crow's IEM EU Finals Round Up - 2

Stock Rising:

Anton "Cooller" Singov

The term "best player ever" has been thrown about a lot this weekend when Cooller has come up for discussion and there were certainly times when it would have been hard to argue with that accolade. The Russian plays the game like nobody else right now and many will consider it an injustice he once again missed out on a place in the final. Two defeats in a row to av3k at the semi final stage have probably cost him at least one title and it was clear from his emotional post-match interview that he knows as well as anyone that, at his age, he needs to take his chances sooner rather than later if he's to add to lengthy list of previous honours.

As if there was anything missing, Cooller added to his already famous repertoire this weekend with a railgun accuracy that rarely strayed far below 70% and often sat much higher. The end result saw the mousesports star become virtually unbeatable on DM6 but therein may lie his problem. Despite his obvious improvements on T9, Cooller can still look vulnerable in best of five matches and would do well to focus on developing his T7 game and reworking his play on DM13 versus tougher opponents. His sights will now switch to the global finals and, if he can keep up this level of improvement, there's every chance he'll finish two places higher there.



Maciej "av3k" Krzykowski

A top two finish in Cologne was very important for av3k after almost exiting on the first day of play and there's no denying he once more deserves to be considered a top five player in the world. Luck got him through the group stages but anyone who tells you it got him to the final obviously wasn't paying attention. Victories over Spart1e, k1llsen and Cooller were delivered in av3k's now expected 100 miles per hour style and showcased why he's such a dangerous opponent in almost any situation.

The Pole claimed his first win of 2009 at Dreamhack and it'll be a surprise if he has to wait so long to pick up his next. Doubts remain about the mental side of his game but this can only improve with time and this weekend will have taught him valuable lessons both in and out of game. Playing alongside Cypher in a team with the level of one-on-one support that Serious-Gaming provies will continue to bring out the best in both of them and if Europe wants to take back the title of the dominant Quake continent then a lot of its hopes will surely rest on these two.

Stock Falling:

Sebastian "Spart1e" Siira

Spart1e's early exit was the biggest disappointment for many fans in Cologne not simply because it was another poor result to add to his collection but because this time around he clearly could have done much better. Failures at Dreamhack and Dubai were down to poor preparation but Spart1e himself admitted he was ready to crack the top four again and it was more than a lack of practice that proved his undoing this time around.

Two key moments ultimately stand out when the Swede's performance is examined, the map dropped to GaRpY and the whimpering 2-0 victory he eventually handed to av3k. The former was simple carelessness but the manner in which he allowed av3k to dominate him when just a single map win was required spoke volumes about the differences between the pair. Despite av3k's moodiness he was clearly a player determined to do everything it took to win and, regardless of ingame ability, this was where Spart1e looked a clear second best. No place at the global finals will leave fnatic's big name dueller out of action for some time and careful reflection will be needed ahead of his return.

The Final Say...

Another top quality show from ESL has taught us a lot but also left just as many questions unanswered. Europe's top three is no longer a secret and the onus now falls on the three Eastern Europeans to keep up the pace come the global finals. Whatever about vo0, DaHanG and rapha will be taking no prisoners come March and won't have stood still while their trans-Atlantic rivals have been putting on a show in Cologne.

Where stermy, fox and strenx fit in with all this remains unclear. All three have shown flashes of brilliance at times this weekend but their consistency remains highly questionable. All roads lead to Hannover now and previous form will count for nothing as each player in attendance is given a chance to earn the title of world champion. DaHanG dreams of it, rapha will feel he deserves it and each European will be fighting tooth and nail to grab it. See you in five weeks...

(photos courtesy of ESL's Julia Christophers)