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Serral defeats Stats to win GSL vs. The World

Forum Index > SC2 General
153 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next All
TL.net ESPORTS
Profile Joined July 2011
4 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-08-16 07:28:49
August 05 2018 14:32 GMT
#1


The best StarCraft II player in the world is not a Korean. If not an undeniable reality, it has at least become a fiercely debatable point following Serral's 4-3 victory over Stats in the finals of GSL vs. The World. The victory capped off an incredible tournament run that saw the Finnish phenom go 3-0 vs Kelazhur, 3-0 vs INnoVation, 3-1 vs Dark, and even 1-0 vs Maru in a not-quite showmatch.

Serral's utter domination over the WCS Circuit—combined with a smattering of wins versus notable Korean pros in international competitions—left many fans and players to wonder how he would fare in the GSL. While the answer turned out to be 'pretty damn well' in RO8 and RO4 drubbings of INnoVation and Dark, Korea lived up to its reputation as StarCraft's adopted homeland with an impressive showing from Stats in the grand finals.

Post-finals interview with Serral

Stats had reached the finals stage by winning a shocking upset versus back-to-back Code S champion Maru but was considered the underdog yet again. Serral had already crushed INnoVation and Dark—surely he would inflict even greater humiliation in his best match-up of ZvP? Yet, Stats was able to show the resourcefulness and intelligence that made him one of the most consistent players of Legacy of the Void. An Archon-Chargelot attack caught Serral by surprise in game one, while a clever Redshift Cannon-rush vexed Serral in game two. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Serral was down 0-2.

However, Serral was not one to be shaken by giving up an early lead, as he had already shown when he came back from a 1-2 deficit versus MaNa in the WCS Austin finals. Serral put on macro-management masterclasses in games three and four, tying the series back up at 2-2.

The balance of the series tilted back in in Stats' favor after an exhilarating game five (an instant, best-game-of-the-year candidate). Stats proved that the series wasn't as simple as Protoss trickery versus Zerg macro, as he matched Serral's strength and then overpowered him in an all-out, full-map war.

Despite being one game away from elimination, Serral refused to crack. He ceded a macro advantage to Stats in game six, but was able to focus on attacking relentlessly with Hydralisks and Banelings to extract the series-tying GG from his opponent. Then, with everything on the line in game seven, Serral fell behind once more after a clever Adept mix-up from Stats took out a number of Drones. There was no indecision in Serral's response: a massive Roach-Queen-Ravager all-in lurched across the map to decide the series once and for all. Stats scrambled to prepare his defenses and microed with all his ability, but it was to no avail. The Zerg Swarm could not be stopped, leaving Stats with no choice but the surrender a historic GG to Serral.

The best StarCraft II player in the world is not a Korean. If not an undeniable reality, Korea's progamers must act as if it is, if they are to bring the WCS Global Championship home again.

[image loading]

GSL vs. The World 2018
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TL+ Member
Nezoration
Profile Joined July 2018
Ukraine3 Posts
August 05 2018 14:49 GMT
#2
GOD
yubo56
Profile Joined May 2014
690 Posts
August 05 2018 14:59 GMT
#3
Phenomenal play, phenomenal player, well deserved. The upcoming months will doubtlessly be very exciting

Also lol, forums are very quiet right now as everybody who stayed up for GSLvTW is now catching up on sleep
Jung Yoon Jong fighting, even after retirement! Feel better soon.
Riner1212
Profile Joined November 2012
United States337 Posts
August 05 2018 15:01 GMT
#4
I have to congratulate serial for displaying great perseverance/prowess to win the tournament, but winning one tournament does not make him a god.
Sjow "pretty ez life as protoss"
agripsss
Profile Joined June 2018
37 Posts
August 05 2018 15:04 GMT
#5
congrats serral. Good days for zerg fanboys......... Correction.... GREAT days for zerg fanboys. ggs serral!!!
Jihadi_Chant
Profile Joined February 2018
19 Posts
August 05 2018 15:10 GMT
#6
On August 06 2018 00:01 Riner1212 wrote:
I have to congratulate serial for displaying great perseverance/prowess to win the tournament, but winning one tournament does not make him a god.


Winning one tournament doesnt make you a god. So how many tournament he have to win? He won 4 tournaments this year.
DomeGetta
Profile Joined February 2012
480 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-08-05 15:12:33
August 05 2018 15:10 GMT
#7
JUST PLAY LIKE SERRAL!

