2026 Mosconi Cup Team USA

sjm said:
There's much sense in this post.

You are right that the US, though not short of instructors, does not have the infrastructure for development that Europe enjoys. We have nothing to match the Euro-tour or the German Bundesliga, important training grounds for the top European cueists. When Predator rolled the dice on an all-US 10ball tour in 2022, called the US Pro Billiard Series, the top American cueists rarely showed up and, predictably, the tour folded by 2023.

This year, Predator began a new international Pro Billiard Series, with four stops in the US (Las Vegas, St Louis, San Antonio and Jacksonville) and overseas events in Austria, Vietnam, and Bali. Unlike the events of the US Pro Billiard series of 2022, however, these fields are super-elite, and the second-tier pros (let's call that Fargo 720-750) have little chance to make money. The developing pros lost a very key training ground.

The one positive for the emerging American pro is the continued emergence of WNT satellite events, which have already taken place in Pennsylvania, Orlando, Jacksonville, Seattle, Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia and Arizona. Add these events to the majors, and an emerging American pro now has the opportunity to play in a lot of WNT events without leaving the US.

I think the Philippines is a different matter. First of all, there are about a zillion places to play pool there. Second, the income available from pool for many exceeds anything they could make in a steady job. I recall noting when Biado won the US Open 9ball (and $50,000) that he had won about 17 times the average annual Gross Domestic Product per person of his home country, and that for an American to do the same, they would have had to win a $1,000,000 first prize.

Still, and I've posted this umpteen times over the years, the inappropriate culture in far too many of the poolrooms of America is part of why the youthful cueists are rarely found there, which in turn hinders the development of young cueists. It is easy to say that getting cue sports into the schools is the only real solution, but to me, unless the poolrooms of America are going to be the kind of places into which parents are sufficiently comfortable sending their kids, it will not be enough.
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The US situation is one big catch-22. To get more mainstream and popular, the game needs to a) have more money for its top participants, and b) be appropriately accessible to kids. To do those, however, the game needs to be more mainstream and popular.
 
Rocket354 said:
The US situation is one big catch-22. To get more mainstream and popular, the game needs to a) have more money for its top participants, and b) be appropriately accessible to kids. To do those, however, the game needs to be more mainstream and popular.
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Or, we could do what Poland did.
 
uk_9_ball_convert said:
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3.4K views · 40 reactions | The final ingredient for Johan Ruysink's American dream team? 👨‍🍳🇺🇸 His two-time Mosconi Cup winning MVP 🔥 #WNT | #MosconiCup 🏆 | Matchroom Pool

The final ingredient for Johan Ruysink's American dream team? 👨‍🍳🇺🇸 His two-time Mosconi Cup winning MVP 🔥 #WNT | #MosconiCup 🏆
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Sky Woodward final pick for USA
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Shocker. But not really a big deal. There are no great options.
 
Rocket354 said:
Shocker. But not really a big deal. There are no great options.
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True. Just sucks that it's basically the same 4/5 players from last year. They just swapped Billy for Justin. Which is a bit of an upgrade, but not by much due to current play.

On the bright side, when Team USA won in 2018 and 2019 with Johan as captain, the team was:

2018: SVB, Tyler, Sky, Billy, and Corey.

Swapping Billy for Justin is an upgrade.
Swapping Corey for Fedor is an upgrade.
So overall on paper, the 2026 team is stronger than 2018.

2019: SVB, Tyler, Sky, Billy, and Justin.

Swapping Billy for Fedor is an upgrade.
So overall on paper, the 2026 team is stronger than 2018 and 2019.

We now have an additional World Champion on the team. It also helps that the last time Justin played in 2019, he was on the winning team, so he knows what it feels like. Judging by what I saw from Justin paired with Fu at the Predator doubles event, it seems that he is still an excellent team player.

Theoretically, this team should have insane chemistry since they've played so many similar variations and configurations together over the years. And of course, there is the 6th man Johan who is a crucial part of the winning equation.

There is hope, but very little 😂
Their competition was much weaker in 2018 and 2019 compared to the elite Euros of today.
They didn't have to face an FSR who is on fire, or go against Filler in 2018.

Like let's be forreal, Team Euro had Kazakis both of those years they lost 😂
He played 10 matches and only won 2, basically throwing and gave up 8 matches to team USA.

Just my honest non-AI opinion.
 
xproskier said:
In the US, we are basically limited to bars. Unless dad had an 8’ “home addition” table in the basement and knew what the hell he was doing, kids aren’t even exposed to this amazing sport until drinking age or until they get their first fake ID. So yeah, bars. Most with shitty stained 7’ tables and half-drunk idiots smoking, vaping and doing shots in between their feeble failed “bar rules” innings. Sure, there are some really fantastic and serious pool rooms in this country, but again, most have minimum age requirements due to alcohol sales so kids can only peer through the windows.
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Most billiard rooms have bars to make money and survive, but another problem is, really good players want to play. Not drink.

