Looking forward five years, I suspect SVB is gone. Justin Bergman, I suspect, will be the best player on Team USA. The only reason that Bergman, America's most complete player, would have won some of the big stuff if he broke the balls better, but at the Mosconi, with the one on the spot and alternate break, the break holds him back far less. At the Mosconi, everyone gets to play, and Bergman's well-rounded game, that includes exceptional defense and kicking, has often fared well there.
Skyler and Billy are capable players, and they are still young, but I feel they still need a little more development if Team USA is to be a formidable squad capable of beating Team Europe more than once every few years. I agree with Jay that to take this step, these two players may need to start playing the top WPA sanctioned international events. Unless I miss my guess, no American has won a major WPA sanctioned event (World 9-ball, China Open and All-Japan Championships) overseas since Earl won in Cardiff in 2002. It's a big advantage to compete with the world's most elite players on a very regular basis, and neither Billy nor Skyler gets enough opportunities. Yes, they will need some sponsorship.
The remainder of the American team will depend on the continuing emergence of some of America's youngest players. Chris Robinson has been showing a lot of form for a 22 year old at this Mosconi, and Tyler Styer is already somewhat accomplished at 24, but I really wonder whether either will ever be counted among the game's most elite. Time will tell.
I'm not inclined to agree with Jay here that America's core is strong enough to compete successfully long-term at the Mosconi, so I feel American fortunes will be dependent on the emergence of some young players as stars of the game. It's hard to be really optimistic, though, as American performance in the Junior World Championships has been pretty forgettable in recent years. What American players on the horizon are there to get excited about? In Europe, Kaci, Gorst and Filler all earned a spot on Team Europe by the age of 20, and there are not that many nine ball players in Europe. Where are America's rising stars? Has America had any 20 year old (or younger) players worth getting excited about since Billy and Skyler?
I guess I'm just a little worried about the state of American pool. Europe and Asia are mass producing new stars of the game, but America is not. Surely, the solution to changing this must lie in training, with the greatest burden falling on the pool instruction profession, but as Jay correctly points out, it also lies in giving the top American players an opportunity to compete against the truly elite as often as the top Europeans do, thereby giving them a chance to fully develop their skills and competitive pedigrees.
In short, I see Team USA as continuing to be the clear underdog at the Mosconi Cup for years to come unless it turns the corner in developing and supporting its young talent.. Boy, I hope I'm wrong!