You call that a "B" lineup?
That's not their dream team lineup only because Souquet isn't in it, and as of recent - Appleton. But you do know that See won the World 10 ball right? Alcaide is also very strong and a world class player. Again, not their dream team, but to frame it in terms of the US being bad because they couldn't beat that line up is utterly wrong. The US isn't bad because they couldn't beat that line up. That lineup is stronger than the US team. Simple as that.
Immonen, Souquet, Hohmann, Appleton, and whomever is the hottest that year for a 5th, that team is not beatable by any 5 Americans you could hand pick. I hate to say it, being an American and all - but the EU has the edge.
They have more depth. More tournament strong players who are consistently strong. America's best players are SVB and Deuel. Earl is past his prime. Archer is great and all, but he doesn't get the big wins like the Euro players do. Morris is strong, but when is the last time he won a major tournament?
On the other hand, the Euros are worthless when it comes to long race challenge matches with gambling involved. That's the realm of Americans and Filipinos. That's a different topic. However, it does illustrate the contrast in outlook. Allow me to expand on that....
The Europeans are much more tournament focused. Obviously, winning money is important to all and a top consideration, but the Europeans actually care more about the prestige of it, their careers, their image etcetera. Many of the American players, for them, it's just a job in a sport with little monetary reward. On the whole, there's less passion for accumulating big titles and major wins. Just look at how many of the new generation of US players are distracted by other sports or hobbies and are not fully focused. The older generation is either over the hill, or involved in other types of business or both. For many US players, they've become disillusioned with pool to a degree in that they recognize that for all their talent and time and effort, it's not that great of a living. You have to be amongst the elite to make a decent living.
When I see US players at tournaments, it seems as thought they are there to pay this months rent. That's actually the truth for many of them. They would certainly like to win, and they do appreciate the titles and all that. Just not to the degree the Europeans do.
If anyone disagrees with me, consider the way and manner in which The Euros run their tour in Europe (Eurotour). It's a reflection of their love and respect for the game. It might not have money, but has class. It is very professional.
The sport has changed. Gone are the days of US dominance. It wasn't just the Filipino wave that brought that down, but also the Europeans. It's now a global sport, and one should no longer think in terms of top 10 or 25...but top 100 or 150. There are so many good players that previous champions from the glory days of US pool may not even be in the top 30 worldwide. Or at world class events with huge fields of the strongest players, they don't go far. That's just how it is.
Another thing that confuses people a lot are the rankings. Can't always go by the rankings. Because pool is a dismal sport in terms of payout and money - there's very little incentive for many players to travel and tour. It's expensive to tour. Travel, lodging, food. Not everyone has sponsors. And of those that do, not all sponsors cover a whole lot.
Because of this, the field as you see it in terms of rankings is never accurate. The best of the best are there. They established themselves and play to a level which they make a living. However, there's players who can give most of the top ranked pros a run for their money who themselves have poor rankings. Why? Because they don't go to all the tournaments.
If the vast majority of players of a pro caliber maximized their tournament play - the fields would be much tougher than they are now. As I said, the elite will still be the elite, but there will be far, far less gap separating 1st from 64th. Now, with the low money you see top players struggle in early rounds against lesser known pros. Just imagine if it was worth their time to tour? That's an advantage for players with the ability to tour. They get used to the caliber of play and the conditions of world class events. Compare that to a regional pro, who plays most of their tournaments out of pool halls. Who doesn't play on TV tables ever.
Why did I bring all this up and elaborate? Because that's exactly how it is. In Europe, there are all kinds of players you've never heard of who play a damn fine game. Same is true of Taiwan and the Philippines. Souquet, by any measure is a world class player and among the elite pros. He has to play hard to win those Eurotour stops. It's the same as here in a way. Regional tours in the US have some big names in them. Well, the difference is, a lot of the EU players who play like that don't have a big name. Because they've never come here, or played in Asia. Some Americans have gone there and gotten a small taste of it, and they want no part of it. Brutally tough competition, low payouts. However, very well run, classy events.
Anyway, that's my long winded $0.02.
