*** Mosconi Cup 2015 Updates Thread ***
- Thread starter Kickin' Chicken
- Start date
It's not all smiles for Team USA anymore. They're thinking, "Hey, we got a match here." Not quite as cheerful as they were 10 minutes ago.
Mike says to Sky, "Just think of it as zero to zero, race to 3."
Albin makes an unbelievable break, pockets 3 balls on the break. Balls going in everywhere.
Karl and Albin whispering strategies. Albin says if Karl is comfortable to bank, then bank it. This is no easy bankshot. He's got a cross-rail bank on the 3. He doesn't see a good safety. They call for an extension.
Karl is dying to bank it, and he got it. Crowd erupts. Gutsy shot, a couregous shot.
Albin to the table for the 4-ball in the corner. Well done! Another good shot by Albin.
Karl has good shape for the 6 in the corner, and he makes it, leaving a good angle on the 7 for Albin.
Albin can cut that 7 down in the corner and left the cueball drift back on the table for the 8. He drew it back instead. Leaving a straight-in shot on the 8 in the side. Make it perefect.
ALbin pockets the 9. No give-up in Europe. They were 2-nothing down, stuck to their guns, and it is 3-2 now.
Europe 3, USA 2.
Mike says to Sky, "Just think of it as zero to zero, race to 3."
Albin makes an unbelievable break, pockets 3 balls on the break. Balls going in everywhere.
Karl and Albin whispering strategies. Albin says if Karl is comfortable to bank, then bank it. This is no easy bankshot. He's got a cross-rail bank on the 3. He doesn't see a good safety. They call for an extension.
Karl is dying to bank it, and he got it. Crowd erupts. Gutsy shot, a couregous shot.
Albin to the table for the 4-ball in the corner. Well done! Another good shot by Albin.
Karl has good shape for the 6 in the corner, and he makes it, leaving a good angle on the 7 for Albin.
Albin can cut that 7 down in the corner and left the cueball drift back on the table for the 8. He drew it back instead. Leaving a straight-in shot on the 8 in the side. Make it perefect.
ALbin pockets the 9. No give-up in Europe. They were 2-nothing down, stuck to their guns, and it is 3-2 now.
Europe 3, USA 2.
Mike breaking and is hoping he'll come with a good break. Can he make a ball and have a shot? He's got a powerful break. Makes the 1. No Man's Land on the 2. Five balls clustered around the 2 in the corner. Tactics will come into play right now.
Mike and Sky whispering strategies. Sky is coming with a push about 6 inches up table to Europe can see the edge of the 2. Karl and Albin study the shot and give it back to Sky.
Mike says, "Should we take an extension?" Sky says, "It don't matter. We ain't nowhere near done."
Sky slow-rolled the ball and made a bad hit. Ball in hand for Europe. Critical error by Team USA.
Extension is called by Team Europe. This is still a tricky runout.
Karl makes the 2 in the corner, leaving Albin the 3 in the corner. He makes it, gets a lucky roll. Goal, Europe! Lady Luck smiling on Team Europe. Smiles all around for Europe there. Karl makes the 4 in the corner, straight-in shot, good leave.
Albin makes the 5 in the opposite corner. Looks like pretty smooth sailing now. 6 down, 7 down.
Commentators, Jim and Jay, both say Mike is not letting Skyler play his game at all, blaming Mike for the bad misses by Skyler.
Albin shoots the 9 for the win.
4 to 2, Europe in the lead. To the hill, Europe arrives! They have won the last four in a row.
Mike and Sky whispering strategies. Sky is coming with a push about 6 inches up table to Europe can see the edge of the 2. Karl and Albin study the shot and give it back to Sky.
Mike says, "Should we take an extension?" Sky says, "It don't matter. We ain't nowhere near done."
Sky slow-rolled the ball and made a bad hit. Ball in hand for Europe. Critical error by Team USA.
Extension is called by Team Europe. This is still a tricky runout.