My main poolroom is a big bar with nice 9-foot Gold Crowns. Yet I almost never order any liquor. Maybe a beer now and then, and only when I am close to done for the day.

By and large, I stick to soda water and lime. I want to be as sharp as possible. Same thing when I play on my table at home. I never eat or drink when I am playing. I don't watch TV or listen to music much, either. It's all focus.
 
The U.S. just needs to keep it close on Day 1 and play consistent throughout the event. They've cratered on Day 1 in 2023 and 2025 and never recovered. In other years, they would have one really bad day -- either day 2 or 3 - and fall apart. Then it was Europe just mopping up.

The mental strength of the team has to hold up. More than anything, that is what I hope Johann brings.

I've said before. I want to see a close event, that's all. It is the best and most entertaining event in pool when the outcome is close.
 
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jbart65 said:
Most billiard rooms have bars to make money and survive, but another problem is, really good players want to play. Not drink.

My main poolroom is a big bar with nice 9-foot Gold Crowns. Yet I almost never order any liquor. Maybe a beer now and then, and only when I am close to done for the day.

By and large, I stick to soda water and lime. I want to be as sharp as possible. Same thing when I play on my table at home. I never eat or drink when I am playing. I don't watch TV or listen to music much, either. It's all focus.
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sounds too much like work!
 
jokrswylde said:
sounds too much like work!
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Yeah, I can see how someone might think that. But I get more pleasure in playing well and beating other good players.

At home, I tell my wife, better that I play pool, get some light exercise and use my brain. Otherwise I might sitting on the couch, eating chips, drinking beer - and vegging out!
 
jbart65 said:
Yeah, I can see how someone might think that. But I get more pleasure in playing well and beating other good players.

At home, I tell my wife, better that I play pool, get some light exercise and use my brain. Otherwise I might sitting on the couch, eating chips, drinking beer - and vegging out!
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Now THAT sounds like a fun night, except you got a table. Eating chips, drinking beer, shooting pool. Heaven!
 
jbart65 said:
Most billiard rooms have bars to make money and survive, but another problem is, really good players want to play. Not drink.

My main poolroom is a big bar with nice 9-foot Gold Crowns. Yet I almost never order any liquor. Maybe a beer now and then, and only when I am close to done for the day.

By and large, I stick to soda water and lime. I want to be as sharp as possible. Same thing when I play on my table at home. I never eat or drink when I am playing. I don't watch TV or listen to music much, either. It's all focus.
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I agree 100% with you and in fact, I am just like you 100% I am laser-focused when practicing and playing. And if I make a mistake, I want to know that it was me and not any induced product(s) inside me that possibly caused the mistake. That way I know what to work on next practice session. But young players need a path and having a bar in any room immediately inhibits that path. And as you know, some of the players who are there for alcohol reasons also block that focused training environment. There are a few dedicated academies around but google shows me they are few and far between. So unless our youth can begin playing in an academy or on a serious home table, we can expect their careers to BEGIN at around 18 years of age. Many Euro-youths are already one-third of the way up the trophy ladder by this age. Look at Joshua Fillers early beginnings. This was the reason for my post. Anyway, glad we share the same mental focus. My game has soared ever since I stopped "just hitting balls around" years ago. And all the best to you sir.
 
If Bergman is an upgrade on Thorpe, it is by a hair. Team USA is going to bat with a team that is of roughly the same caliber as the one sent in 2025, and that Team was demolished 11-3.

On the other hand, by every reckoning, Team Europe should be stronger than a year ago. Filler is in the best form of his career right now. FSR, who wasn't even on Team Europe at the 2025 Mosconi, came alive in August and has been playing phenomenal pool ever since. They will have the two best players of the ten Mosconi Cup participants on paper. The most improved player on either team this year is Pecelj. A year ago, it was Neuhausen, and all he did was win the Mosconi MVP award.

Can Team USA win this? Of course they can! It starts with getting Team Europe's "C" game, which is what we got in 2018 when the losing streak was broken. Mostly, though, it starts with Shane and Fedor, the only two that have a chance to outplay the stars of Team Europe.

Reading the posts that preceded mine, I think the American being underestimated is Styer. He's the only one that ever seems to beat the stars of Europe in major nine ball competition, and I expect a bounce back performance after a disappointing campaign a year ago. I believe that if Team USA is to be competitive, a big contribution is needed from Styer.

Do you believe in miracles? The miracle needed most is for Team Europe to play poorly. If they play their average, this probably won't go well. I am keeping the faith. Ya gotta believe!
 
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Matchroom's YouTube channel has started posting full matches from last year's Mosconi Cup.

One thing that's clear is that the American players came in with a tactic to break soft.

JJ even said it on commentary, why are two of the best breakers in the world in SVB and Gorst changing from their usual break.

The break is so important in Mosconi, so if Johan can get that fixed then USA stand a good chance.
 
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