European Mosconi Team

YoungAtHeart

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Any thoughts on who should join Filler, Kaci & Kazakis?

IMO as all three will only be making their second appearances, I think one of the wildcards should go to a player with more MC experience but still high in the rankings.
Possibly Feijen or Souquet.
As for the second wildcard, that's tough.
Again I think it should be someone deserving, top dozen of the rankings only should be considered.
So perhaps Gorst, Chinakhov, Sniegocki, Ruiz, Ouschan.

This is who I think SHOULD be in the team. Not who I would WANT in the team.
That would be completely different.
 

S.Vaskovskyi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've just made a post in the other thread on this topic...
In my opinion Fedor Gorst deserves to get one of the wildcards. During the last Dream challenge one of the most spectacular matches were with his participation. He is a current european champion in 9-ball where he won in the great battle over current world champion Joshua Filler. Unfortunately due to the nasty virus he had to miss one of the eurotours a few months ago and lost some points.
We'll see what is Marcus Chamat's choice this year and if it happens he picks Fedor and Jason I guess we might see the youngest team in MC ever.
Joshua Filler - 22 y.o.
Klenty Kaci - 19 y.o.
Fedor Gorst - 19 y.o.
Alex Kazakis - 28 y.o.
Jason Shaw - 31 y.o.
Hopefully we'll have a lot of fun watching a competitive MC this year too).
 
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sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
I think Fedor Gorst's time has come. He beat Filler in the final to win the European 9-ball Championship He finished third at the Derby City 9-ball. His 10th place ranking on the Eurotour was also solid.

I'd also give serious consideration to David Alcaide, who played superbly in the 2017 Mosconi Cup, and who won the 2019 World Pool Masters and got the silver in the 2019 Kremlin Cup.

… but Jayson Shaw's "A" game is something that it's hard not to sign up for.

My choices for the last two spots would be Shaw and Gorst.
 

AkGuy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wowser!

Europe has so many talented 9 & 10 Ball players, they could field two Mosconi Teams.

They are a power house of talent and it seems like Niels always does well in about any game of pool. Alcaide is very good, Shaw can hang with any one if he is on. Filler makes 9 Ball look like a kids game.

What a dilemma they have, so much talent, so many to choose from, so few spots.
 

YoungAtHeart

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In general there's not alot of money in pool.
So an extra $15k to play in the MC is a big deal

I'm a big fan of Jayson Shaw, He got in on a wildcard last year. IMO he does not even warrant consideration this year. He's not had a great year in the MC ranking events and there are loads more deserving players than him.

However he would be in my 'wishful thinking' team.

I really hope Matchroom pick deserving players from the top part of the ranking list.
Not doing this would make a mockery of having the ranking events at all. They might aswell take massive steps backwards and do what they used to do by just inviting names.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
I'm a big fan of Jayson Shaw, He got in on a wildcard last year. IMO he does not even warrant consideration this year. He's not had a great year in the MC ranking events and there are loads more deserving players than him. However he would be in my 'wishful thinking' team. I really hope Matchroom pick deserving players from the top part of the ranking list.

I'm inclined to look at Shaw a bit more favorably, and that's because he showed top level form in the two biggest events of the year. His placings might belie the quality of his play, but let's take a closer look at Jayson's efforts:

US Open 9-ball
Went undefeated in Stage 1, including wins over Deuel and Makkonen. In stage 2, he drew Filler and lost.

World 10-ball Championship
Went undefeated in Stage 1, including a win over Niels Feijen in the winner's qualification match. In Stage 2, he drew Filler and lost.

His chief error in these two events was drawing the WPA #1 ranked player in the first round of Stage 2, which is pretty unlucky.

His pedigree shined bright in his 100-91 loss to Van Boening in a 10-ball challenge match several weeks ago.

You have to read between the lines a bit to select Jayson for Team Europe, but for me he meets the eye test and would strengthen Team Europe.

Finally, Team Europe wild cards are selected by Marcus Chamat, not by Matchroom. Marcus left Filler off Team Europe 2018, despite Josh' 5-0 campaign at the 2017 Mosconi Cup. There's much to be said for going with proven pedigree, and not doing so a year ago didn't help Team Europe any.
 
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YoungAtHeart

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm inclined to look at Shaw a bit more favorably, and that's because he showed top level form in the two biggest events of the year. His placings might belie the quality of his play, but let's take a closer look at Jayson's efforts:

US Open 9-ball
Went undefeated in Stage 1, including wins over Deuel and Makkonen. In stage 2, he drew Filler and lost.

