The New World
WCS America is, by now, a full extension of GSL. Although it takes place in North America and still features, albeit in the lower rungs, North American players, the competition by and large is a space colonized by superior Korean players. It was inevitable, of course, and already obvious through their domination of the MLG-IEM-Dreamhack circuit, that once an extra port would open, the Koreans would use it to escape the hyper-competitiveness of Seoul. The natural consequence of this migration is the establishment of other, hyper-competitive environments all around the globe, which have slowly pushed out the local players. WCS America’s round of thirty-two featured nine North Americans. By the round of sixteen there were only two left. The round of eight features seven Koreans and one Chinese.
Heart vs Polt
When writing a preview it is usual to look for a favorite, but since Heart of the Swarm’s release it has been less and less likely to point to a single person able to easily defeat any opponent. In this case, however, Polt is about as good as it gets. His razor clean, razor sharp play has never dulled and, university attendance included, it is still looking as dangerous as ever. Going against him is Heart, now as regular a face in the North American scene as ViOlet and Polt, but not nearly as successful. Ever present, never someone to underestimate, but always underachieving. Heart belongs along with GanZi, Losira and many others who over the years have made up the middle group striving towards Mvp, Nestea and Life’s top echelon. It is in no way unexpected to see Heart at this stage. If he goes further, well...
MacSed vs Byul
MacSed, by comparison to Polt, is a newcomer, but also a reasonably strong contender. Going up against Byul, there is no reason in particular why he should not advance. The same goes for his opponent. Neither can be said to have had a more difficult path up to this point. Past results do not place a significant advantage on either side. For all intents and purposes, this bout is looking to be man to man, Protoss vs Zerg.
Jaedong vs Hack
Some of the old names have faded, but a few have come back. San is one them. Hack is another. You can argue that Jaedong belongs in this category. Like Flash, and the now retired Bisu, Jaedong met a new reality in Starcraft 2 and was overshadowed by it. As a contender, he has proven to be dangerous, but no more than anyone else in this round. Remember that Hack earned his place in the round of eight by defeating Hyung 2 - 1. If he can accomplish that, Jaedong shouldn’t be too much of a feat.
Oz vs HerO
This is not a matchup that happens as often as one would expect, but it is a game that never swings particularly in favor of one player or the other. The topic of PvP’s volatility was exhausted a long time ago, but there does appear to exist a ceiling that no player has risen above. No matter how good you have become, PvP is the one place your tournament run can always end very quickly. Oz does not have HerO’s accolades, but he doesn not need them to defeat him. He has done it before, and may again.
