[SWL] Samsung KHAN vs Hwaseung Oz

On January 12 2011 16:34 OpticalShot wrote:
Winners: KHAN
YESYESYESYES

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oDin: "Samsung Zerg Hwaiting!"



oDin cracked a genuine smile after winning his first game in almost a year. As the team's captain, his primary role was to lead the team behind the scenes. When he won his game today, a heart-warming scene occurred as his teammates celebrated their captain's win. oDin added, "I wanted to show that I'm still an able player and this win today motivates me to win another."

Q & A:

Q: This was your first win in 305 days.
A: First of all, I haven't been this happy in a long while. I started more intense practice for the purpose of playing a televised match, and I told Coach January that I wanted to play soon. I think I was ready to play a couple matches back, but I hurt my index finger so I had trouble clicking with the mouse. I've recovered now and today I was finally able to achieve a win!

Q: Many fans were anxious for your appearance. What's been up lately for you?
A: It's no surprise that I haven't been able to appear in televised matches. I keep failing in the preliminaries for individual leagues and the team's rookies have been playing well lately, earning their SPL appearances. I accept that as just a natural process. Still, as a progamer myself, I wanted to play in SPL sometime soon and that motivated me to practice more intensely. When I was selected to play first in today's match, I practiced until 4AM.

Q: It must have been hard times.
A: Sometimes I wondered about the reason why I am still in this team (as a captain). A couple days ago I read an article from MBCGame that dubbed me as "Coach Joo." [T/N: oDin's name is Joo Young Dal] Initially I laughed it off, but that name never left my head and bothered me since. I wanted to show everyone that I'm still an able player.

Q: Did today's game go as you planned?
A: I played fairly well in the first set, but I got too confident too quickly in the second set. Since I haven't played for a long time, my lack of multitasking skill pulled me down.

Q: Coach January was ecstatic about your win.
A: She complimented me on the set 1 win, but she thought I could have had the second set too. I'm very thankful for her trust and confidence in me. Hopefully I will get more opportunities in the future to repay her kindness with wins. I'm also born in the year of the rabbit [T/N: 2011 is also year of the rabbit], so maybe this year will be a good one for me.

Q: Samsung rookies are continuing to play well.
A: I think that's something that makes a captain very proud. Still, I want to compete against them for SPL appearances - I think this will motivate all of us to improve together.

Q: Now that you're one year older...
A: I considered both going to the military and becoming a coach, but Coach January and other staff advised me to "play your heart out as a progamer so that you can move on later without any regrets." I will cherish their words in my heart and keep my passion strong!

Q: Any goals in the future?
A: I want to contribute more than just leadership and teamwork - I want to win. Beyond that, I want people to remember that oDin is an integral part of the Samsung Zerg line.

Q: Last words?
A: Our Protoss players helped me tirelessly in practice. I can't express in words how much time and effort they dedicated for me, so thanks guys. Also, we have a very bright player in hOpe but he hasn't quite seen the light yet so I see that he's disappointed in himself often. I want to say that he'll develop into a great player if he keeps up his efforts. Look, even I won a game (laughs). Samsung Zerg Hwaiting!!!

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Stork: "I'm disappointed about the vuvuzela ban."



Winner's League opened with a bang: TaekLeeSsang [T/N: for those new to BW, that refers to Bisu, Jaedong, and Flash] each achieved 3-kill or better to carry their respective teams into a good start. Today, Stork completed the TaekBangLeeSsang combo with his own 3-kill performance against Hwaseung Oz. It's been rare that all four of those players were playing well at the same time, so this SWL is already drawing a lot of extra attention.

Of the TaekBangLeeSsang, Stork has been perhaps the least glorified one in the past. Now, Stork seems to be shining above the rest as he continues to light every Protoss fans' hearts aflame every game. Many have agreed that Stork has reached a second career prime. E-sports couldn't be any hotter right now, thanks to Stork's dominance.

Q & A:

Q: You achieved a 3-kill today.
A: I was skeptical about closing out today's match because the last set was against Jaedong, but I'm very happy that I won. Whether it's an all-kill or 3-kill, it's the same for the team if you lead your team into victory, so I am completely satisfied.

Q: It looked like your hands loosened up as you progressed through the three sets.
A: The set against Killer was the most difficult. My confidence was high because I think Bloody Ridge is a good map for PvZ, but Killer attacked relentlessly and I got shaken up. When I was forced to cancel my nexus in the mineral-only expansion, I thought I would mine out and lose so I squeezed everything together for a final push. I'm glad it worked. Against Princess, I decided to use the reaver+dragoon combination. That combination works well once you start riding on an advantage. I kept a keen eye for that opening, and the reavers delivered.

Q: Reavers were awesome.
A: I just refill the scarabs non-stop so I couldn't check the kill count myself. I'll be extra proud of myself when I check the VODs later and check the kill counts.

Q: You're a dominating force lately.
A: TaekLeeSsang have already achieved 20+ wins SPL. I'm only at 16 now. Our team's recent performance may have augmented my pace as well, but I have still have a lot of ground to make up. I'll accept your compliment after I reach higher places in the current individual leagues.

Q: You've been using reavers a lot lately. Did you suddenly find some love for reavers?
A: Against Killer, I had no choice but to use reavers for defensive measures. Other games, I used the builds that I prepared for OSL semi-finals. I don't think I should hold back from using viable builds in SPL just because of OSL (laughs). In PvZ, reavers are kind of risky to use early, but in PvT, reavers are rather standard and they add stability to mid-game transition times.

Q: Your reaver control is truly exceptional.
A: Reavers are actually harder to use in televised matches (because of the risks involved). Once the reavers go down, the game turns grim. I pay extra attention to reavers in battles and give highest priority to reaver control. That's perhaps why my reavers have been doing their jobs.

Q: This week, TaekLeeSsang all achieved 3-kills or better. Did this fact put any pressure on you?
A: I read the match review article regarding Bisu's all-kill last night and felt the pressure already then. Moreover, I knew had to play against Jaedong to finish the match. I'm so glad I was able to achieve the 3-kill at the end.

Q: There's no LeeSsang in the individual leagues, so if you fall behind them in SPL, perhaps your achievements so far (in the individual leagues) will be overshadowed.
A: Personally, OSL and MSL are more important than SPL. Compared to TaekLeeSsang, my individual league resume is quite weak. This season is a crucial opportunity for me to catch up. Well, all that is just in my head and I practice real hard for SPL too (laughs). I want to do well in everything.

Q: What are your reactions to the vuvuzela ban?
A: I know that some of my fans have been bring vuvuzela to matches. I suppose some of the other fans were annoyed. Since e-sports happen in relatively closed spaces compared to other sports, I understand that loud cheering tools can be disruptive. However, I personally believe that e-sports is just like other sports and there are needs for more diverse and creative fan/cheering cultures. Vuvuzela could have been a major part of that. In that sense, I'm a little disappointed. As e-sports continue to develop and mature, I think more creative fan cultures will become accepted.

Q: You're off to a great start in this season's SWL. Since you didn't do very well in the past SWL's, what do you think about the great start?
A: We've just entered the mid-point of the season and I'm already way ahead of last season's pace (laughs). My goal has always been to be better than the previous season, and I think I can achieve that this season. Hopefully the team's record will be better as well!

... WHAT? NO MENTION OF GALAXY TAB? WTF
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Source: Daily E-Sports

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