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SpeCial: Belated Ascension - Rank 14 - Road to BlizzCon

Forum Index > SC2 General
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SpeCial: Belated Ascension - Rank 14 - Road to BlizzCon

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
Graphics byshiroiusagi
October 12th, 2017 11:23 GMT
Photo Credit: DreamHack
SpeCial
Juan Carlos Tena Lopez
Prophecy E-sports


Belated Ascension

by Zealously


What does it mean to struggle?

The fighter is the most revered archetype in StarCraft, in esports and, at its extreme, the general cornucopia of activities we designate as sports. Down on his luck, facing impossible odds, grasping at one last chance at glory, the model offers endless opportunities for entertainment and empathy. Nothing is as captivating as a failure by slim margins, or arresting as the shooting star that knocked its head on the ceiling. But we—consciously or unconsciously—paint these archetypes with broad strokes, and force people into these roles even if they do not naturally fulfill the criteria.

"In a field of players weighted down with medals, it seems so very simple to dismiss SpeCial."
In a field of players so weighted down with medals the floor threatens to buckle under its weight, with (Z)soO in one corner and (T)INnoVation in the other, it seems so very simple to dismiss (T)SpeCial as a prototype. If soO embodies the fighter and INnoVation the determined practice machine, it must be said that SpeCial, replacing MajOr and others, freely traversed the space between both archetypes at different points. Circumstance and serendipity lifted soO, INnoVation and their similarly accomplished peers to the forefront. By contrast, SpeCial has not even entered the same ballpark.

Shelve for a moment any instinct to bring up opportunity and infrastructure, and consider this: in his more than six-year tenure in professional Starcraft, the Mexican Terran has never faltered. His career resembles a wave function, with an Y-axis denoting prominence.

It is easy to elevate soO as a paragon of resilience. His shortcomings are numerous and prolific, with each one reinforcing the image of a weary man futilely struggling against strange, impersonal forces. But even in his failings and self-flagellation, soO has consistently been one of the best players on the planet. I hesitate to call any Starcraft career cushy, but it would be difficult to argue that soO's career stability hasn't far outstripped SpeCial's. Yet the latter has persevered nonetheless and for lesser rewards. Is that not worthy of applause? If there is a virtue we fans venerate above all others, it is rugged single-mindedness.

But evaluating career performance is a fuzzy endeavor. We often attempt to establish objective measures; GSL and WCS victories alternately are held to the highest standard. Players whose achievements fall outside this binary view are puzzled over as anomalies. It is in this flux that players like Taeja and herO continue to confuse viewers and divide rankings, the same world of outsiders where SpeCial has planted his claim to glory. With 12 Copa América titles, the South American region will always carry his mark, and as the first non-Korean player to play for a KeSPA team, SpeCial was allowed the rare opportunity to fulfill a dream that eluded many others. Moreso, he will always retain the honor of having been the first to achieve what was always his dream.



Winrate


59.35% vs. Terran
61.03% vs. Protoss
71.84% vs. Zerg

Rank


Circuit Standings
8

WCS Points


3030



If there is a common struggle between every professional athlete, every aspiring progamer and little league soccer player, it is the sobering distinction between dreams and reality. SpeCial has elected to travel the less comfortable road in a scene already perilous for those who aren’t at the top. Where he was once guided to KeSPA by the immense recognition which came with Team 8's embrace, it seems SpeCial's new guiding star is less glamorous and all the more dramatic. Only the difficulty in achieving that dream remains constant.

Had you asked me a year ago, SpeCial is the last option I would have included among the eight players from the WCS Circuit. The fault lies with me instead of him: there was no indication that his perseverance had petered out, or that he had run out of chances. If (P)Patience and (T)ByuN showed us anything last year, a return to prominence is only a matter of being seen. Most of the work that goes into maintaining a spot in the upper echelon is done in the dark, where your greatest efforts can go unrewarded for weeks, months, years. The unfortunate truth is that hard work is seldom a reward in itself—how could it be, when one’s eyes are relentless fixed on the future?—and when there comes a time for effort to be measured, the scales don’t only measure your virtue against the feather of Ma’at. Surprises are due when the tables turn and we suddenly find that all the work that was put in can be rewarded, even if it feels long overdue. ByuN's fabled disappearance had become a tired joke before he resurfaced, finally ready to actualize the potential he displayed back when he was given a puppy for his performance.

I expect the same holds true for SpeCial. Delays happen, sometimes seemingly without a reason. Although SpeCial might never have disappeared, it is no stretch to say that he is better now than he has ever been, that what many (myself included) might have thought was his crowning achievement was in fact only a stepping stone. To see SpeCial climb to the heights that he has reached this year, with his particular aptitude for Legacy of the Void over Heart of the Swarm, has re-painted his image. Perhaps he never had a clear image. Perhaps he was never so clearly defined as those archetypical players, and therefore continues to confound - because he is ascribed characteristics that were never really his. What is clear is that SpeCial's 2017 has been many years in the making. To fight against seasoned GSL players on their home turf, to pass infamous qualifiers, to actually contend with players regularly described as being some of the world's best -- these are achievements in their own rights, of the kind that we must begrudgingly accept as immutable.

