For me, the real problem is that Europe's two biggest stars seem to be at the very top of their game right now.
Filler is playing the best pool of his life right now. He has won four majors this year in rotation games: Las Vegas Open, UK Open, Bali Open, and Qatar World Cup. Just for good measure, he also won his third straight Derby City Classic 9ball and took bronze at the World 10ball.
FSR, despite a forgettable first half of the year in rotation games, caught fire in August, following up a fifth place in Florida with a US Open 9ball gold medal and a bronze medal at the Bali 10ball. He also teamed up with Alcaide to win gold at the WPA Men's Doubles World Championship and was the MVP at the recent Reyes Cup. He's starting to remind me of the 2022 FSR, that year's player of the year.
As several have suggested, any hope of a Team USA success story starts with Shane and Fedor. Neither has ever showed his top form at a Mosconi Cup, and they'll have to be at the top of their games just to equal the performance of Filler and FSR. There's hope, for we saw how well Shane played at the WNT Florida Open and Gorst wowed us at the China Open. Still, despite the victory, Shane did not play well at the Reyes Cup and Fedor had a tough go of it over the recent Asian swing. Which Shane will we get? Which Fedor will we get? We well know of what they are capable.
Yes, I think Shane and Fedor will have to bring their "A" games just to equal what we'll likely get from Filler and FSR. If one were to assume that this will happen, though, the matches not featuring any of these four will all be ones in which Europe will be heavily favored.
Team USA can win, but it's an awfully tall order and Shane and Fedor must lead by example for it to happen.
