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Sisyphus Succeeds - soO Defeats the Self

Forum Index > SC2 General
64 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 4 Next All

Sisyphus Succeeds - soO Defeats the Self

Text bystuchiu
Graphics byshiroiusagi
July 12th, 2015 19:20 GMT
2014 KeSPA Cup Recap

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Sisyphus Succeeds - soO Defeats the Self

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Sisyphus Succeeds - soO Defeats the Self




So we have the paradox of a man shamed to death because he is only the second pugilist or the second oarsman in the world. That he is able to beat the whole population of the globe minus one is nothing; he has “pitted” himself to beat that one; and as long as he doesn't do that nothing else counts.
- William James


One of the most difficult things to do in SC2 competition is to reach the finals of a tournament and fail. Good players, even great players, have never been able to even make the finals. But for those who do, those who play their hearts out, and those who are just one step away from winning to then fail in the clutch moment, the loss becomes unbearable. For most, they never rise to the challenge again. The first year of GSL was full of broken runner-ups who seemed to lose all strength and skill after losing their finals. Some finals ended careers (Like what Mvp did to TOP). Other finals could break a player and haunt them for the rest of their lives (Squirtle).

To get so far and be so close yet fail is life-shattering. Years and years of hard work and practice are dedicated to that one game, the one chance, and to fail there destroys players. Most never come back to challenge for a title again. Sisyphus can only push the boulder up the hill so many times before he accepts his fate and gives up. Players can only challenge for the title and fail so many times before they utterly break.

soO hit that moment not once, but five times. Each time he was close and each time he failed in the deciding moment. He could beat any player in the entire world at all times, except in the finals. That was his name and his legacy. The fourth time he went up to the plate, he lost to Solar, a player he had beaten multiple times before. soO was broken.



Then he lost his 4th consecutive GSL finals to Innovation. soO’s confidence and play completely melted away. He was a broken man and in his post-game interview, Canata revealed that soO was very close to just straight out retiring from his endless string of defeats.

Yet he didn’t give up, nor did he surrender. Though he was knocked out, he forced his way back up and turned it around in the last month. He has qualified for both Starleagues. He won Leifeng Monthly #3 (The hardest online tournament to have ever been played in SC2).

If there was one game, one moment that encapsulated his turnaround, it was his game against Dark in the finals on Coda. There, he got the bad end of build orders as Dark opted for an 8 pool against his hatch first 17 pool. Most would tap out or be forced out of the game, with the situation being similar to Life surrendering when Dark did something similar against him in the KeSPA Cup. Instead, soO hung in there, took the losses and stabilized. Not once, but three times, because the amazing thing about Dark’s build order was that it allowed for Dark to play Triple Jeopardy. soO held off all three rushes with incredible decision making and sacrificial slow ling attacks that bought him time to make a spine and a wall, gained valuable scouting information, and made sure Dark could not morph banelings in proxy positions. It was a performance completely unlike what we have come to expect from soO in the finals.

And today he stands for the first time not as a Kong, but a Champion. It is a testament to not only his skill, but the tenacity to force himself into a situation he had failed in over and over and over to prove he could do the impossible after all. That he could beat history, he could beat fate and he could beat himself. For one night we saw Sisyphus roll the boulder up the hill and for one night the boulder did not fall back down.

[image loading]


Writers: stuchiu
Graphics: shiroiusagi.
Editors: DarkLordOlli, The_Templar.
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Moderator
neptunusfisk
Profile Blog Joined July 2012
2286 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-07-12 19:30:28
July 12 2015 19:22 GMT
#2
I'm so glad for this guy!

I remember at DH stockholm where he lost to solar. After the ceremonies and stuff he just stood in the empty space next to the stage with his huge check under his arm and looked into the empty air. I approached him and praised his play a bit and asked for his autograph, and it seemed to cheer him up a bit. Finally I wished him good luck at the upcoming GSL finals. Needless to say, he lost the GSL finals... but now he won kespa cup and gosh, that smile is sure heartwarming to watch!

