Photo by: GosuGamers.net
Min-Chul "SK.MC" Jang raised the IEM World Championship trophy and the $35,000 cheque. In a revenge match from IEM GC Cologne, MC dominated fellow Korean terran Puma to bathe in audience's applauds.
- "MC is a good friend of mine so I will let him take one map," were the taunting words of Puma just prior to the series and very soon this statement became very close to the truth. In game one, MC used a 3-gate sentry pressure to deny Puma's natural and finish the game with his colossus and storm tech.
Puma struck back viciously, however, as he was quick to adapt to MC's 2-base play and went for a quick siege tech to keep himself safe on Cloud Kingdom, while going into triple orbital. MC, who was at the same time teching to robo and colossi, found himself tricked as Puma had to intention of moving out in the foreseeable future. Deciding not to play the economic catch-up, MC committed to an attack but Puma was very well fortified. As he could not chew through the siege tanks and bunkers, MC tapped out.
Game three was played on Shakuras Plateau and saw the exact same openings from both players as in the previous games - MC going for this 2-base play while Puma opened with a 1-rax CC. The game was relatively passive until MC eventually decided to move out only to find himself exposed to a medivac drop. Knowing that there is no turning back, MC had to continue with his attack but Puma's targeting was immaculate: viking shots brought down the colossi - basically the only advantage MC had - and forced a gg.
The game was tied on Entombed Valley with MC opening with a 3-gate pressure again and although he could not get past Puma's defences, he kept his positioning there, taking a third behind it. While on his way back to the base, however, MC's army was caught off-guard. He lost all his sentries and the majority of his zealots and Puma had the strong incentive to continue his attack. Despite being in the army disadvantage, MC held valiantly and barely held the marine attack, not without the help of his now complete third base. Knowing that he has a very limited timing window, MC made use of his just completed blink tech and punished Puma to make the score 2-2.
Game five was a real heartbreaker and an appropriate conclusion to the epic series. For the first time in the match, Puma went for hellion opening instead of a 1-rax/CC, killing 10 probes and two sentries right from the start. A follow-up drop ended the life of another two sentries and now MC was losing ground in increasing pace. After stabilizing, the protoss teched to blink and storm, the latter completing literally in the last second to stop Puma's assault on the third base. The terran was now in real trouble - whatever army he had left was heavily injured and he had to use it to defend MC's counter attack. Despite the protoss army supremacy, Puma showcased one of the most impressive defensive skills ever seen in a terran player, living through a succession of attacks that would have ended most players immediately. Still, as honourable and valiant Puma's stand was, his fate was apparent to all. He gg-ed out after a few minutes of struggle and MC jumped on stage to raise the giant IEM trophy.
Intel Extreme Masters World Championship Hanover standings
1.
MC, $35.0002.
Puma, $15.0003.
MMA, $9,0004.
Feast, $4.200 and the SICKEST NERD BALLER hoodie
