The reign of the Lees

Although their first clash was in the ProLeague in 2007, the real rivalry did not start until the GomTV MSL Season 4. Lee "Jaedong" Jae Dong was the name on everyone's lips after his EVER OnGameNet Starleague title. Could he win two Starleagues in a row? Lee "FlaSh" Young Ho, back then still without a title under his belt, was on the rise. And in the quarter final, the two clashed for the first time, neither knowing what would yet to come. Jaedong emerged victorious with a 3-1 score, and could then manage to win the entire tournament and be crowned the GomTV MSL Season 4 champion. This marked the start of the reign of the Lees.

Five days, ten games

Only a day later, in the Bacchus OnGameNet StarLeague, the two were set to play again. Jaedong, the reigning OSL champion had the upper hand over FlaSh after the win in the MSL. Knowing FlaSh's play style and having the aim towards a back to back OSL title, it seemed Jaedong was capable of becoming the only player except Boxer to win two consecutive Starleagues. But FlaSh could put an end to Jaedong's dreams, winning with a 2-1 score. A throne switch. FlaSh went through Jaedong, Bisu and Stork with an amazing confidence and gravitas to be crowned the 18th Starleague champion.

Three days later, the Lees were head to head once more. This time in the GomTV Star Invitational, once again in a quarter final match. Many had hoped these two would play in the grand final, but the quarter final seemed almost a destined playground for FlaSh and Jaedong. But the crowd got robbed, seeing two very short games and a game that was over almost right when it started.

Proxy barracks, 9pool, offensive sunkens

The first game, on Blue Storm, FlaSh performed a double-barrack proxy in the middle. Jaedong had gone for the regular natural early hatchery expansion, which seemed perfect for FlaSh's tricky tactic. But by a slight building mis-placement, or either a well-scouting Overlord, Jaedong was able to spot one of the barracks in the middle. Jaedong then cancelled his hatchery to go for a spawning pool instead. But the change of strategy was already too late, as FlaSh could march in with his marines and SCVs and secure the first game. A quick match that left us wanting more, much more.

Katrina, a map that would become a classic FlaSh/Jaedong playground, was up next. Jaedong tasted the cheese in the first game and had his mind set in doing the same in the second. Jaedong decides to 9pool and storm his way to the wall of FlaSh's base. FlaSh had expanded to his natural, and his barracks was pretty late, so despite his wall-in with the help of the neutral building near the mineral line FlaSh was unable to stand ground and keep the zerglings out of there. Jaedong razed the neutral building, and could then take out the lone marine and all of FlaSh's SCVs.

Third and last game in the quarter final, on Baekmagoji, Jaedong went for another zergling rush and added sunken colonies to break FlaSh's defense. The Terran was able to note the Zerglings coming his way, and was well-prepared with bunkers. Jaedong effortlessly tried breaking the defense anyway, but FlaSh could still keep Jaedong outside his base. This placed Jaedong in a tough economical position, and after this FlaSh simply waited for his tech tree to grow and could finally move out with his barracks army accompanied by Science Vessels.
- I don't know what the hell a Zerg is supposed to do to win a game like this, especially against FlaSh, said Tasteless when Jaedong was placed in such a tough position.

Jaedong expanded twice, and was able to get a reasonable amount of mutalisks up to delay FlaSh's push. Successfully taking out about half of FlaSh's push, Jaedong was still struggling in a battle he could not win. FlaSh could get in a good position and Irradiate Jaedong's stacked-up mutalisks to death and eliminate the expansion, and the game was over. FlaSh went on to win the GomTV Star Invitational.

This best-of-three is probably what is on both players' retinas before the game. FlaSh is probably comfortably looking back on a well performed game, while Jaedong is most likely hoping to erase the memory.

Both players with a downward-pointing curve

After the Star Invitational and the start of a new season in both MSL and OSL both players have not been as dominant as in the former. In the EVER OnGameNet Starleague 2008, Jaedong failed to advance from the group stage, while FlaSh made it out of his. But then in the first round of the playoffs, the Terran's hope of another OSL title was crushed by Luxury. Both players now had to rely in the Arena MSL. When seeing the playoff brackets the fans who had been following the battle between the 2008 versions of Boxer and Yellow was thrilled. An eventual semi final for the two would mean another clash. And they would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids-- I mean fOrGG.

The Terran, team mate with Jaedong and playing the same race as FlaSh, quenched the hopes of another epic fight. fOrGG rolled over FlaSh in the semi final with a confident 3-1 score, only to later on excel and defeat Jaedong in the final, 3-0.

FlaSh says in the Gretech announcement handed via lilsusie that he was not satisfied with the first half of 2008.
- I was unsatisfied in the first half of this year. However, I just got a great chance now because of the GOMTV finals. I’m also excited that I can have matches against Jaedong who I really wanted to meet at the finals and we can show an even performance, says FlaSh.

Jaedong sees this as a great chance to overcome his failures.
- I will win the GOMTV finals against Flash, who is one of best, to overcome my latest failures to win in the Proleague, and to maintain Kespa’s #1 rank as the player with the most wins, says Jaedong.

After a season without any FlaSh and Jaedong battles, the GomTV Classic saves the day and will give us the final we have all been waiting for. One of the players will come out victorious. Should FlaSh be the one, he will cement himself as the one with the upper hand in this epic rivalry history. Should Jaedong win he will even out the score between the Lees in the individual leagues, both winning two sets against each other, and back on ground zero.

FlaSh has already qualified for the Round of 16 in the Incruit Starleague. Jaedong was unable to advance from the offline preliminaries. But the players are both ready for the next season of MSL, where the rivalry might continue.

Sunday. 11:00 CET. One of 2008's best players will be crowned the first champion of a tournament where many seasons are to come. One will outdo the other. $40,000 is at stake, and a hell a lot of pride.