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The coveted group selection ceremony has been finished and we find ourselves on the road to yet another OSL Round of 16. Yes, the OSL is indeed upon us and we find ourselves looking forward to some incredibly promising groups. Pretty much all the big names have qualified this time around (minus one handsome Protoss) and luckily for us, they haven't been all shoved in the same group to eliminate eachother before the Quarterfinal round.
Yet again we find ourselves with a zerg dominated tournament, half of the players belong to the overmind this time around. Hopefully the zerg won't dominate the quarterfinal bracket. While these players have certainly earned their spot in the StarLeague, the most varied selection usually leads to the best games. After the ZvZ nightmare that was Bacchus/Avalon 09, it's probably safe to say that the less zergs make it past the Ro16, the better.
While everyone expects the likes of Stork, Flash, and Jaedong to perform well; the real pressure is on the newer faces to prove themselves worthy in such a fierce competition. The possibility of a royal road victory isn't so remote, with Calm making it to the OSL for the first time ever. All in all, the OSL looks electric and you owe it to yourself to stay up to watch each excellent group. The EVER StarLeague has a history of greatness, July winning 2 of his 3 OSL victories under the EVER sponsorship and Jaedong his first.
Taking a look at the groups, it truly is a dynamic and varied collection. The massive amount of zergs have been spread out nicely through groups A, B, and D. C has found itself with a high concentration of zergs, meaning 2 of them may get eliminated right off the bat. Each group has it's favorite, but there is no certainty this time around. Get ready for a bombastic Round of 16. Get ready for the EVER 2009 OSL.
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From left: go.go, Pusan, Jaedong, Movie
Group A at first glance might look like mere fodder for Jaedong. While he is definitely a favorite to advance from this group, the question as to who will be the second to advance is one of interest. Pusan has lackluster PvZ these days and Jaedong shouldn't have any difficulty running over him. The match-up of go.go versus Movie is another easy one to predict; go.go's TvP is historically about as abysmal as firebathero's while the young CJ Protoss has performed quite well in the match-up.
The Movie versus Jaedong matchup has received a lot of hype around the forums and for good reason too. Their last meeting on Heartbreak Ridge was an incredible and action-packed PvZ. Movie's PvZ has been on fire recently and he might just be the protoss to beat Jaedong in this OSL.
go.go just might take a game off of Jaedong, whose ZvT has yet to be tested recently, but will probably lose his games against Protoss, in his weakest match-up. Movie is also unfortunately weak against Protoss, while Pusan has performed quite decently in both PvT and PvP. If Movie manages to beat Jaedong, he will probably advance, taking a match off go.go as well. However, Pusan advancing to the Round of 8 would be an far more exciting occurrence. Nothing builds hype on TL like old school players doing well.
The biggest possibility for upset here is Jaedong going 1-2. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if Movie managed to take out Jaedong, but as we've yet to see his ZvT, there is the possibility it isn't quite up to snuff. Although he is the Tyrant, losing to Movie and then go.go is a distinct possibility. In that case, Movie and Pusan will probably advance from this group. But if you can count on one guy to win, it's Lee Jae Dong.
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From left: ZerO, Pure, Hwasin, YellOw[ARNC]
While this group has been proclaimed to be the "boring group" by netizens of TeamLiquid, it's sure to feature games with an entertainment value far beyond the star power of the progamers playing them. Hwasin has a decent chance of making it to the quarterfinals, where he may excel in such a zerg heavy tournament. This could be a trip all the way to the semi-finals for Jin Yung Soo, a player who has consistently qualified for StarLeagues.
While this group lacks in immense starpower, it makes up for that in the likely entertainment value and uncertainty surrounding its games. While ZerO looks incredible, his ZvZ is lacking, Pure's PvZ is beastly, and Hwasin has been playing great in all match-ups. Predictions are hard to make here and that's probably for the best. The suspense here is thick, so choose your liquibets wisely.
