Park Sang-hyun Claims First Career Victory at Soop StarCraft League

[Financial News] Soop announced on the 27th that Park Sang-hyun (soma) secured his first-ever championship by defeating Jang Yoon Chul (SnOw) with a set score of 4-2 in the finals of the Google Play ASL Season 20, an esports league for StarCraft: Remastered.
The finals, held on the 26th at the DN Colosseum in Jamsil, Seoul, saw both players vying for their first-ever ASL title. Jang Yoon Chul returned to the finals after six years, having previously lost in the Season 5 and Season 8 finals to Jung Yoon-jong and Lee Young-ho, respectively. Park Sang-hyun was also making a comeback, challenging for the trophy five years after his narrow defeat to Kim Myung Woon (ZerO) in the Season 10 finals.
In the first set on the Uldolmok map, Park Sang-hyun persistently harassed his opponent’s island expansions with drops and air units, gaining a resource advantage in the late game. His successful attacks and expansions secured him the opening win. Riding this momentum, Park dominated the second set on Dominator SE, using a well-timed Hydralisk rush before the Protoss Photon Cannons were completed, earning back-to-back victories.
The strength of Protoss was also on display. On the third set’s Radeon map, chosen by Jang Yoon Chul, he repelled the Zerg forces and seized a chance to counterattack. By tracking the Mutalisk positions and launching a bold push with High Templars, he managed to claim victory under pressure, narrowing the set score to 2-1.
The fourth set on the Pole Star map highlighted another decisive Hydralisk timing rush by Park Sang-hyun. Although his initial Zergling attack was thwarted, his sharp play targeted the window before the Protoss Templars were ready, breaking through the Photon Cannons and the entrance to reach match point.
Jang Yoon Chul, known as the 'Protoss of Autumn,' did not give up easily. In the fifth set on the Metropolis map, his early Zealot rush proved effective, and he gained the upper hand with surprise attacks from Corsairs and Dark Templars. He successfully neutralized the Zerg’s Mutalisk and Hydralisk combination, closing the gap to 3-2.
Jang Yoon Chul’s comeback ended in the fifth set. In the final sixth set on the Knock Out map, Park Sang-hyun used Mutalisks to pick off Protoss’s high-value units, preventing further expansions. He relentlessly pressured the main base, ultimately forcing Jang Yoon Chul to surrender and lifting his first ASL trophy with a 4-2 victory.
After his win, Park Sang-hyun stated, “Some fans have told me they wanted to become pro gamers but couldn’t, and their words motivated me to work even harder. I believe this is just the beginning for me. While (Kim) Min-chul’s Four-Peat is an unbelievable achievement, I will do my best to catch up to him.”

psh@fnnews.com Park Sung-hyun Reporter