All of this is a roundabout way of saying Juan Carlos Tena Lopez is something special. His legacy offers no discernible peak, its records devoid of stunning victories and Herculean efforts, instead favoring bouts of consistency so long that they are perceived as background noise. SpeCial has flown under the radar not for being insufficient, but for remaining true to his established principles. Perhaps he once considered tethering himself to KeSPA and Proleague his ultimate goal, or those were road stops on his missions to become the best. It doesn’t really matter now. His life stands as a defiant assertion against the entropy inherent in this profession. One does not need to struggle in the dark forever, and old desires fulfilled can give birth to new ones. It is never too late to shine.








Writer: Zealously
Editor: CosmicSpiral
Photo Credit: DreamHack
Statistics: Aligulac
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TL+ Member
Cricketer12
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
United States13974 Posts
October 12 2017 11:31 GMT
#2
It's good to have you back Zeal
Kaina + Drones Linkcro Summon Cupsie Yummy Way
DieuCure
Profile Joined January 2017
France3713 Posts
October 12 2017 11:34 GMT
#3
It's a miracle if he takes one map imo
TL+ Member
Fango
Profile Joined July 2016
United Kingdom8987 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-10-12 12:45:48
October 12 2017 12:44 GMT
#4
It's sad to see Nerchio ahead of SpeCial, I guess he hs a better chance at blizzcon due to the ZvZ factor anyway

On October 12 2017 20:34 DieuCure wrote:
It's a miracle if he takes one map imo


He went 3-2 against Stats in GSLvsTW and 2-1 against TY in GSL recently. And I think he could take maps of Snute, so it's not too out of the question. I think both Snute and SpeCial can get out of their group (although unlikely)
Zest, sOs, PartinG, Dark, and Maru are the real champs. ROOT_herO is overrated. Snute, Serral, and Scarlett are the foreigner GOATs
sharkie
Profile Blog Joined April 2012
Austria18405 Posts
October 12 2017 13:19 GMT
#5
major has always been one of my most favourite foreigners
Boggyb
Profile Joined January 2017
2855 Posts
October 12 2017 13:41 GMT
#6
On October 12 2017 20:34 DieuCure wrote:
It's a miracle if he takes one map imo

If his form at Montreal is his current form, absolutely.
The_Red_Viper
Profile Blog Joined August 2013
19533 Posts
October 12 2017 14:29 GMT
#7
The writing is superb here, good stuff zealously.


I don't think major has a reasonable chance in that group but he got close before against top koreans, we will see.
IU | Sohyang || There is no God and we are his prophets | For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.” | Ignorance is the parent of fear |
Mun_Su
Profile Joined December 2012
France2063 Posts
October 12 2017 15:43 GMT
#8
Good read, I don't really believe that Major has any chance to success
INno <3 - TY - Maru - Taeja - Rain <3 - Classic <3 - Stephano <3 - soO <3 - Soulkey - Dark - SERRAL =O / END REGION LOCK
ZigguratOfUr
Profile Blog Joined April 2012
Iraq16955 Posts
October 12 2017 16:51 GMT
#9
Isn't it MajOr's modus operandi to outTvT top Koreans than lose to not so good players? Maybe we can consider his defeats to Zanster and DnS as prep. for beating INnoVatioN.
Apom
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
France655 Posts
October 12 2017 17:45 GMT
#10
Should be Y-axis denoting prominence (X-axis being time).

And of course, go Special :-)
pvsnp
Profile Joined January 2017
7676 Posts
October 12 2017 17:45 GMT
#11
The best writeup so far. It's certainly been a long road for Major, but he has a tough group ahead of him.

Looking forward to the rest of the rankings.


On October 13 2017 01:51 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
Isn't it MajOr's modus operandi to outTvT top Koreans than lose to not so good players? Maybe we can consider his defeats to Zanster and DnS as prep. for beating INnoVatioN.

The earliest he could possibly play Inno is the semifinals, and if Major gets that far everyone's predictions are out the window.

I'm looking forward to Major vs TY though, the classic student vs master storyline.
Denominator of the Universe
TL+ Member
FrkFrJss
Profile Joined April 2015
Canada1205 Posts
October 12 2017 18:00 GMT
#12
Especially since TY and Stat's recent online forms haven't looked particularly hot, I think Special has the opportunity to pull an upset. Or, perhaps they will pull out their second forms and absolutely lay a beat down on Snute and Special.

Though I have to imagine that Special is going to be practicing his heart out...so who knows?
"Keep Moving Forward" - Walt Disney
pvsnp
Profile Joined January 2017
7676 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-10-12 18:14:41
October 12 2017 18:01 GMT
#13
On October 13 2017 02:45 Apom wrote:
Should be Y-axis denoting prominence (X-axis being time).


