That's the theme of this week's ESEA S10 writeup! We saw a LOT of close matches that came down to the wire, often to the third game of ACE. Awesome matches! All replays can be downloaded by going to the match link, and using the drop down near the top right and selecting which game you'd like to download, then hitting download replay.
Also, check out the awesome liquipedia page thanks to Inflicted! http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/ESEA_3
Link to previous update: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=305835
WINNER'S ROUND ONE RESULTS
(#1) It's Gosu eSports vs Team Clash (#8)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
GoSuostojiy 2-0 Clashpresto
GoSuHwangSin 2-0 ClashImagine
GoSuPokebunny 1-2 ClashPanther
GoSudde 2-0 ClashMook
It's Gosu 3-1 Team Clash
GoSuHwangSin 2-0 ClashImagine
GoSuPokebunny 1-2 ClashPanther
GoSudde 2-0 ClashMook
It's Gosu 3-1 Team Clash
(#5) vVv Gaming vs Team Legion (#4)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
vVvStarkad 0-2 LgNBoss
vVvRockEr 0-2 LgNMystic
vVvReseT 1-2 LgNLuxury
vVvMurdeR 1-2 LgNChiTa
vVv Gaming 0-4 Team Legion
vVvRockEr 0-2 LgNMystic
vVvReseT 1-2 LgNLuxury
vVvMurdeR 1-2 LgNChiTa
vVv Gaming 0-4 Team Legion
(#3) LighT eSports vs Infinity Seven (#6)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
KawaiiLighT 0-2 iSCrazyMoving
SiN 1-2 iSTime
Heavon 2-1 iSEdge
binski 2-1 iSjEcho
KawaiiLighT 2-1 iSCrazyMoving (INTENSE SERIES)
Team LighT 3-2 Infinity Seven
SiN 1-2 iSTime
Heavon 2-1 iSEdge
binski 2-1 iSjEcho
KawaiiLighT 2-1 iSCrazyMoving (INTENSE SERIES)
Team LighT 3-2 Infinity Seven
(#2) CheckSix Gaming vs Team Nightmares (#7)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
NMxMasa 2-0 xSixBoO
NMxhendralisk 1-2 xSixVer
NMxPasildan 0-2 xSixMystik
NMxnoxnz 0-2 xSixSuppy
Team Nightmares 1-3 CheckSix Gaming
NMxhendralisk 1-2 xSixVer
NMxPasildan 0-2 xSixMystik
NMxnoxnz 0-2 xSixSuppy
Team Nightmares 1-3 CheckSix Gaming
I am surprised by vVv's 0-4 loss against LgN. I thought the matchup would have been much much closer. Also a bit surprised that RuFF was not used, I think he is one of the staples of vVv's lineups and has been consistently #1 grandmaster for a while now.
Infinity Seven vs Team LighT was an extremely interesting match. It was very close. LighT started off very behind, 0-2 and Heavon and binski both 0-1 respectively in their matches. However, they won the next two games each and forced the match to an ace match, in which LighT's KawaiiRice was pitted against Infinity Seven's CrazyMoving. We would have perhaps expected a win for Infinity Seven here as CrazyMoving had already 2-0'd KawaiiRice earlier in the match, and as expected CrazyMoving did take the next game, but KawaiiRice came back to take game two. I remember sitting anxiously waiting to see the players exit the game in the third and final match, and after what seemed like forever they exited the game and there emerged a victor - KawaiiRice - in what was an INTENSE 52 minute game. What a comeback victory from Team LighT, and great play was demonstrated from both teams!
Something interesting about iS vs LighT too is that it was very similar to their previous match a few months back, where iSTime and iSCrazyMoving both won their matches, but the ace match went to three games as well and iS took a close loss then as well. History tends to repeat itself I guess!
All teams that were the higher seeds won their matches respectively!
WINNER'S ROUND TWO RESULTS
(#1) It's Gosu eSports vs Team Legion (#4)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
GoSuSTX 2-0 LgNJimRiSiNg
GoSuVibe 0-2 LgNMystic
GoSuostojiy 2-1 LgNBoss
GoSudde 1-2 LgNChiTa
GoSuostojiy 2-1 LgNChiTa
It's Gosu 3-2 Team Legion
GoSuVibe 0-2 LgNMystic
GoSuostojiy 2-1 LgNBoss
GoSudde 1-2 LgNChiTa
GoSuostojiy 2-1 LgNChiTa
It's Gosu 3-2 Team Legion
(#2) CheckSix Gaming vs LighT eSports (#3)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
xSixSuppy 2-1 HeavonLighT
xSixVer 0-2 KawaiiLighT
xSixMkengyn 0-2 SiN
xSixMystik 2-1 binskiLighT
xSixMystik 2-1 KawaiiLighT
CheckSix Gaming 3-2 LighT eSports
xSixVer 0-2 KawaiiLighT
xSixMkengyn 0-2 SiN
xSixMystik 2-1 binskiLighT
xSixMystik 2-1 KawaiiLighT
CheckSix Gaming 3-2 LighT eSports
Round two matches were really down to the wire. Both matches were taken to the ace set and to the third game of ace set. Team Legion put up a much better fight than I probably would have anticipated, with ChiTa and Mystic demonstrating extremely strong performances. I wonder if the match may have turned out differently if LgNLuxury had been played, as LgN seems to favor running Luxury in the lineups. Strong play from STX and ostojiy nab It's Gosu the win though, and It's Gosu advances to the winner's bracket finals!
