GSL 2013 Season 1 Code A

Code A Ro32: Day 2 Preview
Stephano, Nestea, sOs, and more.


Brackets and results at Liquipedia

by: Zealously

MVP.Noblesse vs. Woongjin_sOs

Noblesse is back in Code A after a brief return to Code S where he didn't do much to impress the fans. With Dream emerging as the new rising Terran on team MVP, Noblesse will have to clear sOs from his path if he wants to show people that he's not the only MVP Terran with potential.

After being hyped up by another writer who shall not be named two seasons ago, sOs fell out of Code S where he faced a really tough group. sOs was good in Season 5, for sure - you don't rack up a 17 - 8 Proleague record if you're not, but it might be that he wasn't quite ready for Code S just then.

What was said about sOs before seems true now: He is constantly being overshadowed by bigger names, but is quietly one of the the most solid players in Proleague. He has the most wins of all the Proleague players, and has one of the highest win rates in the Proleague at 68% (all the more impressive when you consider he's played a ton of games). Statistically, he's been better than Flash, Soulkey, or any of the other hyped Proleague players in the GSL. His PvT is rock-solid, and though Noblesse should be no slouch if his series against Creator last season is anything to go by, the player with the most wins, on the team with the most Proleague wins should be the overwhelming favorite.

If one thing has been consistent with the top KeSPA players, it is their ability to rapidly find and fix problems with their play. If sOs had issues with anything a season ago, you can bet he's worked hard to fix them. He has been looking stronger in Proleague with every appearance,and he will be more than prepared to bring the pain down on Noblesse.

sOs 2 - 0 Noblesse


CJ_EffOrt vs. MVP.Lure

Lure has returned from his conquests in China, where he piled the bodies of Zerg players in a heap after taking all their money. Upon returning to his country of origin, he continued to dispense justice, banishing another Zerg player in Jaedong down to the hell known as Code B. Now, yet another Zerg stands in his way. A legend of old, the man who beat God. Effort, of the CJ Entus clan. A player who has showed considerable mastery against his Zerg brethren, and terrifying ability against Terran foes.

But Lure knows his weakness. Effort, just like the many Zergs that have come before him, has not found his footing against Protoss. Many times has the CJ Entus Zerg been laid low by clawing psi-blades, suffocating force-fields, and incinerating lasers.

Lure respects his elders and knows full well that Effort is a formidable opponent, one who can confer with other dangerous players like Hydra and Hero[join]. But Lure has allies of his own, such as the GSL champion Sniper, and a master of clever all-ins in TAiLS. In the end, if recent conquests are indicative of future ones, Effort will be the one to fall when the two face off tonight.

Lure 2 - 1 Effort


LG-IM_NesTea vs. aLive

The Round of 48 gave us the quickest non-throw game in GSL history as Nestea sent Team Eight's HS to Code B with a fast pool, ending the game in 4 minutes flat. But while Nestea added to his legend with that game, it's impossible to overlook the games that came before where Nestea looked far from his best as he struggled against an opponent who was making his GSL debut.

Which brings us to our next player, the recently teamless, long time GSL veteran aLive. While Nestea is likely to face a tougher challenge from a seasoned player like aLive, the former IPL4 champion had his own Jekyll and Hyde experience in previous round. aLive advanced after a narrow 2-1 victory over STX_Trap, where he looked like the guy who used to be called one of the best TvP players in the world in games two and three. However, he also looked like the long slumping player who was sent to Code B in game one, where his 1/1/1-style attack was completely and utterly smashed. Unless the instability aLive displayed in game one was a fluke, we could say that this is a duel between two players who have trouble summoning their best form on a regular basis.

So, the question is, which version of these two players will we get to see? Or considering that their form fluctuates within series, which player will bring out their championship winning side for two games? Both Nestea and aLive can play very well – but they just can't help falling apart in strange ways. I’m hesitant to call it nerve issues, with both players being former champions and GSL players for over two years, but there is something that’s just off when these guys play lately. There is a possibility that this turns into a "Who plays least bad" sort of match (like Noblesse vs. Nestea in Code S), and with both players having already secured a spot in the Up&Downs and HoTS now on the horizon, it's difficult to know how seriously the two of them have been in their preparations.

Given both players’ track records, Nestea having an uncanny knack for getting back into Code S and how unconvincing aLive has been at times lately, the advantage must go to the player who time and again has shown that he can and will kill everything on his way to Code S.

Nestea 2 - 1 aLive


EG.Stephano.RC vs. Woongjin_Flying

I’ll be completely honest: I have no idea what’s up with Flying. One would assume at first glance that his recent reputation for playing poorly coupled with his 1 - 3 record against Zerg puts him in a terrible position against Stephano, but I’m not so sure. He's just very recently started to turn his Proleague form around, reeling off three wins after losing six straight. He also beat Arthur in the Ro48 of Code A and beat Jaedong recently in PL. Then again, he also lost to Nestea in the Up&Downs a month ago and to Hydra/soO last year. There's not much to go on for his PvZ, and there's plenty of room for speculation and doubt.

Stephano is Flying’s polar opposite in this aspect. Between Proleague, GSL and the occasional stream there is an abundance of ZvP to watch, and he is constantly showered with praise for his ZvP and ZvT. ZvP has been his forte for quite some time, and everyone will expect him to win.

I don’t doubt that Stephano has the ability to win this match, probably in convincing fashion, but there is something about this match that makes it a perfect candidate for a huge upset. If there is something KeSPA is always praised for, it is their ability to prepare for specific match-ups and specific players. Stephano’s style has long been resistant to the abstract “figuring out” that Koreans strive towards, but with how much material is available for study, I’m going to go out on a limb and put Stephano in the danger zone, especially since he has already secured a spot in the Up/Down matches.

Flying 2 - 1 Stephano

Writers: Zealously.
Graphics: Meko.
Editor: Waxangel.