Would like to see Oscar and Billy play some high dollar sets.
It would be a better matchup than this year's Mosconi Cup.
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It would be a better matchup than this year's Mosconi Cup.
Agreed
8intheside
Well-known member
I can’t get excited about the MC anymore. It’s become a forgone conclusion on who’s going to win.
I’ll concede the point that Oscar is the favorite against Billy in a race to 100 if you concede Billy has a better shot at beating Moritz in singles in a race to 5 with an unruly drunk crowd and adrenaline spiked to the max.
Because stats don’t lie. Oscar is yet to win a singles match against anybody in MC and he’s not getting younger. He’s a grinder. Which also means he’s not a front runner. He’s just a guy that doesn’t give up. That’s not the best skills for a race to 5. Same with SVB these days. But he still comes out of the gate with a better gear. Not a great one, but a better one.
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Did you feel that way at this time in 2018, when Team Europe had won the previous 8 years in a row?
I’ll be honest. I was disappointed that Matchroom waited until the very last minute to announce the 5th Team USA player. But after listening to Sky’s reasoning on the Window’s Open podcast, I get it. Billy can handle the crowd, and if you’ve ever watched a Mosconi Cup on the other side of the pond, you know exactly why that matters. That arena is going to be loud, unruly, and absolutely electric. You need someone who won’t wilt under it.
But here’s the bigger picture. Name 10 American players who are truly Mosconi Cup-ready today. Now name 10 Europeans. Now name 10 Asians. The difference in depth is undeniable. Europe and Asia have training pipelines, junior programs, structure, coaching, and constant high-level competition. The U.S. has talent, no question, but not the same bench.
So no matter who Sky picked, the criticism was guaranteed. He didn’t just pick Billy for skill. He picked Billy for crowd resilience, team chemistry, and ability to handle emotional pressure.
The real issue isn’t the selection, though. It’s the system behind the selections, and until that changes, we’ll keep having the same conversations every November. Meanwhile, Europe continues to have academies, national junior events, sports psychology training, structured federations. Asia has government-funded training centers, constant high-level competition, and deep cultural respect for cue sports.
But here’s the bigger picture. Name 10 American players who are truly Mosconi Cup-ready today. Now name 10 Europeans. Now name 10 Asians. The difference in depth is undeniable. Europe and Asia have training pipelines, junior programs, structure, coaching, and constant high-level competition. The U.S. has talent, no question, but not the same bench.
So no matter who Sky picked, the criticism was guaranteed. He didn’t just pick Billy for skill. He picked Billy for crowd resilience, team chemistry, and ability to handle emotional pressure.
The real issue isn’t the selection, though. It’s the system behind the selections, and until that changes, we’ll keep having the same conversations every November. Meanwhile, Europe continues to have academies, national junior events, sports psychology training, structured federations. Asia has government-funded training centers, constant high-level competition, and deep cultural respect for cue sports.
Here's the top 10 Americans capable of Mosconi Cup pressure, in no particular order:
For Europe, top 10 is almost too easy. In fact, Europe could field three full teams at Mosconi Cup level. Mosconi Cup contenders, in no particular order:
Asia has the deepest talent pool of all. This list is stacked and still incomplete.
Asia is the deepest, Europe is the most structured, and the U.S. has talent but not the depth. The U.S. has less junior structure, less national coaching culture, fewer competitive leagues feeding upwards, and less financial incentive to become a professional. The existing lot of U.S. pro-caliber players continues to shrink, not grow, especially when compared to Europe and Asia. Pull this thread up next November, and it will be the same song.
- Shane Van Boening
- Fedor Gorst
- Skyler Woodward
- Tyler Styer
- Oscar Dominguez
- Billy Thorpe
- Shane Wolford
- Chris Reinhold
- Hunter Lombardo
- Josh Roberts
For Europe, top 10 is almost too easy. In fact, Europe could field three full teams at Mosconi Cup level. Mosconi Cup contenders, in no particular order:
- Joshua Filler
- Francisco Sánchez Ruíz
- David Alcaide
- Jayson Shaw
- Albin Ouschan
- Niels Feijen
- Mario He
- Eklent Kaçi
- Moritz Neuhausen
- Max Lechner
- Pijus Labutis
Asia has the deepest talent pool of all. This list is stacked and still incomplete.
1. Johann Chua
2. Aloysius Yapp
3. Ko Pin-Yi
4. Ko Ping-Chung
5. Ko Pin-Chung
6. Lo Ho Sum
7. Michael Baoanan
8. Chang Jung-Lin
9. James Aranas
10. AJ Manus
11. Carlo Biado
12. Bernie
13. Dennis Orcullo (when he can travel)
14. Lee Van Corteza
15. Anton Raga
16. Jeffrey De Luna
17. And about 20 more whose names I cannot remember
Asia is the deepest, Europe is the most structured, and the U.S. has talent but not the depth. The U.S. has less junior structure, less national coaching culture, fewer competitive leagues feeding upwards, and less financial incentive to become a professional. The existing lot of U.S. pro-caliber players continues to shrink, not grow, especially when compared to Europe and Asia. Pull this thread up next November, and it will be the same song.
Agree with this. As years have past, and the prevalence of true big track players has died, America has relatively no chance of being competitive. Skylar, Billy, even Bergman are all players that started on, and seem to prefer bar boxes instead of pool tables, just like most of the league and recreational bangers in this country. Congratulations American players, you’ve played yourself.
8intheside
Well-known member
the past 15 MC”s Europe is 13-2. So yeah I felt the same.
He is afraid to leave his house....a non factor
realtor1618
Registered
I’m not sure I am willing to concede that but your point is well taken.
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Back Billy and call heads.....sure Oscar would play anymore rotation game.
that's true, he is the same as kazakis on the euro side in that regard. the format (and to a degree shot clock events in general) favors fast, clutch players over grinders
Maybe it's just me, but I think the US has more than enough world class players to field at least three teams, but like a few years back when guys like Max Eberle were playing and showing great form to be in the team, he got snubbed for someone else.
Then we all had a discussion about how this event, at its core, is an exhibition and the team has to be filled with players that are known on the main tour. Not with gamblers and overweight players(even if they play top level pool) because the organizer is trying to sell a product. And quite frankly, these guys are the faces of American pool at 99% of WNT events so they have to be on the team.
I wrote "in no particular order" on the list.
Jeremy Sossei is a good choice for sure.
Jesus just won the River City Open, a WNT ranking event, and Matchroom Pool posted this: ""Latino heat takes over the World Nineball Tour."
Jesus did a Window's Open podcast and stated he was working on getting his visa in order so he could travel to various events.
The finals was Jesus Atencio v. Cristopher Tevezin, with winning. Cool pic by Klau Miranda on Facebook.