Most especially, I mean for the US Squad.
Do you think an American can/will win the US Open to make the team?
Do you think an American can/will win the US Open to make the team?
Any Mosconi Cup Team Predictions?
- Thread starter CrownCityCorey
- Start date
Go Earl! :grin:
Well...he isn't as a big a name as Shane, Corey, etc....but he has been making a lot of noise on the pool scene lately....so I think Oscar Dominguez should be considered. Obviously I'm biased...considering that he is an LA based player and we are good friends...but he just won Turning Stone, the big money match with Morra, and he has been pretty darn consistent with high finishes over the past year. Most importantly, I think Oscar would go into the Mosconi Cup hungry...with a passion to win...instead of just trying to collect a paycheck. He wouldn't be going thru the motions...he'd really be a great team member with a lot of enthusiasm and heart. Let's send the young guns in!
Other than that...I think Shane and Johnny are obvious favorites. But we also need some major personalities in there....to get the team fired up and working as a team! I think Rodney has always been at that...he has a lot of spirit.
Melissa
Other than that...I think Shane and Johnny are obvious favorites. But we also need some major personalities in there....to get the team fired up and working as a team! I think Rodney has always been at that...he has a lot of spirit.
Melissa
I second Melissa's pic for the BIG "O". On top of everything she mentioned, he is a class act and a true gentleman who would represent our country very well.
I'm sure you would agree with that, Corey. :wink:
I'm sure you would agree with that, Corey. :wink:
Here it is!
Follow the bouncing ball here ladies and gents. :wink:
Point 1: We have Corey and then Oscar at the top of the BCA points standings with a decent lead over 3rd place Johnny. After the US Open points are awarded, the top 2 BCA points guys are offered an automatic.
Point 2: Matchroom picks 2 players BEFORE the US Open. They will look closely at the BCA points before they choose. So, they're going to pick Johnny, as he is the player of the decade.
Then they will pick Earl, and do so in great part due to viewership/sponsors/$$$$. They run a biz, and he makes them money, whether we want to accept that or not.
Point 3: That leaves us to an online vote after the Open. And we will vote Shane.
If Corey and Oscar perform well at the US Open, our team will be:
Corey
Oscar
Johnny
Earl
Shane
Like it or not, even with new selection criteria this year, there's not much flexibility to truly overhaul the squad.
KK9 <- on the record, bank it
Follow the bouncing ball here ladies and gents. :wink:
Point 1: We have Corey and then Oscar at the top of the BCA points standings with a decent lead over 3rd place Johnny. After the US Open points are awarded, the top 2 BCA points guys are offered an automatic.
Point 2: Matchroom picks 2 players BEFORE the US Open. They will look closely at the BCA points before they choose. So, they're going to pick Johnny, as he is the player of the decade.
Then they will pick Earl, and do so in great part due to viewership/sponsors/$$$$. They run a biz, and he makes them money, whether we want to accept that or not.
Point 3: That leaves us to an online vote after the Open. And we will vote Shane.
If Corey and Oscar perform well at the US Open, our team will be:
Corey
Oscar
Johnny
Earl
Shane
Like it or not, even with new selection criteria this year, there's not much flexibility to truly overhaul the squad.
KK9 <- on the record, bank it
I agree with your assessment that the American team needs a fiery personality in there to get the team going, and that Rodney has that kind of personality, but after personally watching his dismal performances in Galveston, I gotta wonder what's going on with him and his game. It was as if something in his head was bothering him (demons???). He wasn't his usual jovial self and looked very much distracted.
Maniac
Mosconi team
Denis Hatch
Shanon Doulton
SVB
Oscar
John Mr 400
In the crazy outside chance the Europeeans make a blunder and don't pick Mika (that would never happen) Mika is eligible to play for the USA (resident). Make Earl the coach and watch the fireworks from the sideline it's going to be like baseball. You know these guys would come in 100% ready and would give a great show, they'd be the underdog, however race to 8 is a coin toss in 9-ball and you never know, the Europe team could make the unlikely mistake of taking them lightly which would be stupid because Hatch would put on the figure four leg lock and Shanon would body slam them from the corner pocket, SVB and Oscar would pretty much have to pull out their guns, and 400 well you have no clue what he's capable of doing, hit them with his old cast or something like that, Earl would berate them with all sorts of insults, and BAM the Mosconi Cup is back on US soil. That is how we're going to win.
Denis Hatch
Shanon Doulton
SVB
Oscar
John Mr 400
In the crazy outside chance the Europeeans make a blunder and don't pick Mika (that would never happen) Mika is eligible to play for the USA (resident). Make Earl the coach and watch the fireworks from the sideline it's going to be like baseball. You know these guys would come in 100% ready and would give a great show, they'd be the underdog, however race to 8 is a coin toss in 9-ball and you never know, the Europe team could make the unlikely mistake of taking them lightly which would be stupid because Hatch would put on the figure four leg lock and Shanon would body slam them from the corner pocket, SVB and Oscar would pretty much have to pull out their guns, and 400 well you have no clue what he's capable of doing, hit them with his old cast or something like that, Earl would berate them with all sorts of insults, and BAM the Mosconi Cup is back on US soil. That is how we're going to win.
