GSL Code A: aLive in Ro24, Oz in Up&Down

2012 GSL Season 3 - Code A

The GSL Code A is a deadly pool of talent, made up of players that have consistently shown themselves to be top tier. The carrot at the end of the stick is a Code S berth in the next season, but that requires a win streak that defeats past and future champions. FnaticRaidCall has two players in Code A this season - Oz and aLive.

FnaticRC.aLive versus ST.PartinG: 24-26 July
FnaticRC.Oz waits to find out his Up & Down Group 

The Path to Code S

The Fnatic players begin in the Round of 48, where Oz will face the Zerg player FXO.JKS and aLive will match up against the Protoss player IM.First. Both Oz and aLive will be favoured going into their first respective Best-of-3 sets since they are each veterans of Code S battles and neither of their opponents have much experience with top of the line GSL players.
Update: Oz 2:0 over JKS, aLive 2:1 over First.

In the Round of 32, Oz will play against YoDa and aLive will play GanZi. YoDa defeated July to face Oz, while GanZi dropped down from Code S. Oz is the superior player and it would be an upset if he did not move on. aLive and GanZi have both spent many seasons in Code S so the match will be close, but fortunately aLive's Terran versus Terran is a strong match up for him.
Update: Oz lost against YoDa 0-2 and will play in the Up & Down Matches, but GanZi forfeited his set against aLive so aLive is in the Ro24 against ST.PartinG. 

Now that aLive is in the Round of 24, he is a victory away from an assured berth in next season's Code S. PartinG started this season in Code S, so a win against him would move aLive into Code A Round of 16. But PartinG is very good, so the match will be close. And if aLive loses against PartinG, he will join Oz in the Up & Down Matches, where they will still have a chance to get a Code S slot. Oz's loss against YoDa was surprising, but Code A is extremely dangerous even for Code S caliber players. Oz can still make it to next season's Code S, but his path now takes him through the Up & Down Matches where 28 players compete but only two players per group of 5 or 6 advance. Very difficult, but Code S is not impossible for him.
Update: aLive lost a close series to PartinG 2-1 and will be in the Up & Down Matches.

FnaticRC.aLive
Round of 24	aLive	1:2			PartinG
Round of 32	aLive	W			GanZi
Round of 48	aLive	2:1			First
GSL Code A

FnaticRC.Oz
Round of 32	Oz	0:2			YoDa
Round of 48	Oz	2:0			JKS
GSL Code A

Looking Ahead

Anyone that loses in the Round of 32 or Round of 24 will enter the Up & Down Matches, a brutal path for players that only allows a few to make Code S. The dozen players that win in the Round of 24 will have secured themselves slots in Code S for next season and will continue to fight for Code A glory.

Neither Oz or aLive have a particularly easy path to Code S, but that is how it should be. Be sure to check back at Fnatic.com for more updates about their progress!