Mosconi day 1 lineups announced - thoughts

[actionplayer]

TEAM USA V TEAM EUROPE
DEUEL /DECHAINE v BOYES / VAN DEN BERG
BERGMAN V FEIJEN
SVB/SKY V OUSHAN/APPLETON
SVB V APPLETON

looks to me both captains played similar styles first up 2 solid tried and tested players that they had available
gave their 2 best players singles matches and paired up their rookies sky and albin with their most experienced players

cant say it is wrong
however i think sky and bergman would be a good partnership as we have seen for years svb is not strong in a pair and sjy and bergman close friends with lot of pairs experience together

be interesting to see it play out
i always think the team point at the start plays a vital role psychologically

 

[Busboy]

I really can't wait for this I think it's gonna be great first day

 

[victorl]

You're right, I think pairing up the young guns is a good idea to inject some energy into the team.
I remember last year, the Hall-Bergman pairing was awesome with both guys playing fast and loose.

 

[Gunn_Slinger]

They put dechaine against boyes....I love that!
Mouth-to-mouth!...lol

 

[mjantti]

The last match Darren-Shane will bring the house down as the top of the top are weighing their cojones...
I don't really care about the matchups, it's going to be a great event with both teams smelling blood. I wish I was there.

 

[Zphix]

I actually think the SVB-Sky team is a mistake.

Am gonna look forward to watching a rematch of Bergman/Feijen. I think Justin should have beat him both times last year and I doubt Neils is walking away unscathed this time.

I think USA takes day 1.

 

[Busboy]

I actually think the SVB-Sky team is a mistake.

Am gonna look forward to watching a rematch of Bergman/Feijen. I think Justin should have beat him both times last year and I doubt Neils is walking away unscathed this time.

I think USA takes day 1.

I can't wait to watch Bergman match either he's playing a lot better then last

 

[Celtic]

Matching up Sky with SVB was a mistake. Mark should have matched up Sky and Bergman. SVB is not a great doubles partner and he has a tendency to be quite authoritative at times and the last thing that Sky needs is an early doubles match with SVB pressuring him up.

He would have been vastly more comfortable out there with Bergman and if things go badly in that match it has a chance to wreck Sky's confidence for the whole event.

Mark might have wanted SVB to get some shots in prior to his singles match, but that is not worth the risk of destroying your rookie players confidence on day 1 of the event.

 

[Zphix]

Matching up Sky with SVB was a mistake. Mark should have matched up Sky and Bergman. SVB is not a great doubles partner and he has a tendency to be quite authoritative at times and the last thing that Sky needs is an early doubles match with SVB pressuring him up.

He would have been vastly more comfortable out there with Bergman and if things go badly in that match it has a chance to wreck Sky's confidence for the whole event.

Mark might have wanted SVB to get some shots in prior to his singles match, but that is not worth the risk of destroying your rookie players confidence on day 1 of the event.

My thoughts exactly.

I think Mark may be trying to neutralize Sky's lack of experience with someone with tons of MC experience. Here we are saying it probably won't pan out and they'll end up winning 5-0 or something crazy like that.

I really do hope Sky and Justin are paired later in a doubles match. They're super familiar with each others games and took out Ignacio/partner (can't think of his doubles partner) recently, and took out Johnny Archer and partner in the Young vs. Old guns event.

 

[SFC9ball]

Sky

I like the line up, I think Sky will do just fine, I have seen him play in high pressure match's, the kid has ice water running through his veins. Him playing with SVB is not going to bother him at all. Just my observation.

 

[skip100]

The American Ryder cup captains insist on doing the same thing, even though it's the veterans who have a history of losing while the newbies are fresh. Finally they decided to put spieth and Patrick reed together and they kicked ass...there's a lesson to be learned there.

 

[Jpowell7575]

I think SVB is just about the best partner there is for Sky. They both play the same kind of game, just shoot the balls in the hole. Neither of them get discouraged if they get a little out of line, kind of the same way SVB and Earl were when they played together.

 

[RichSchultz]

Is Mike the best partner for Corey? Just asking who you all think is the best partner to shoot after some of Corey's crazy sick shots?

 

[ideologist]

Don't they have to use every Doubles pairing during the tournament?

Save Sky/Berg for a clutch time

 

[j_zippel]

Don't they have to use every Doubles pairing during the tournament?

Save Sky/Berg for a clutch time

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ yup ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (not sure if they have to use every pairing though)

exactly, and let them get settled into the atmostphere. I'm pumped for this one, I'll be done work at 2pm every day this week apparently.

 

[drv4]

I think it's a very good lineup, but would have played Deuel/Van boening in the first doubles and Bergman and Woodward in the second. Other than that, no complaints.

 

[one stroke]

I think SVB is just about the best partner there is for Sky. They both play the same kind of game, just shoot the balls in the hole. Neither of them get discouraged if they get a little out of line, kind of the same way SVB and Earl were when they played together.

I agree I like the choice I don't think there is even a remote chance of ruining Sky if they lose his mental game is light yrs ahead of his age
It's a good way to get his feet wet without the pressure of a singles match where your out there on a island

1

 

[master_cueist]

I am going to start out by saying I didn't read ALL of the posts so someone may have already said this and I apologize. That being said, I am seeing a lot of comments about how pairing Sky up with SVB is a mistake and worried about his confidence and what not. What nobody has said that I have noticed is that Sky is still REALLY young and fearless. He is going to go out there and play like he always plays. I am expecting Sky to do VERY well with SVB and if they win and he does well, then Sky, as well as the rest of the teams confidence will go through the roof and I think USA could run away with it. Don't count the young gun out before he has even started! New players have a pretty darn good record for their first appearance on both sides and I expect the same from Sky.

 

[SakuJack]

I am going to start out by saying I didn't read ALL of the posts so someone may have already said this and I apologize. That being said, I am seeing a lot of comments about how pairing Sky up with SVB is a mistake and worried about his confidence and what not. What nobody has said that I have noticed is that Sky is still REALLY young and fearless. He is going to go out there and play like he always plays. I am expecting Sky to do VERY well with SVB and if they win and he does well, then Sky, as well as the rest of the teams confidence will go through the roof and I think USA could run away with it. Don't count the young gun out before he has even started! New players have a pretty darn good record for their first appearance on both sides and I expect the same from Sky.

This may well turn out to be the case, but I would be hesitant to make any bold proclamations about how a player is going to hold up under pressure at the Mosconi. A team event, representing your country, with a boisterous crowd (although less so, being in the US this year) hold a lot of unknowns. Saying that, I hope you're right, that he does well, and that it's closer this year.

If I had to make a prediction, I like Europe either 3-2 or possibly 4-1 based on that line-up. Although there are some close matches so I wouldn't be too surprised if the US reversed that score. I think it's important for the US to start well this year, to get the momentum rolling.

 

[BRussell]

Matching up Sky with SVB was a mistake. Mark should have matched up Sky and Bergman. SVB is not a great doubles partner and he has a tendency to be quite authoritative at times and the last thing that Sky needs is an early doubles match with SVB pressuring him up.

I'm surprised to see this. I've never heard of SVB being a tough or bossy doubles partner. He's usually so quiet - does he even say anything to his partner during doubles? Is there some event you're referring to, like the World Cup of Pool? This past year he and Mike D. didn't do well, but I don't remember seeing any problems between them, and last year with Earl, Shane usually just grinned whenever Earl started yelling at him.