This is correct.

Also, referring to Major's career as a wave function is a bit....imprecise:

[image loading]

Presumably you were talking about sinusoidal waveforms, not quantum physics. (sorry for the pedantry)
Denominator of the Universe
TL+ Member
Zealously
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
East Gorteau22261 Posts
October 12 2017 18:13 GMT
#14
On October 13 2017 03:01 pvsnp wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 13 2017 02:45 Apom wrote:
Should be Y-axis denoting prominence (X-axis being time).


This is correct.

Also, referring to Major's career as a wave function is a bit....imprecise:

[image loading]

Presumably you were talking about sinusoidal waveforms, not quantum physics. (sorry for the pedantry)


X-axis is of course a typo, and I did mean a sine wave
AdministratorBreak the chains
pvsnp
Profile Joined January 2017
7676 Posts
October 12 2017 18:18 GMT
#15
On October 13 2017 03:13 Zealously wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 13 2017 03:01 pvsnp wrote:
On October 13 2017 02:45 Apom wrote:
Should be Y-axis denoting prominence (X-axis being time).


This is correct.

Also, referring to Major's career as a wave function is a bit....imprecise:

[image loading]

Presumably you were talking about sinusoidal waveforms, not quantum physics. (sorry for the pedantry)


X-axis is of course a typo, and I did mean a sine wave

Yeah I figured. I'm just super nitpicky about this stuff as a result of losing way too many points on exams.

Specifically, the sine function models waves and can be graphed as a waveform, but the term wave function refers to something else altogether. But that's beside the point, and it was a great writeup nonetheless.
Denominator of the Universe
TL+ Member
Mun_Su
Profile Joined December 2012
France2063 Posts
October 12 2017 18:42 GMT
#16
On October 13 2017 02:45 pvsnp wrote:
The best writeup so far. It's certainly been a long road for Major, but he has a tough group ahead of him.

Looking forward to the rest of the rankings.


Show nested quote +
On October 13 2017 01:51 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
Isn't it MajOr's modus operandi to outTvT top Koreans than lose to not so good players? Maybe we can consider his defeats to Zanster and DnS as prep. for beating INnoVatioN.

The earliest he could possibly play Inno is the semifinals, and if Major gets that far everyone's predictions are out the window.

I'm looking forward to Major vs TY though, the classic student vs master storyline.




How can we know who will face who in ro8 ?
INno <3 - TY - Maru - Taeja - Rain <3 - Classic <3 - Stephano <3 - soO <3 - Soulkey - Dark - SERRAL =O / END REGION LOCK
pvsnp
Profile Joined January 2017
7676 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-10-12 18:57:02
October 12 2017 18:56 GMT
#17
On October 13 2017 03:42 Mun_Su wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 13 2017 02:45 pvsnp wrote:
The best writeup so far. It's certainly been a long road for Major, but he has a tough group ahead of him.

Looking forward to the rest of the rankings.


On October 13 2017 01:51 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
Isn't it MajOr's modus operandi to outTvT top Koreans than lose to not so good players? Maybe we can consider his defeats to Zanster and DnS as prep. for beating INnoVatioN.

The earliest he could possibly play Inno is the semifinals, and if Major gets that far everyone's predictions are out the window.

I'm looking forward to Major vs TY though, the classic student vs master storyline.




How can we know who will face who in ro8 ?

Assuming the same format as 2016 Blizzcon, which is also GSL format, Ro8 will be:

Group A 1st vs Group B 2nd
Group C 1st vs Group D 2nd

Group D 1st vs Group C 2nd
Group B 1st vs Group A 2nd

Therefore, the earliest point that a player from Group A could play a player from Group D would be in the Ro4.
Denominator of the Universe
TL+ Member
Shellshock
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States97276 Posts
October 12 2017 20:12 GMT
#18
interesting testing out new writers with blizzcon write ups
Moderatorhttp://i.imgur.com/U4xwqmD.png
TL+ Member
DSK
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
England1110 Posts
October 12 2017 22:12 GMT
#19
With 12 Copa América titles, the South American region will always carry his mark, and as the first non-Korean player to play for a KeSPA team, SpeCial was allowed the rare opportunity to fulfill a dream that eluded many others


Didn't Fenix join Incredible Miracle and play in the GSTL?.
**@ YT: SC2POVs at https://www.youtube.com/c/SC2POVsTV | https://liquipedia.net/starcraft2/SC2POVs @**
sharkie
Profile Blog Joined April 2012
Austria18405 Posts
October 12 2017 22:33 GMT
#20
On October 13 2017 07:12 DSK wrote:
Show nested quote +
With 12 Copa América titles, the South American region will always carry his mark, and as the first non-Korean player to play for a KeSPA team, SpeCial was allowed the rare opportunity to fulfill a dream that eluded many others


Didn't Fenix join Incredible Miracle and play in the GSTL?.


kespa team is bigger
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