+ Show Spoiler [screenshot] +
[image loading]
maru G5L pls
LongShot27
Profile Joined May 2013
United States2084 Posts
July 12 2015 19:29 GMT
#3
Still not a gsl championship, it continues
If all men were created equal there would be no reason to declare it.
The_Templar
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
your Country52797 Posts
July 12 2015 19:31 GMT
#4
On July 13 2015 04:29 LongShot27 wrote:
Still not a gsl championship, it continues

He should win S2SL pretty soon.
Moderatorshe/her
TL+ Member
grogburg
Profile Blog Joined December 2014
United States329 Posts
July 12 2015 19:33 GMT
#5
Nice tribute article! Congrats to soO and gl in the starleagues!
<3 BaseTradeTV <3
Musicus
Profile Joined August 2011
Germany23576 Posts
July 12 2015 19:34 GMT
#6
So happy for him, I hope he wins GSL or SSL too.
Maru and Serral are probably top 5.
Elentos
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
55550 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-07-12 19:35:19
July 12 2015 19:34 GMT
#7
On July 13 2015 04:31 The_Templar wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 13 2015 04:29 LongShot27 wrote:
Still not a gsl championship, it continues

He should win S2SL pretty soon.

Well not this year.

Dear's shadow still haunting soO. But I'm glad he finally did it. Even though he had to beat my favourite player to do it. Nobody deserved it as much as soO.
Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes.
aRyuujin
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States5049 Posts
July 12 2015 19:49 GMT
#8
Like yellow soo can win all the special events he wants but star leagues will forever evade him
can i get my estro logo back pls
Buddy168
Profile Joined June 2012
United States157 Posts
July 12 2015 19:52 GMT
#9
soOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

tbh I almost cried when he won.
"You're being a useless fucking asshole" - Day[9]
Rehio
Profile Joined March 2011
United States1718 Posts
July 12 2015 20:02 GMT
#10
I am so incredibly happy for soO. Hope he carries this momentum forward and wrecks some face with new confidence. :D
rotta
Profile Joined December 2011
5586 Posts
July 12 2015 20:04 GMT
#11
He may be a Kong, but not a Silver Sufer no more!
don't wall off against random
AWalker9
Profile Blog Joined August 2013
United Kingdom7229 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-07-12 20:12:46
July 12 2015 20:12 GMT
#12
So happy for soO

Hopefully he can win GSL this season, based on his performance this weekend I can't see anyone stopping him
soOjwa has returned to smite all that stand in his way
gdarky
Profile Joined August 2014
Latvia78 Posts
July 12 2015 20:33 GMT
#13
I played StarCraft from 1998 and watching games from the times when TheMarine was the best in the whole world. But i never was so happy for the player who won the tournament like today. soO deserve this.
1998-2003 ex-sc player under nickname SoL.Dark.wS
OtherWorld
Profile Blog Joined October 2013
France17333 Posts
July 12 2015 20:56 GMT
#14
stuchiu writing the articles full of emotion, as always :D
and yeah that game on Coda was art. He had to make only the best moves to get out alive of Dark's attacks, he did them. Godlike.
Used Sigs - New Sigs - Cheap Sigs - Buy the Best Cheap Sig near You at www.cheapsigforsale.com
SpunXtain20
Profile Joined January 2014
Australia554 Posts
July 12 2015 21:15 GMT
#15
He took out leifeng cup without dropping a single game btw
*Hugs all* | I came here to drink milk and kick asses, and I've just finished my milk.
Shellshock
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States97276 Posts
July 12 2015 21:26 GMT
#16
the Leifeng King won't be denied
Moderatorhttp://i.imgur.com/U4xwqmD.png
TL+ Member
KtJ
Profile Joined October 2014
United States3514 Posts
July 12 2015 21:27 GMT
#17
Great writing stuchiu so happy for soO (:
"I thought I destroyed my CC but it seemed like the only thing I destroyed was Idra's mentality."
Apoteosis
Profile Joined June 2011
Chile820 Posts
July 12 2015 21:29 GMT
#18
Dark is such a nice guy. He defeated Dream to avoid the singularity of 2 SKT Kongs in a finals.
And also he surrendered to soO to anoint himself as the new SKT Silver Zerg.

Anyways, I'm happy for soO.
Life won like 200k and didn't hire a proper criminal lawyer.
FeyFey
Profile Joined September 2010
Germany10114 Posts
July 12 2015 21:32 GMT
#19
lol I thought soO quit Sc2 with that title. Pretty cool he won, still can't get back my passion T.T . Killed by LotV beta.
boxerfred
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
Germany8360 Posts
July 12 2015 21:40 GMT
#20
As great as it is to have an awesome storyline conclude, it's sad that it's over. congrats soO!
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