Thanks to KizZBG for this amazing banner!
A new OSL is upon us, and I have neither the inclination nor space to draft a lengthy introduction. GTR-2-Go has given us all the information we need to go into this season as educated and excited fans. His threads on the group selection ceremony and new maps can be found here and here.
It’s also fallen upon my narrow shoulders to announce our new Starleague coverage. Rather than dedicated previews, the talented news team of Team Liquid will hereafter provide generalized recaps of the action that took place in a particular week. I say “generalized” because the format is going to vary from writer to writer as we fine-tune this brand-new, exciting system. Hopefully the following report gives you an idea of what to expect.
THESE REPORTS WILL CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
OSL Ro16 Week 1
28 September 2007
Results
+ Show Spoiler +
Bisu > GGPlay
Hwasin < Light
Stork > Nada
Savior > Frozean[Name]
Hwasin < Light
Stork > Nada
Savior > Frozean[Name]
Predictably, the first week of the OSL raised more questions than it answered. Was GGPlay as sloppy as he looked, or was Bisu just that good? Is Nada going to get the boot from both Starleagues without winning a single game? Just how is Persona going to play out? Have Light and Hwasin’s hands stopped cramping yet?
Aside from Hwasin vs. Light, this Friday was a night of domination. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have said that Bisu was playing SaferZerg or Stay[Hyo], not the reigning OSL champion. GGPlay looked utterly perplexed as to how to combat Bisu’s relentless harassment. There’s no real reason that Stork should have been able to out-macro Nada, but even after Stork’s DT drop failed miserably, he had the unit count to expand and obliterate Nada’s army. Then there’s Frozean’s unfortunate game. Savior thrashed the newcomer with aggressive zergling and mutalisk play; Frozean’s marine count never surpassed eight.
Many would proclaim Hwasin vs. Light the match of the evening, and in a way, it was; it was certainly the longest match of the evening. The play itself was variable in quality. Hwasin and Light both had stretches where they played exceptionally and stretches where they played… not quite so exceptionally. But this variance in play quality led to a tense, back-and-forth game that lasted well over an hour. If you don’t have the patience to sit through such a lengthy TvT, however, Bisu vs. GGPlay will not disappoint; the game is a tour de force from Bisu.
Thanks to Kennigit for the videos!
+ Show Spoiler +
Next week, we have Up vs. Shudder, Iris vs. July, DarkElf vs. Jaedong, and Rock vs. Flash. While I won’t lie and say that it’s the most exciting set of games, there are some things to look forward to. Seeing Jaedong against a Terran is always a treat, Iris vs. July should be excellent, Flash will have a chance to avenge his OSC loss against Rock, and Up is always unpredictable.