Jang "Moon" Jae-Ho and Andrew "mOOn-GLaDe" Pender have qualfied for the playoffs, both winning four matches in the group stage. Having only each other to face, it will determine which player will go directly to the semi final, and which player who will have to land in the quarter final.
Moon, who just finished off a 2-1 victory against the Swedish Terran SjoW, said in the post-game interview that he was unsure of what awaited him at this event as he doesn't know the European play style that well. However, he played very well against SjoW in the last two games, turning a 0-1 to a 2-1 advantage.
Having played mOOn-GLaDe on the ladder, and surely having seen the great results the Australian have performed at CeBIT, Moon thinks of him as a pretty good player and will try his best to win.
The second runner-up position is still an open story, with Squirtle, SjoW having a shot in grabbing it. At the moment, SjoW is ahead with a 2-2 (5:4) score with Squirtle behind with a 1-3 (3:6) score. Should Squirtle defeat SjoW with a 2:0 score, the Korean will advance due to the direct match rule.
The next round is therefor extremely important for all parties, except for Fenix who is sawed off at 0-4 (0:8).
The only way for the group to end in a tie is if Squirtle defeats SjoW 2-0, and Socke defeats Fenix 2-0. Here's why:
If Squirtle wins 2-1, he will land at 2-3 (5-7), leaving SjoW at 2-3 (6-6).
If Squirtle wins 2-0, he will land at 2-3 (5-6), leaving SjoW at 2-3 (5-6). Then Squirtle will have the advantage as he defeat SjoW in a direct match.
If SjoW wins 2-1, he will land at 3-2 (7-5), leaving Squirtle at 2-3 (4:8).
If SjoW wins 2-0, he will land at 3-2 (7-4), leaving Squirtle at 2-3 (3:8).
If Socke defeats Fenix 2-0, he will land at 2-3 (5:6) and will be tied with Squirtle and SjoW in score, and will produce a three-way tie.
If Squirtle wins 2-0, he will land at 2-3 (5-6), leaving SjoW at 2-3 (5-6). Then Squirtle will have the advantage as he defeat SjoW in a direct match.
If SjoW wins 2-1, he will land at 3-2 (7-5), leaving Squirtle at 2-3 (4:8).
If SjoW wins 2-0, he will land at 3-2 (7-4), leaving Squirtle at 2-3 (3:8).
If Socke defeats Fenix 2-0, he will land at 2-3 (5:6) and will be tied with Squirtle and SjoW in score, and will produce a three-way tie.
Update: Squirtle defeated SjoW 2-0, and Socke is up 1-0 against Fenix.
Update 2: Socke defeats Fenix in a crazy match on Shakuras Plateau, creating a three-way tie.
Update 3: Games will played in best-of-one format, the dice will be rolled on who will play each other first. Socke and Squirtle will play first.
Update 4: Squirtle takes the first game with a solid 4 warp gate Robotics play with Colossus against Socke's blink stalkers. Squirtle will now play SjoW.
Update 5: SjoW defeats Squirtle in a very tight marine/hellion drop versus 4 warp gate stalkers. SjoW makes the drop, takes out all the probes, leaving Squirtle with no minerals and no workers (but 2). SjoW can defend in his main with a bunker and Marine/SCV to win the game. SjoW will now play Socke. Should Socke win, it will be another tie. Should SjoW win, he will advance to the playoff.
Update 6: Socke defeats SjoW after some great Colossus play. The three-way tiebreaker ends in another tie. Awaiting info whether they will continue to play tonight or if they will wait for tomorrow.
Update 7: It seems like we will have yet another tiebreaker.
Update 8: As the circus continues, Socke defeats Squirtle with a four Warpgate rush and a flurry of great control. He took out Squirtle's Zealots and Pylons and won the game quickly, moving on to the next game.
Update 9: We've gone down the rabbit hole. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Sjow beats Socke after fending off a Void Ray rush. A yawning Sjow will now face the Korean in the next step of the tie breaker!
