Team Europe 2011
Ralph
1) Derby (USA)
2) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
3) Masters 10-ball Championship (USA)
4) Pro Player Championship (USA)
5) Phillipine Open (Phillipines)
6) Ultimate 10-ball Championship (USA)
7) US Open 10-ball Championship (USA)
8) China Open (China)
9) World 9-ball Championship (Qatar)
10) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
11) World Cup of Pool (Phillipines)
12) US Open 9-ball Championships (USA)
13) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
Darren
1) Derby (USA)
2) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
3) Masters 10-ball Championship (USA)
4) Pro Player Championship (USA)
5) Phillipine Open (Phillipines)
6) Ultimate 10-ball Championship (USA)
7) US Open 10-ball Championship (USA)
8) China Open (China)
9) World 9-ball Championship (Qatar)
10) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
11) World Cup of Pool (Phillipines)
12) US Open 9-ball Championships (USA)
13) Beijing Open (China)
14) Challenge of Champions (USA)
15) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
Niels
1) Derby (USA)
2) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
3) Ultimate 10-ball Championships (USA)
4) China Open (China)
5) World 9-ball Championship (Qatar)
6) US Open 9-ball Championships
7) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
Chris
1) Beijing Open (China)
2) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
3) China Open (China)
4) World 9-ball Championships (Qatar)
5) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
6) World Cup of Pool (Phillipines)
7) US Open 9-ball Championships
Nick
1) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
2) Beijing Open (China)
3) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
4) World 9-ball Championships (Qatar)
Team USA 2011
Shane
1) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
2) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
3) World 9-ball Championships (Qatar)
4) China Open (China)
5) Guiness World Series of Pool (Indonesia)
6) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
Johnny
1) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
2) China Open (China)
3) Guiness World Series of Pool (Indonesia)
Rodney
1) World 8-ball Championships
Mike
1) World Cup of Pool
Shawn
None
(This was taken largely from the AZB money list, I cannot tell who played in events but failed to cash)
That there is a BIG difference in the two teams. Players from Europe are traveling the world and playing in ALOT more major events against world class fields that include the best players on the planet including those from the Phillipines and Taiwan. The China Open, the Beijing Open, the World Championship events, those are the events that test the players and harden the pressure game and give players confidence.
The USA has 2 players with hardly any international experience, who rarely leave the USA to compete in an event and thus who rarely see the fields that include the top players from Asia and Europe (and Shane) all converging to do battle. Players who don't play at that level, as a true touring professional player have no hope of competing with players who are constantly traveling the world to play in the highest calibre tournaments with the highest quality fields possible. Team Europe is battle hardened because of what they do, Team USA has one player who actually commits himself to the game and travels to play the world class events.
I mean, Nick Van Den Berg played more events in Asia and the Middle East then Johnny Archer did this year, and Nick was the LEAST traveled player on Team Europe this year.
Players in the USA simply have not grown with the game and become what is today a true "professional pool player". A true pro these days needs to travel the world and play in the world class events, and the only person in the USA who does that today is Shane, and go figure he is the ONLY player on Team USA who is actually an even bet against any man on Team Europe. Johnny, Rodney, Mike, and Shawn certainly have the talent to be at that level, but they simply lack the seasoning and the recent world class experience that gives you that edge.
Ralph
1) Derby (USA)
2) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
3) Masters 10-ball Championship (USA)
4) Pro Player Championship (USA)
5) Phillipine Open (Phillipines)
6) Ultimate 10-ball Championship (USA)
7) US Open 10-ball Championship (USA)
8) China Open (China)
9) World 9-ball Championship (Qatar)
10) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
11) World Cup of Pool (Phillipines)
12) US Open 9-ball Championships (USA)
13) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
Darren
1) Derby (USA)
2) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
3) Masters 10-ball Championship (USA)
4) Pro Player Championship (USA)
5) Phillipine Open (Phillipines)
6) Ultimate 10-ball Championship (USA)
7) US Open 10-ball Championship (USA)
8) China Open (China)
9) World 9-ball Championship (Qatar)
10) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
11) World Cup of Pool (Phillipines)
12) US Open 9-ball Championships (USA)
13) Beijing Open (China)
14) Challenge of Champions (USA)
15) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
Niels
1) Derby (USA)
2) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
3) Ultimate 10-ball Championships (USA)
4) China Open (China)
5) World 9-ball Championship (Qatar)
6) US Open 9-ball Championships
7) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
Chris
1) Beijing Open (China)
2) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
3) China Open (China)
4) World 9-ball Championships (Qatar)
5) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
6) World Cup of Pool (Phillipines)
7) US Open 9-ball Championships
Nick
1) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
2) Beijing Open (China)
3) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
4) World 9-ball Championships (Qatar)
Team USA 2011
Shane
1) World 8-ball Championships (UAE)
2) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
3) World 9-ball Championships (Qatar)
4) China Open (China)
5) Guiness World Series of Pool (Indonesia)
6) World Pool Masters (Phillipines)
Johnny
1) World 10-ball Championships (Phillipines)
2) China Open (China)
3) Guiness World Series of Pool (Indonesia)
Rodney
1) World 8-ball Championships
Mike
1) World Cup of Pool
Shawn
None
(This was taken largely from the AZB money list, I cannot tell who played in events but failed to cash)
That there is a BIG difference in the two teams. Players from Europe are traveling the world and playing in ALOT more major events against world class fields that include the best players on the planet including those from the Phillipines and Taiwan. The China Open, the Beijing Open, the World Championship events, those are the events that test the players and harden the pressure game and give players confidence.
The USA has 2 players with hardly any international experience, who rarely leave the USA to compete in an event and thus who rarely see the fields that include the top players from Asia and Europe (and Shane) all converging to do battle. Players who don't play at that level, as a true touring professional player have no hope of competing with players who are constantly traveling the world to play in the highest calibre tournaments with the highest quality fields possible. Team Europe is battle hardened because of what they do, Team USA has one player who actually commits himself to the game and travels to play the world class events.
I mean, Nick Van Den Berg played more events in Asia and the Middle East then Johnny Archer did this year, and Nick was the LEAST traveled player on Team Europe this year.
Players in the USA simply have not grown with the game and become what is today a true "professional pool player". A true pro these days needs to travel the world and play in the world class events, and the only person in the USA who does that today is Shane, and go figure he is the ONLY player on Team USA who is actually an even bet against any man on Team Europe. Johnny, Rodney, Mike, and Shawn certainly have the talent to be at that level, but they simply lack the seasoning and the recent world class experience that gives you that edge.