Mosconi Cup 2025, Dec. 3-6, Alexandra Palace, London
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
i'm backing your bets bro
Iwishiwasrich
Well-known member
I have to think after day 1 Willie Mosconi is rolling in his grave right now. Something needs to change.
Why? They getting married?
I think so.
I have no idea what the specific arrangements were or whether MR provided support.
What I do know is that I was at the International Open a couple of weeks ago and the word was that the Europeans where not in attendance because they had decided to stay close (Scotland?) and prepare as a team in the days leading up to the MC. I think the US players were at various events, or none at all, like the Ultimate and the International.
If any of that is true I have no idea what kind of equipment the Europeans were practicing on... but I kinda doubt it was a GC3 with 5" pockets.
Lou Figueroa
just sayin'
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Mouritz and Lubitis are machines. They played stronger than anybody yesterday except possibly Shaw.
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Sky will likely be hungover today. lol
jax_joe
Well-known member
No, you have them because you didn't think that out very well.
Perhaps instead you could acknowledge your constant desire to display your fanaticism caused you to introduce a previously non-existent element into the thread?
Matt_H
New member
Maybe if they play Mosconi format but using Ultimate Pool USA table, clock and rules they would have a shout.
Drinking already? Good for you
Pool is often played in waves of momentum.
When you make nothing on the break or do not have an open shot while your opponents do, you lose.
The Euros have the break dialed in which is worth about a 2 ball spot. The US can't figure out the break so they start every rack at a disadvantage.
Do they have these same tables for practice leading up to the cup? SVB, Gorst, and Styer practice their breaks a ton. They should not be struggling with it like they are.
Also, rolls create momentum. Aside from the slop in the first doubles, this is a scenario that happened yesterday:
Euro breaks poorly, pinning the CB to the bottom rail but the lowest ball goes 3 rails to a few inches off the bottom rail for a run out.
The US breaks poorly, pinning the CB to the bottom rail and the lowest number ball is all the way up table with balls in the path.
It can be a tough thing to overcome. I've lost some $$$ sets by thinking, "Well, the breaks can't be that lopsided in the next set." Yes they can.
It's difficult to get in stroke when you start your racks with either sitting down form an empty break, or rolling out for your opponent.
This has been an all too common theme in several of the last MCs.
Sure, talent levels are not equal here. The US team has given away more games than the Euros too.
However, if the breaks were even, the US would have gotten at least a point yesterday.
They had better spend their off time practicing the break if they want to avoid a shutout.
Shaw and the Euro team announced a few weeks before the International they were skipping the event and holing up in Scotland for almost two weeks. Widely known.
The U.S. team got together after the International and evidently had a week of structured practice.
I don't think any team needs more than a week.
As for Matchroom, it desperately wants a better U.S. team and a more competitive event, if just for its bottom line. Frazer has been darn near pleading and crying for the U.S. to play better and win.
Matchroom is bringing more events to the U.S. precisely because it still is one of the most lucrative, if not the most lucrative, market for the WNT. Frazer has said repeatedly she hopes it helps to develop more American talent.
You are spot on. The U.S. has not broken as well. I think Gorst and SVB both had dry breaks in their doubles loss, and Fedor scratched twice on breaks yesterday.
Safety play is another bugaboo. Europe got some lucky rolls, but they almost never attempt low percentage shots. The US does it regularly.
Sky also had one of the worst pushouts I've seen in a big event. He gave Shaw a clearly cuttable shot that would get him up and down the table to shoot at what should have been a hard-to-reach 3 ball.
There was a definite difference yesterday in shot making, especially under pressure. Too many unforced errors on the US side and you could see it reflected as the European team seemed to play stronger as the day went on. Going to be difficult at best for the US to come back unless they clean things up a great deal in Day 2.
Anyone who thinks MR is intent on Euro blowouts is delusional.
Drama sells and they want/need the US to perform better in these events.