Just read on FB Johan will be back as coach for the MC this yr
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Johan Ruijsink Returning as MC coach
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And no qualifying points events at all this year.
All the players will be hand picked by Johan
All the players will be hand picked by Johan
Did he ever have an interview after last year's loss? I was curious what his thoughts were.
And no qualifying points events at all this year.
All the players will be hand picked by Johan
He should pick them now, then:
Bergman
SVB
Thorpe
Dechaine
Earl
You're welcome, Johan.
Kind of unfortunate. Nothing against the guy but it just feels weird having a Euro guy coaching the US team.
I wish they would have stuck with Mark Wilson and seen what he could do given a longer period of time. The state of US pool is not going to be quickly turned around in a season by a coach who gets to spend limited time with the players throughout the year. But I felt like on the whole, Mark has the ride ideas and attitude for coaching and building a stronger US team over time.
The hand selecting of all players is a little odd, but I can see the benefit. I'm a big fan of Shane but he's just not a great Mosconi Cup player. That isn't a bad thing really, it's just not his type of tournament. Considering it's really the only tournament like that it isn't really a big deal. But when it's based on points he's always going to play because he's so good in standard type tournaments.
I wish there was more of a chance to have Mosconi style tournaments, on a smaller scale and without the team based approach, that could be used for the selection process.
I wish they would have stuck with Mark Wilson and seen what he could do given a longer period of time. The state of US pool is not going to be quickly turned around in a season by a coach who gets to spend limited time with the players throughout the year. But I felt like on the whole, Mark has the ride ideas and attitude for coaching and building a stronger US team over time.
The hand selecting of all players is a little odd, but I can see the benefit. I'm a big fan of Shane but he's just not a great Mosconi Cup player. That isn't a bad thing really, it's just not his type of tournament. Considering it's really the only tournament like that it isn't really a big deal. But when it's based on points he's always going to play because he's so good in standard type tournaments.
I wish there was more of a chance to have Mosconi style tournaments, on a smaller scale and without the team based approach, that could be used for the selection process.
This is a bit surprising, but I'm fine with it. After all, after the 2014 massacre in which Europe won by 11-5, Mark Wilson was renewed as coach, and Team USA did a little better in 2015. Nonetheless, to this point, Johann did nothing in 2017 that would suggest that Team USA is on the right track. So far, the Johann experiment is a total failure. Still, I'll keep an open mind here and, more importantly, wish him success.
The only thing we can be sure of is that Matchroom will put on a great show. They always do!
The only thing we can be sure of is that Matchroom will put on a great show. They always do!
Johann was interviewed just after the MC, by American Billiard Radio.
He said “I feel lost”. He thought the team was not ready for the pressure. When asked if he would captain again, he was noncommittal. He said the Americans are spending their time gambling and playing too many bar box tournaments. Meanwhile the euros were playing 9 ball on 9 foot tables with top flight equipment every other week. Oscar echoed a lot of this in his interview.
Johann seemed to think he can have the team better mentally prepared next time, but he didn’t know how to fix the other problems.
http://www.americanbilliardradio.com/listen/
December episode
Interview starts at 4:40
He said “I feel lost”. He thought the team was not ready for the pressure. When asked if he would captain again, he was noncommittal. He said the Americans are spending their time gambling and playing too many bar box tournaments. Meanwhile the euros were playing 9 ball on 9 foot tables with top flight equipment every other week. Oscar echoed a lot of this in his interview.
Johann seemed to think he can have the team better mentally prepared next time, but he didn’t know how to fix the other problems.
http://www.americanbilliardradio.com/listen/
December episode
Interview starts at 4:40
We had a great thread here about it....
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=466275
The late Mr. Bond did a stellar and very poignant interview the day after the Mosconi Cup with Johan.
I missed this post, you provided the link first, sorry to step on your toes.
Mr. Bond was in top form for that American billiards radio installment. He is greatly missed.
... All the players will be hand picked by Johan
Yup. Interesting (from Matchroom's announcement):
"In a bid to return the famous trophy to American soil Ruijsink will employ a new selection policy for 2018. The Dutchman will select an initial squad of players to work with throughout the year before selecting his final five for London in the autumn. Ruijsink will name his initial wider squad in due course and players may join or leave the team at any stage prior to the final line-up being announced."
This mirrors USA Soccer when Jürgen Klinsmann was given free reign over the US soccer program and held many levels of practices until making the final cut before the world cup qualifiers. One of the big cuts was long time US star Landon Donovan. It was a controversial move but his team would end up battling the world cup champions team Germany to an improbable draw that next world cup in Brazil.
Having complete reign might lead to some controversial but effective moves by the coach.
One thing that is true, Matchroom really knows how to dial up the drama and anticipation for the Mosconi Cup. This is sure to generate a lot of speculation, chatter, and ultimately interest in the next Mosconi Cup.
Everyone will want to see what happens.
This is a very big positive.
If he's smart, Johann will measure the skills of each player in the key areas of the game as well as review the use of those skills in Mosconi Cups past: a) the break, b) pocketing, c) pattern play, d) defense, e) kicking/jumping and f) strategy and two way shots. He could then advise them of where development is needed. Those who don't do anything to develop the skills in which they are advised of deficiency should have it count against them when the final selections are made.
Making the players more accountable for managing their own development in areas of deficiency would be a new approach, an approach whose time has come. Displaying the exact same weaknesses year after year is a Team USA problem that, in my view, remains unaddressed. Team USA will have to do a lot more than shoot straighter to be successful.
And by naming the extended team early, they will have time to work on their development to the tune of 8-10 months, whereas before, the players and coach would have 8 weeks at best.
This certainly opens the doors to positive movement in areas you have mentioned in posts Mosconi Cup comments.
I remember Johan, in his radio interview with Mr. Bond, describing some big changes that need to be made for him to continue with a chance at improvement/winning.
This is definitely one big change.
I'm expecting next to see financial support to the final team members to train together from revenue found within the industry, as Johan described.
I thought Mark Wilson did something similar his first year.
The lag, in my opinion, is relatively trivial. Of course, it matters a lot when a match goes double hill, as the winner of the lag owns the double hill break. In the last Mosconi, here are the four matches that went double hill.
Billy Thorpe 5-4 Nick van den Berg
Shane van Boening 4-5 Jayson Shaw
Dennis Hatch & Billy Thorpe 5-4 Nick van den Berg & Daniel Alcaide
Dennis Hatch 4-5 Joshua Filler
We got two and Europe got two in the double hill matches. It's not as if failure in double hill matches had anything to do with the story in 2017. The problem is that Europe went 9-2 in the other eleven matches!
Of course, your comment about safety play (meaning defense) is right on the mark.
Bingo, there's your answer, "the players were not ready for the pressure." All the drills in the world won't fix that, but I know what will. I wish him luck this time around.
Was that when his two wildcards were the two Justin's? Or was the whole team a wildcard pick. I think it was 2013.
I can't remember the particulars, but he did have two alternates in Oscar Dominguez and Jeremy Sossei and they dropped out of the trip at the last minute. (Again I could be wrong)