Update 10: The crowd has exited the arena and the location's staff is considering a mutiny. Sjow and Squirtle just had a base trade and the craziest series of micro battles you ever did see. The janitor looks like he wants to kill me. Creatures of the night surround the building. I think I heard a wolf howl. Someone check for zombies. Squirtle wins. The tie breaker continues.
Update 11: Socke's PvP is impeccable. Mind games and meta-game knowledge abounds. Socke beat Squirtle to take the first game in the third round of the tie breaker. Does it matter? Will Socke beat Sjow? Does anything really matter? Are we really here, man? This tournament is bringing up existential issues. The tie breaker continues.
Update 12: Socke's PvT is not impeccable. Sjow is outdoing him and wins a game on Delta Quadrant, a map that Sjow loves. Sjow wins and wins and will now play Squirtle. Wait, I've seen this before. I've been in this place, I've done this thing. It's the same thing again and again. I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank Piña Coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters. That was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get that day over and over and over?
Update 13: Squirtle beat Sjow on Xel'Naga Caverns. Yes, yes, that means a fourth round of tie breakers. Welcome to hell. A hell erected and maintained by IEM, and blessed by Day9. A hell that allows you to see your loved ones, but not to touch them. A hell situated in the Internet's boondocks, hundreds of miles away from reality. A Protoss and Terran hell, a StarCraft hell. This will not end.
Update 14: Squirtle just beat Socke with nice Blink play to go 2-5 against him today. In other news, the earth continues to rotate around the sun, the tides are still pulling back and forth and the God has sentenced me to an eternity in limbo.
Update 15: I get the feeling that no one is reading what I write. I think that when Raistlin returns, he will be confused. Patrik, you don't know what this is like. Hell has collided with limbo, infinity has crashed into reality. God is skipping on my DVD player and I can't press eject. Zombies are stalking in the darkness, Janitors are cocking their shotguns. The world has lost its grip on the sun and is now spinning helplessly through space.
And the StarCraft. Three people keep playing StarCraft.
Update 16: I don't know much about religion but I know I've heard that there is an angel of mercy. Now I know. Squirtle beat Sjow. The sun is rising in Germany, the Zombies burning in its light. The mutinous janitors have cracked a smile and Day9's diabolical plan to destroy the earth has been thwarted - for today.
Squirtle wins and is moving on in third place.
Intel Extreme Masters World Championship Group B
Moon 5 5 0 10:2
mOOn-GLaDe 5 4 1 8:3
Squirtle 5 2 3 5:6
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SjoW 5 2 3 5:6
Socke 5 2 3 5:6
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Fenix 5 0 5 0:10
mOOn-GLaDe 5 4 1 8:3
Squirtle 5 2 3 5:6
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SjoW 5 2 3 5:6
Socke 5 2 3 5:6
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Fenix 5 0 5 0:10
Socke 1-2 mOOn-GLaDe
Sjow 2-0 Fenix
Squirtle 1-2 Moon
Sjow 2-0 Socke
Squirtle 0-2 mOOn-GLaDe
Fenix 0-2 Moon
Squirtle 2-0 Fenix
Sjow 0-2 mOOn-GLaDe
Socke 0-2 Moon
Fenix 0-2 mOOn-GLaDe
SjoW 1-2 Moon
Socke 2-0 Squirtle
Squirtle 2-0 SjoW
Socke 2-0 Fenix
Moon 2-0 mOOn-GLaDe
Sjow 2-0 Fenix
Squirtle 1-2 Moon
Sjow 2-0 Socke
Squirtle 0-2 mOOn-GLaDe
Fenix 0-2 Moon
Squirtle 2-0 Fenix
Sjow 0-2 mOOn-GLaDe
Socke 0-2 Moon
Fenix 0-2 mOOn-GLaDe
SjoW 1-2 Moon
Socke 2-0 Squirtle
Squirtle 2-0 SjoW
Socke 2-0 Fenix
Moon 2-0 mOOn-GLaDe