Top 8 Profiles

Iceland

Call them the giant-killers. Despite only having twelve lifetime Pro Points between them, Team Iceland has carved a path through the tournament this weekend. Going in, they set their sights on a Top 32 finish, but after a 4-1 start they started to dream a little bigger. Winning their first two rounds to ensure Top 16, a kind of relaxed giddiness came over them. They needed a clutch win in the final round against Greece, and came up aces. Will their nothing-to-lose attitude give them an edge on Sunday?

 

 

 

 

Czech Republic

Captain Stanislav Cifka may have missed the Top 4 in the 2013 Magic World Championship, but he refused to give up on Sunday play. Though his teammates are relative amateurs (without a single Pro Point to their names) they worked hard this weekend, and a 4-3 performance got them in to pool play. Once there, they staked their claim with a dominating sweep of their first group. They split their first two matches in the second stage, but defeated South Africa in the final round to secure Top 8. Will the chessmaster guide his team to greatness, or will a more experienced team overtake them?

 

 

 

 

France

When you're captained by a Hall of Famer, you have to be a favorite to reach Sunday play. Raphaël Lévy is one of the game's longtime greats, and still competes at every Pro Tour. Last year his PT finishes were 97th, 19th, and 37th, showing that he's still got what it takes. Adding to his star power you have this year's Grand Prix London winner, Timothée Simonot. After sweeping their first pool to make Top 16, they dropped their first round against Israel and were forced to win out to make it into the Top 8. In Unified Standard, Lévy's Mono-Green concoction has been turning heads all weekend. Will it be the backbone of a trophy-winning performance?

 

 

 

 

Austria

Another team for whom anything less than Top 8 would be a disappointment, Austria boasts two Pro Tour Top 8 finishers on its roster: Thomas Holzinger and David Reitbauer. They both also have multiple appearances on the national team. Marc Mühlbock has Pro Tour experience under his belt. Only seventeen-year-old Manuel Danninger is at his first big dance. They didn't have much of a sweat this weekend, though. They cruised through Day One at 5-1-1 and then swept their first pool. Will that dominance carry through to tomorrow and give them the title?

 

 

 

 

Estonia

Estonia is being represented by two returning members from last year's squad: Simon Robberts and Hannes Kerem, the all-time leader in Pro Points for Estonia. Kerem has seen a good amount of success on the World stage, experience he'll be able to use to help his team. At Worlds in 2008, Kerem managed to defeat Hall of Famer Kenji Tsumura to advance to the Semifinals before being eliminated. Last year, he and Robberts led the team to an 11th place finish in the inaugural World Magic Cup. Entering the final Stage as the second seed in their pool, Estonia had complete control of their destiny. After dispatching Croatia in the first round, Estonia went on to run the table, exiting the final Stage a perfect 3-0, earning their spot in the Top 8.

 

 

 

 

Hungary

Featuring two of the more experienced members in the field, Hungary had a lot to prove after a semifinal exit in last year's World Magic Cup. Led by captain Tamas Nagy and Gabor Kocsis, first and second place all-time on Hungary's list of Pro players, Hungary has one of the most deceptively strong teams in the field. Considering Tamas Nagy's decision to coach rather than play during the Constructed rounds, they will have his leadership to rely on for their trek through the Top 8.

 

 

 

 

New Zealand

Led by Grand Prix Auckland champion Walker Macmurdo, all four members of the New Zealand National team have experience on the Pro Tour. With the second most successful player in New Zealand Magic history on the team, last year's captain Jason Chung, there is a wealth of experience both in individual and team play to draw from. While New Zealand had never made the Top 8 of a team competition, this year marked the strongest team they have assembled, and their combined efforts were enough to crack that barrier for the first time.

 

 

 

 

Belgium

Much ado was made about the Belgian squad coming into this tournament. Featuring two of the biggest names in European Magic, Vincent Lemoine and Marijn Lybaert, Belgium was commonly thought to be second only to Sweden in raw power and talent. After a disappointing Day 1, barely squeaking into Day 2 by virtue of a last-round win, Belgium turned on the afterburners, shoving their way through the final rounds of play, including a marathon match against Brazil in the final round that they won by virtue of only a single match win, the others going to time.