World 10-ball Championship
Went undefeated in Stage 1, including a win over Niels Feijen in the winner's qualification match. In Stage 2, he drew Filler and lost.

His chief error in these two events was drawing the WPA #1 ranked player in the first round of Stage 2, which is pretty unlucky.

His pedigree shined bright in his 100-91 loss to Van Boening in a 10-ball challenge match several weeks ago.

You have to read between the lines a bit to select Jayson for Team Europe, but for me he meets the eye test and would strengthen Team Europe.

Finally, Team Europe wild cards are selected by Marcus Chamat, not by Matchroom. Marcus left Filler off Team Europe 2018, despite Josh' 5-0 campaign at the 2017 Mosconi Cup. There's much to be said for going with proven pedigree, and not doing so a year ago didn't help Team Europe any.

Your points are valid.
There is no doubting he is one of the top players in the world.
My argument is that if you're just going to pick people based on this sort of criteria, it undermines the whole Mosconi points events.

Also may I respectfully suggest that it is alittle naive to believe that the decision is solely Marcus's. This is a Matchroom show, they will have the final decision.

Interesting decision: To go with pure proven class. Or go with someone who has worked for it more and deserves it more on performances in the ranking events.
There is an argument that Chinakhov suffered by not getting direct entry into the World 10ball or the China Open. So this put him at a disadvantage to get MC points.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Also may I respectfully suggest that it is alittle naive to believe that the decision is solely Marcus's. This is a Matchroom show, they will have the final decision.


I am not saying you are wrong, but I guess you'll have to count me naïve.

Matchroom picked the teams in 2013, and the result was surely the worst Mosconi Cup we've ever seen, and one in which Team USA went to bat without anything close to its best team. I'm still recovering from the 11-2 drubbing Team USA took that year. In 2014, Matchroom, in the light of this dismal failure, got out of the way and did not participate in the selections in 2014, and I believe they have stayed out of the way ever since.

What you say, however, is definitely true of the World Pool Masters and the World Cup of Pool, but this possibly naïve fan believes that Matchroom has no role in Mosconi selections.
 
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YoungAtHeart

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am not saying you are wrong, but I guess you'll have t count me naïve.

Matchroom picked the teams in 2013, and the result was surely the worst Mosconi Cup we've ever seen. I'm still recovering from the 11-2 drubbing Team USA took that year. In 2014, Matchroom, in the light of this dismal failure, got out of the way and did not participate in the selections in 2014, and I believe they have stayed out of the way ever since.

What you say, however, is definitely true of the World Pool Masters and the World Cup of Pool, but this possibly naïve fan believes that Matchroom has no role in Mosconi selections.

I am just saying that Matchroom have the final say/approval.

With regard to the WCOP I believe there are changes in the pipeline with regard to choosing the pairs. In the past for some it has been a case of picking one and then saying to them "who do you want to play with"
I've heard a fairer/better way is to come.
IMO Emily, Nick, etc at Matchroom are doing a great job for Pool.
 

skogstokig

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
niels and gorst. go with the top 5.

jayson can be the cheerleader general. he has played like 1 eurotour event and to my knowledge hasn't won anything this year. i think it would be unfair to the others to include him
 

Oze147

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As I wrote in another topic, Marcus had an eye on Gorst and Chinakov in Klagenfurt.
Ralf, Niels and Albin didn't play their best pool, so I think they don't have the best chances for a wildcard.
Niels is really struggeling with his break atm and Albin didn't have the best mindset, the extra pressure in Klagenfurt always seems to get to him.

...I think one wildcard will be awarded to Fedor Gorst and the second one...Shaw, Alcaide...who knows?
 

RichSchultz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm inclined to look at Shaw a bit more favorably, and that's because he showed top level form in the two biggest events of the year. His placings might belie the quality of his play, but let's take a closer look at Jayson's efforts:

US Open 9-ball
Went undefeated in Stage 1, including wins over Deuel and Makkonen. In stage 2, he drew Filler and lost.

World 10-ball Championship
Went undefeated in Stage 1, including a win over Niels Feijen in the winner's qualification match. In Stage 2, he drew Filler and lost.

His chief error in these two events was drawing the WPA #1 ranked player in the first round of Stage 2, which is pretty unlucky.

His pedigree shined bright in his 100-91 loss to Van Boening in a 10-ball challenge match several weeks ago.

You have to read between the lines a bit to select Jayson for Team Europe, but for me he meets the eye test and would strengthen Team Europe.

