Ro16, but that is a big if.
Guitarcheese is a relatively unknown American Zerg looking to make his first big splash in WCS America. He has an uphill battle ahead of him against the much more experienced Sen, but he does have a few things going for him. First it is ZvZ, which is known to be a fairly volatile matchup. Second, Guitarcheese will have the server advantage which will no doubt help him in the series. Third, his ZvZ seems to be fairly good, having beaten players like Symbol and Petraeus in online cups this year. Despite this, I still think Sen will take the series and advance to Premier.
Prediction: Sen 3-1 Guitarcheese
NesTea vs 
ROOT.iaguzNestea has fallen hard from being known as the "Creator of the Universe" during his reign of terror when he won three GSL championships. He is currently a middle to low end WCS America player and one of the most beatable Koreans in the league. He doesn't play much in non-WCS tournaments anymore (presumably being over 30 and married cuts into your gaming time) so it is hard to gauge where exactly Nestea is on the player spectrum. While he certainly deserves respect for his play in the early days of Starcraft II, he has a lot to prove if he is to be considered a contender in WCS.
The ROOT Terran iaguz is one of the strongest players from the SEA region, and he will be hoping to make a strong showing in this his debut season of WCS AM. SEA is a fairly Zerg saturated region, and TvZ is his highest rated matchup so it is reasonable to assume that he comes in fairly strong in the matchup. While there may not be a clear favorite in this matchup, I am going to give the edge to the Gimli Terran. iaguz will advance to Premier League with a win here.
Prediction: Nestea 1 - 3 iaguz