All jokes aside. Serral has brilliant decision making..which is the most important attribute for a zerg player. Perfect macro and Korean Zerg level multitask. Going to be interesting to see if Maru can kill him before 10 minutes or not at blizzcon or we might have a foreigner champion this year.
Colouss
Profile Joined November 2013
United States501 Posts
August 05 2018 15:11 GMT
#8
Seriously impressive plays from both Serral and Stats. I was sad that we couldn't see a bo7 Maru vs Serral but Stats vs Serral delivered.
Chinese teams flair when
flijten
Profile Joined June 2013
Netherlands3 Posts
August 05 2018 15:23 GMT
#9
That 360 degree flank was insane. The swarm like it was an ingame cinematic :o
Speedlings my friend....
IArako
Profile Joined June 2015
Germany195 Posts
August 05 2018 15:36 GMT
#10
This is great, congratulations to the best foreigner of all time!
Stats fought great as well.
Special Tactics
AlgeriaT
Profile Joined April 2010
Sweden2197 Posts
August 05 2018 15:51 GMT
#11
What a showing that was. Massive congratulations from Sweden to our Scandinavian brothers in the east! :D
CORN GIRL + Flash + FanTaSy + CholeraSC + iNcontroL 4 eva <3
Fango
Profile Joined July 2016
United Kingdom8987 Posts
August 05 2018 16:08 GMT
#12
Is there a case for Stats being a kong now?
Zest, sOs, PartinG, Dark, and Maru are the real champs. ROOT_herO is overrated. Snute, Serral, and Scarlett are the foreigner GOATs
Elentos
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
55566 Posts
August 05 2018 16:13 GMT
#13
On August 06 2018 01:08 Fango wrote:
Is there a case for Stats being a kong now?

No
Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes.
getg00d
Profile Joined April 2017
United States120 Posts
August 05 2018 16:16 GMT
#14
ggs
https://www.twitch.tv/getg00d
wasilix
Profile Joined August 2014
Russian Federation80 Posts
August 05 2018 16:24 GMT
#15
On August 06 2018 00:23 flijten wrote:
That 360 degree flank was insane. The swarm like it was an ingame cinematic :o


Yeah, it was crazy. At first it even seemed that there's too little of zerg, and they don't come coordinated, but then more and more poured in from other angles, and "too little" turned out to be "too much". Awesome engagement no doubt!
JimmyJRaynor
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Canada17252 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-08-06 14:35:14
August 05 2018 16:28 GMT
#16
Serral Made Finland Great Again!
Ray Kassar To David Crane : "you're no more important to Atari than the factory workers assembling the cartridges"
Fango
Profile Joined July 2016
United Kingdom8987 Posts
August 05 2018 16:55 GMT
#17
On August 06 2018 01:13 Elentos wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 06 2018 01:08 Fango wrote:
Is there a case for Stats being a kong now?

No

I dunno. He's lost to literally everyone who isn't known for choking in finals.
Zest, sOs, PartinG, Dark, and Maru are the real champs. ROOT_herO is overrated. Snute, Serral, and Scarlett are the foreigner GOATs
sneakyfox
Profile Joined January 2017
8216 Posts
August 05 2018 17:02 GMT
#18
Very impressive by Serral. This proves that he is on the same level as the top Koreans, truly significant for a foreigner. But he has definitely NOT proved that he is the best in the world. One premier tournament does not do that. It is ridiculous to hold Serral to a different standard than other top (Korean) players.

Also, this was not GSL! No more than the Super Tournaments are (which, by the way, are more competitive than this was).

It is quite ironic that TL, which recently complained about overhyping by casters, would write these things.
"I saw what sneakyfox wrote on TL.net and it made me furious" - PartinG
Fango
Profile Joined July 2016
United Kingdom8987 Posts
August 05 2018 17:13 GMT
#19
On August 06 2018 02:02 sneakyfox wrote:
Very impressive by Serral. This proves that he is on the same level as the top Koreans, truly significant for a foreigner. But he has definitely NOT proved that he is the best in the world. One premier tournament does not do that. It is ridiculous to hold Serral to a different standard than other top (Korean) players.

Also, this was not GSL! No more than the Super Tournaments are (which, by the way, are more competitive than this was).

No, Serral beating 3 koreans (that all lost in the ro16 last GSL) in an invitational proves he is the best in the world. Consecutive GSL titles just doesn't compare.

And it's literally liquipedia's fault that people call this a GSL. I don't who started it but this and the GSL world championhips/Supertournaments of the past are listed as GSL titles there. I don't think anyone actually agrees with it other than those who want to claim Mvp and INno have 4 titles.
Zest, sOs, PartinG, Dark, and Maru are the real champs. ROOT_herO is overrated. Snute, Serral, and Scarlett are the foreigner GOATs
Elentos
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
55566 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-08-05 17:18:27
August 05 2018 17:13 GMT
#20
On August 06 2018 01:55 Fango wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 06 2018 01:13 Elentos wrote:
On August 06 2018 01:08 Fango wrote:
Is there a case for Stats being a kong now?

No

I dunno. He's lost to literally everyone who isn't known for choking in finals.

So there's only people who are kongs and people who aren't kongs and there's literally nothing in-between?
On August 06 2018 02:13 Fango wrote:
And it's literally liquipedia's fault that people call this a GSL..

Afreeca literally called Inno's GSL vs the World win a GSL title last year so don't blame Liquipedia.
Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes.
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