Yarnc versus Pure might not be such a close game, even if the twin zerg has come out of his slump. Yarnc is infamously bad at ZvP while Pure is most comfortable playing against the swarm. ZerO and Hwasin is sure to be an incredible game, both players playing in strong match-ups. Hwasin has a decent chance against both ZerO and Yarnc, playing his favored TvZ. Pure's PvT has looked pretty good in his recent series against Leta, but Hwasin also played a pretty convincing series against Guemchi. Hwasin could easily advance here, but this group is hard to make predictions for. Be sure to stay up for these games.
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From left: fantasy, Shine[KaL], Calm, EffOrt
Here we go again with the immense concentration of zergs. Jung Myung Hoon sticks out like a sore thumb in this group, unfortunately in an all-zerg group he will be at his greatest disadvantage. While TvZ is the match-up he is often credited with revolutionizing, it is still his weakest. The caliber of zergs here is nothing to understate, both Calm and EffOrt are playing extremely high level StarCraft. If there's such a thing as a "Group of Death", this is it.
ZvZ is well-known as a matchup prone to upsets and while EffOrt is the favorite in his game against Shine, nothing is for certain. Shine himself is in a precarious position. His group has the most "big-name" progamers, while it's only recently that Shine has received any attention. The attention isn't really for his stellar gameplay, handsome features, or dominant statistics; rather he's well-known merely for his elimination of Bisu in the previous group stage. There is a lot of pressure on Shine to prove himself as being worthy of this stellar group. If he's eliminated easily by EffOrt, Bisu fans will be even more upset. No one likes seeing their favorite player eliminated by a no-name only to be knocked out easily in the next round. The WeMade Zerg needs to play his absolute best this time around.
Fantasy versus Calm is going to be in all likelihood an incredible match. While fantasy excels at outsmarting his opponent with creative strategies and highly tactical play, Calm is strong in the same areas of play and isn't a player prone to losing in the mental game. All in all, things don't look so good for fantasy. But don't take him totally out of the picture. Fantasy is a creative player, if anyone can pull himself out of a disadvantaged group with a bit of brilliance, it's fantasy.
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From left: Kwanro, Stork, Flash, type-b
An excellent and dynamic group. Stork and Flash have both been playing really well recently, as has Kwanro. I can't say much the same for type-b, but he hasn't really played enough to say for sure. Flash should be satisfied with a 2 zerg group, his TvZ has looked beyond invincible recently and he should take out Kwanro and type-b with ease. His TvP has shown a bit of weakness, while Stork has always been a PvT powerhouse. Flash might drop a game to the dinotoss, although the two of them will likely advance.
Kwanro and type-b can't be counted out. While they are dwarfed in terms of star power, Kwanro did make it to the MSL finals last season and has started playing pretty well in Proleague again. If anything, Stork's PvZ will be his downfall and cause an upset. It hasn't looked too shabby recently though and this group might be one of the safer ones to bet on. The Flash versus Stork matchup is sure to be hyped to high heaven. For good reason too.
Flash versus Stork in the GOMtv Star Invitational Grand Finals was an incredible and important TvP series. Their next series, in the Bacchus OSL finals, revolutionized TvP and ushered in a new age of Terran strategy. Stork has constantly reinvented himself as a PvT player and has consistently been at the top of the match-up. He took down fantasy, a top TvP player, in the Incruit OSL finals to win his first gold medal. Both players are in some of the best shape of their careers. An epic clash awaits us.
These are the times we all look forward to. Another chance for gamers to prove their might, to become the worlds best. Lee Jae Dong, the reigning champion has proven his worth against countless odds, his mouse shines a bright gold in his hands. Those with the guts to make it this far are ready to challenge him. Rookies and Veterans alike will do battle on the EVER stage, to take the most prestigious title in all of E-Sports. To be the OSL champion.
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The Tyrant and his Treasure
There are those who would walk the royal road, those who would dominate and win championship after championship, and those who have faced many defeats in the past. Who will claim the prize this season is anyones guess. But the door to the hall of champions has opened once more. EVER has a legacy to uphold and now it rests on the shoulders of our beloved progamers. Reaching for stars, the weak will fall, the strong will survive, and one will stand out above all the rest. That is the destiny of a Starleague champion. Let the games commence. The EVER 2009 OSL has officially begun.
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Credit to FOMOS for the photos and TwoEightSix for the chart