Finally, Team Europe wild cards are selected by Marcus Chamat, not by Matchroom. Marcus left Filler off Team Europe 2018, despite Josh' 5-0 campaign at the 2017 Mosconi Cup. There's much to be said for going with proven pedigree, and not doing so a year ago didn't help Team Europe any.
Stu...what about Thorsten’s year? He’s had strong performances all year.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Any way you cut it, that will be a strong team from top to bottom. Team USA better be up for a battle.
 

S.Vaskovskyi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As I wrote in another topic, Marcus had an eye on Gorst and Chinakov in Klagenfurt.
Ralf, Niels and Albin didn't play their best pool, so I think they don't have the best chances for a wildcard.
Niels is really struggeling with his break atm and Albin didn't have the best mindset, the extra pressure in Klagenfurt always seems to get to him.

...I think one wildcard will be awarded to Fedor Gorst and the second one...Shaw, Alcaide...who knows?

It seems to me the best chances to get one of the wildcards has Jason Shaw. When it comes to the second one...well as I've already said in another thread my voice is for Fedor Gorst who had a good year with overall solid performance and some great victories but if in Marcus Chamat's opinion 19 y.o. Fedor has so many years ahead and gives the last spot to David Alcaide... his decision will be well taken too I guess.
So my two scenarios are J. Shaw & F. Gorst and J. Shaw & D. Alcaide.
Here is the latest Fedor's post after last Eurotour https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2284706651842159&id=100009085387027
Marcus may also make the final decision after International Open like Johan.
We'll see soon.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Stu...what about Thorsten’s year? He’s had strong performances all year.

I've not seen much of Thorsten this year, but based on his placings, it would be hard to justify his selection. Here's a recap of hi s 2019, according to AZB statistics.
 

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RichSchultz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've not seen much of Thorsten this year, but based on his placings, it would be hard to justify his selection. Here's a recap of hi s 2019, according to AZB statistics.
dunno; those look like strong finishes to me
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
dunno; those look like strong finishes to me

Surely you jest. Outside of a runner-up finish in a second chance tournament, he hasn't medaled in a single pool event his year. He's 38th on the AZB money list for this year, and couldn't manage better than a 33rd place finish during the 2019 Eurotour season. He's probably not among the twenty five most deserving European candidates for selection,
 

spartan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Looking at Chamat's previous wildcard picks, he has never picked a freshman/ first timer. He will likely go for a pair of seasoned hands/ leaders to provide "adult supervision" to the trio of young ones/ newbies. Last year he picked Shaw who was nowhere in MC top ranking and Albin who just missed out in the rankings. Following the same rationale, I am guessing this year will be Shaw and Ralf or Niels. :)

mcr1.JPG
 

S.Vaskovskyi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Looking at Chamat's previous wildcard picks, he has never picked a freshman/ first timer. He will likely go for a pair of seasoned hands/ leaders to provide "adult supervision" to the trio of young ones/ newbies. Last year he picked Shaw who was nowhere in MC top ranking and Albin who just missed out in the rankings. Following the same rationale, I am guessing this year will be Shaw and Ralf or Niels. :)

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I have to admit your guess is much more rationale and when I guessed about Gorst or Alcaide appearence it was based more on whom I'd like to see in the team this year).
Nevermind both Ralf and Niels worked hard to make the team and no doubt they deserve the spot.
So at the end there is possibility both team USA and team Europe might have only one player change comparing to last year.
Should be a great rematch and show-time.
BTW Ralf will have his birthday on 29th of November so it could be a good motivation to make himself a good present for his 51th birthday).
 
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Nick B

This is gonna hurt
Silver Member
Looking at Chamat's previous wildcard picks, he has never picked a freshman/ first timer. He will likely go for a pair of seasoned hands/ leaders to provide "adult supervision" to the trio of young ones/ newbies. Last year he picked Shaw who was nowhere in MC top ranking and Albin who just missed out in the rankings. Following the same rationale, I am guessing this year will be Shaw and Ralf or Niels. :)

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That was a BIG TIMELY WIN for my Greek brother. Now that he's been under the lights I expect better play from him (and Kaci). I couldn't agree more that Chamat will go mature. If Matchroom has any influence you will see Shaw because he's a draw and good for TV/UK audience and as they say..."Money Talks".

Thus I expect:
Shaw and Ralf or Niels. Both deliver at MC and under pressure. Eagle eye loves the high drama colosseum.
 
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