LighT again makes a close series, this time with CheckSix. This time though, things were a bit flipped. CheckSix started off horribly, with Suppy and Mystik both down 0-1 and Ver and Mkengyn both 0-2'd by Kawaii and SiN. (Doesn't this sound strangely like the R1 Match of LighT vs iS?). However, CheckSix was able to bring the match to the ace, where Kawaii fell to Mystik in a close three game set once again. CheckSix Gaming advances to the winner's bracket finals, where they will meet It's Gosu!
Once again, the higher seeds once again both took the wins, and the winner's bracket finals will be (#1) vs (#2). It will definitely be exciting!
PREVIEW OF WINNER'S BRACKET FINALS AND LOSER'S ROUND ONE
All matches scheduled to be played on January 31, 2012, at 6 PM PST by default! That's this coming Tuesday.
(#1) It's Gosu eSports vs CheckSix Gaming (#2)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
GoSuHwangSin 2:1 x6Mystik
GoSuDDE 2:0 x6Ver
GoSuOstojiy 2:0 x6Suppy
GoSuViBE N/A x6Windy
It's Gosu 3-0 CheckSix Gaming
GoSuDDE 2:0 x6Ver
GoSuOstojiy 2:0 x6Suppy
GoSuViBE N/A x6Windy
It's Gosu 3-0 CheckSix Gaming
(#5) vVv Gaming vs Team Clash (#8)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
ClashMoOk 2-1 vVvRuFF
ClashPresto 2-1 vVvMurdeR
ClashPanther 0-2 vVvTitan
ClashImagine 2-0 vVvRocker
Team Clash 3-1 vVv Gaming
ClashPresto 2-1 vVvMurdeR
ClashPanther 0-2 vVvTitan
ClashImagine 2-0 vVvRocker
Team Clash 3-1 vVv Gaming
(#6) Infinity Seven vs Team Nightmares (#7)
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
iSEdge 2-0 NMxStyX
iSjEcho 2-0 noxnz
iSInsur 2-0 NMxPasildan
N/A
Infinity Seven 3-0 Team Nightmares
iSjEcho 2-0 noxnz
iSInsur 2-0 NMxPasildan
N/A
Infinity Seven 3-0 Team Nightmares
It's Gosu vs Checksix will definitely be an entertaining match and I hope some great games come out of it! I think this could go either way of course, but of course I have some bias . . . It's Gosu will definitely be the fan favorite in the match here, coming in as the #1 seed and with such a strong lineup of players.
Last time these teams met back in November, It's Gosu won in a close match 3-2 to CheckSix.
+ Show Spoiler [GoSu vs xSix (Nov. 10)] +
xSixwinDy 2-0 GoSuVibe
xSixMkengyn 1-2 GoSuHwangSin
xSixFargo 2-0 GoSuGatored
xSixMystik 0-2 GoSuostojiy
xSixwinDy 1-2 GoSuGatored
It's Gosu 3-2 CheckSix Gaming
xSixMkengyn 1-2 GoSuHwangSin
xSixFargo 2-0 GoSuGatored
xSixMystik 0-2 GoSuostojiy
xSixwinDy 1-2 GoSuGatored
It's Gosu 3-2 CheckSix Gaming
vVv vs Clash will be an interesting match. I think it will be very close. Whichever team brings their A game will win the match. But who knows, last time I predicted that the match was a complete sweep! Here's some previous history between the two teams, also played back in November.
+ Show Spoiler [vVv vs Clash (Nov. 10)] +
vVvRockEr 1-2 ClashPanther
vVvHasuu 0-2 ClashMook
vVvRuFF 2-0 ClashLegal
vVvTitan 2-1 ClashPresto
vVvRuFF 1-2 ClashPresto
vVv Gaming 2-3 Team Clash
vVvHasuu 0-2 ClashMook
vVvRuFF 2-0 ClashLegal
vVvTitan 2-1 ClashPresto
vVvRuFF 1-2 ClashPresto
vVv Gaming 2-3 Team Clash
Finally, we've got Infinity Seven vs Team Nightmares. Given Infinity Seven's strong performance against LighT, I've got to hand the advantage to them. I predict a 3-1 victory for Infinity Seven, with Nightmare's Masa perhaps taking a game off. However, anything can happen and Team Nightmares can definitely take out Infinity Seven if they prepare hard!
Seems like there is no team history between these two, as they both played a team that had dropped out of divisional play.
Well what can I say, I'm excited for the upcoming games and it's gonna be blast! GL to all teams out there! Casters, get on yo' shit and cast these games!