Karl makes the 2 in the corner, leaving Albin the 3 in the corner. He makes it, gets a lucky roll. Goal, Europe! Lady Luck smiling on Team Europe. Smiles all around for Europe there. Karl makes the 4 in the corner, straight-in shot, good leave.
Albin makes the 5 in the opposite corner. Looks like pretty smooth sailing now. 6 down, 7 down.
Commentators, Jim and Jay, both say Mike is not letting Skyler play his game at all, blaming Mike for the bad misses by Skyler.
Albin shoots the 9 for the win.
4 to 2, Europe in the lead. To the hill, Europe arrives! They have won the last four in a row.
Crowd fans singing "Winter Wonderland." :grin-square:
Karl breaking from the right side of the table this time. Nothing down.
Mike makes a great billiard shot and pockets a ball off the 1. Sky straight in on the 1.
Mike moves up to pocket the 2, and he makes it, leaving Skyler a perfect straight-in shot on the 3, with a slight angle. Good fortune for Mike making that double kiss earlier.
Mike has a straight in shot on the 4, leaving another straight-in shot on the 5 in the corner along the rail. Pretty straight in. Perfect. Drew it back, but leaves whitey on the rail.
Mike has to put some stroke on this ball to get it up table. He doesn't have a lot of angle here. BEAUTIFUL shot by Mike, with a lot of force-follow to widen the angle.
Pretty straight shot on the 8 in the corner for Sky. Makes it. Perfect. He couldn't have placed the cue-ball anywhere from where he was at.
Mike looking at 9 in the side. Side pocket is much smaller than the corners. HE MISSES THE SHOT!
Leaves the old traditional spot shot for Albin. It's not easy. He makes it.
Europe wins the match.
Karl breaking from the right side of the table this time. Nothing down.
Mike makes a great billiard shot and pockets a ball off the 1. Sky straight in on the 1.
Mike moves up to pocket the 2, and he makes it, leaving Skyler a perfect straight-in shot on the 3, with a slight angle. Good fortune for Mike making that double kiss earlier.
Mike has a straight in shot on the 4, leaving another straight-in shot on the 5 in the corner along the rail. Pretty straight in. Perfect. Drew it back, but leaves whitey on the rail.
Mike has to put some stroke on this ball to get it up table. He doesn't have a lot of angle here. BEAUTIFUL shot by Mike, with a lot of force-follow to widen the angle.
Pretty straight shot on the 8 in the corner for Sky. Makes it. Perfect. He couldn't have placed the cue-ball anywhere from where he was at.
Mike looking at 9 in the side. Side pocket is much smaller than the corners. HE MISSES THE SHOT!
Leaves the old traditional spot shot for Albin. It's not easy. He makes it.
Europe wins the match.
Not to derail the conversation, but I've seen a few shots where they play them much firmer than I do. For example, I'd play that 9 ball in the side he missed, softer. Was that the way to play it? Was he trying to give it a bit extra to "straighten" the stroke out under pressure? Or was it in fact too firm and a miss under pressure? Just curious if I need to do less pocket speed\slow roll and more firm shots?
Whether you want to admit it or not they are flat better then us. They play better safes ... They don't make near as many unforced errors and most importantly when USA makes a mistake Europe punishes us virtually every time and we don't. It's hard to take off the red white and blue shaded glasses but when you do it's obvious.
The point was that Mike shouldn't have been coaching Skylar, as Skylar has been the hot player for the US. MD talked SW out of a safety earlier in the rack. Then called an extension that Skylar didn't want. That was what they were talking about. MD should have just let him play his game.
Nothing wrong with taking an honest look at yourself.
I think we all understand this but want to see the red white and blue win anyway. Better doesn't always mean winner.
They were discussing shots together, he was hardly coaching him. And he didn't call the extension; he asked if Woodward wanted to take it, Woodward said he didn't need it... and then dogged the shot.
SW "I like rolling behind the 6"
MD "no...go behind the 4"
SW "ok"
Sounds like he talked Skylar into the shot.....