I like John Schmidt as another pick...although I haven't heard much about him lately. Is he playing regularly? I know Denis Hatch is making a comeback...so he could throw his hat in the ring...although he would be just as much of a dark horse as Oscar probably is. We will probably just go with a recycled team from past years....some combo of Corey, Johnny, Shane, Rodney, Charlie, Jeremy, Earl...with maybe a lesser known player thrown into the mix.
But when/if we get to vote...I'm doing my best to get Oscar in there. I've seen it firsthand how strong he is playing. And like I said...he is hungry right now. His enthusiasm for the game and the competition would create excitement in the team. I think the "veteran" players have been there/done that...and they are just playing for the paycheck now. We need players who want to bring the cup home for the US.
Melissa
But when/if we get to vote...I'm doing my best to get Oscar in there. I've seen it firsthand how strong he is playing. And like I said...he is hungry right now. His enthusiasm for the game and the competition would create excitement in the team. I think the "veteran" players have been there/done that...and they are just playing for the paycheck now. We need players who want to bring the cup home for the US.
Melissa
I think the American's are favourites to win the US Open. The US Open seems to always bring out the best in the American's, and I wouldn't be surprised if either Johnny Archer or Shane Van Boening won the tournament this year.
I know that many of the best Europeans and Filipinos will be there, and if I am not mistaken I have seen Yang etc on the list also, but I believe that especially Archer will finish high in this year's event.
Would be pretty cool to see one of the Taiwanese guys win it on their first try tough, and I have to say that I will cheer for my favourite Roberto Gomez, who will also play at the Open for the first time.
As far as the team, I think the best American Team this year will be:
Johnny Archer
Shane Van Boening
John Schmidt
Stevie Moore
Corey Deuel
I am pretty sure Oscar is the 2nd highest ranked American player right now. If he can keep that up through the US Open, I think he should make it. If Oscar does make the team (Hooray!!!), his stoic ways will not serve him well at the Mosconi Cup.
Energy wins the cup!!!
Energy wins the cup!!!
There are alot of options this year. I think that Oscar is a great young player with alot of potential, however he really is not yet in the same league as some of the others that should be picked over him. He simply has not done enough consistantly to be onthe Mosconi Cup Team. He does not bring any Star Power and he won the Turning Stone event, if matchroom is looking for personality he is also not one to pick. I know he is ranked #2 I think right now but lets see after the US Open. If he is still #2 then I will have no choice but to agree withhim being on the team. I just don't think he has done enough right now tobe along side Archer, Shane, Schmidt (Who has done ok this year) Morris and of course Earl. I have a feeling that Earl will not make it this year, He may get in on the fan vote but not sure about the picks.
The US Open is the real decision maker I think this year in more ways than one. The way I see the points system to work, this is the event that you will get the most points for. More points for top 20 ranked players in the event more points for amount of entrys etc. The top guys could be out of the running quick with a bad performance and a good performance by someone else.
I do think that Archer and SVB will be in somehow nomatter what the rankings look like. Others I would personally like to see in are Hillbilly, Schmidt, Earl and Deuel. I know thats more than 5 but whatever mixwe can get.
Atthe end of the day GO USA! We need to win this one and I will be there and loving every second of it. Oh and Roy, I will do everything I can to sit next to you
The US Open is the real decision maker I think this year in more ways than one. The way I see the points system to work, this is the event that you will get the most points for. More points for top 20 ranked players in the event more points for amount of entrys etc. The top guys could be out of the running quick with a bad performance and a good performance by someone else.
I do think that Archer and SVB will be in somehow nomatter what the rankings look like. Others I would personally like to see in are Hillbilly, Schmidt, Earl and Deuel. I know thats more than 5 but whatever mixwe can get.
Atthe end of the day GO USA! We need to win this one and I will be there and loving every second of it. Oh and Roy, I will do everything I can to sit next to you
Gabe Owen did very well during his Mosconi Cup stint...
My picks for this years team would be:
Johnny Archer
Dennis Hatch
Shane Van Boening
Gabe Owen
Jeremy Jones
All the above (except Dennis), have had fantastic showings in the Mosconi Cup...Why not go with what works?
My picks for this years team would be:
Johnny Archer
Dennis Hatch
Shane Van Boening
Gabe Owen
Jeremy Jones
All the above (except Dennis), have had fantastic showings in the Mosconi Cup...Why not go with what works?
Shane, Johnny and Oscar seem obvious. I think the fiery, tons-of-personality, Charlie Bryant would be a great choice for this team, and I'd round out our team with John Schmidt.
No matter who we send, though, Europe is a clear favorite if their team consists of any five of Souquet, Feijen, VanDenBerg, Immonen, Hohmann and Appleton.
Race to five format, however, helps the underdog's chances, and defintely gives Team USA a better shot.
This won't be a blowout, unless Team USA makes the usual mistake of sending something other than their best.
No matter who we send, though, Europe is a clear favorite if their team consists of any five of Souquet, Feijen, VanDenBerg, Immonen, Hohmann and Appleton.
Race to five format, however, helps the underdog's chances, and defintely gives Team USA a better shot.
This won't be a blowout, unless Team USA makes the usual mistake of sending something other than their best.