VIDEO GAMES

Every Sunday at 2 AM Pacific, Nick “Tasteless” Plott and Superdanielman commentate professional Starcraft matches from the Intel-Averatec GOMTV tournament in Seoul, South Korea. Download the GOM player from http://www.gomtv.net/classics3/live/ and tune in by clicking the Live link at the appropriate time.

After successfully predicting the third place match, I suppose I seem a little less irrelevant even with my 0-2 record from the semi-finals. This final match seemed cut and dry at the time, but since then I’ve started to wonder…

Flash(T) versus Berserker(T): After Berserker beat Effort in the semi-finals I thought, “That’s it. Flash has won season 3. If Flash had any chance of losing, it was against a Zerg of Effort’s calibur.” I mean, Flash’s versus Terran ratio is 70% right now. Out of the last ten games he’s played against Terrans? He’s won ten. It seems like a no-brainer.
However, Berserker’s versus Terran isn’t low, by any means. Around 57%, and keeping in mind how long he’s been at this and how his game has not always been in top form, he might not be such a pushover. In the last ten games versus Terran he’s won seven — it’s not ten, but it is seven.

Talking in less abstraction, Flash has ridiculous macro and Berserker is aggressive and creative. If Flash insists on going Command Center on the 14th worker, Berserker is going to punish him for it every time. If he doesn’t punish Flash for it, or if Flash manages to make it to the late game with a less risky (cheesy?) build, it should be curtains for Berserker.
Who has Berserker beaten recently? Effort, Bisu, Hwasin.
Who has Flash beaten recently? Effort, July… Firebathero? And Berserker.

My point being, lately Bersrker has been facing some stiff competition and showing that he’s ready to shine again. He wants the gold he never got, and he’s willing to go through someone of Flash’s and Bisu’s skill to do it. Since everyone’s probably seen it by now, that game he had against Bisu? A best of five in the MSL quarterfinals. Flash isn’t even in the MSL, nor OSL.
On the other hand, just because Flash hasn’t been taking on the big names doesn’t mean he isn’t still capable of beating them. I don’t think he’s anywhere near as imposing as he was back when he was the unstoppable Terran warmachine, but he’s getting close again. He needs this gold medal to stay relevant, and he’s got the numbers to back him up.

So on paper, in theory, using my brain, it seems like Flash has this. I don’t even think it’ll be close, it might go 3-1.
But in my heart, Berserker’s got a fighting chance. He might only take it 3-2, but he could take it.
PREDICTION: FLASH
I WOULD PREFER: BERSERRRRRKERRRRRR MY LOVE FOR YOU IS LIKE A TRUCK

Player records viewed at the Team Liquid Player Database: http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/players/