Johan back at 2026 Mosconi Cup Healm

Kris_b1104 said:
Delusional. If that's the case, then ANYONE under Johan's coaching is exceptional. Nothing can prevent Tyler from dogging those 9ball's like he did last year. That's all his own doing, NOT lack of coaching.

Seems like you're trying to make excuses for last year's performance.

Hunter Lombardo under Johan's coaching is a world-beater I guess.
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None of the 10 people who end up competing in the MC are really _that_ far apart in skills as far as shot making, pattern recognition, cue ball control, etc. They can all probably run 5 packs at the practice table on the MC equipment. Having proper mental coaching, discipline, and practice routines, that is a different story. People probably do perform much better under him. Gorst, for example, relied on him like he was his mother when he won his world championship. Even with his "perfect" fundamentals, Gorst was struggling and grinding because what goes on in his head. Performance can be dramatically affected by a good coach.
 
Badpenguin said:
None of the 10 people who end up competing in the MC are really _that_ far apart in skills as far as shot making, pattern recognition, cue ball control, etc. They can all probably run 5 packs at the practice table on the MC equipment.
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I disagree. You can't convince me that Thorpe and Styer are close to Filler/FSR/Shaw/Albin in skill level and with enough coaching, can perform the same as them. They've been on the scene for over a decade and have yet to prove themselves of that type of caliber.

The only time I've ever seen Tyler run a 5-pack was against a 741. I've never seen Billy do it. So your claim is pure speculation. Billy's shot-making and cue ball control is worlds apart from the best Euro players. I will give Sky credit as I have him above the other 2 I mentioned.

And the MC isn't even about who can play the best on the practice table equipment or who can run packs, it's about who has HEART under the most intense, pressure-filled situations. And unfortunately, many are lacking in that department and succumb to the bright lights.

Sure, you can say Gorst relied on Johan for a period of time, but Johan can't make the balls for anyone. The player still has to perform.
 
Kris_b1104 said:
And the MC isn't even about who can play the best on the practice table equipment or who can run packs, it's about who has HEART under the most intense, pressure-filled situations. And unfortunately, many are lacking in that department and succumb to the bright lights.
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As somebody who attends nearly every Mosconi Cup, I do not agree with this.

What makes the Mosconi different from every other event is the screaming fans who are loud while a player is at the table, and sometimes even when they are over the shot.

Some have a very hard time adjusting to an environment in which they do not have the usual opportunity to concentrate on the job at hand. Others struggle to deal with the excessive negative feedback that must be endured from time to time. I'll put Gorst in this category. Fedor has as much heart as anybody, but that doesn't get you to the finish line at the Mosconi. The dynamic and the vibe are different than at any event in the history of pro pool. A couple of players that I've spoken with over the years how told me flat out that they found adjusting to the crowd situation to be very difficult.

The player who seems least affected by the boisterous ways of the Mosconi crowd is definitely Jayson Shaw, who is in the conversation with guys like Archer, Feijen and a couple of others for best ever player at the Mosconi.
 
sjm said:
As somebody who attends nearly every Mosconi Cup, I do not agree with this.

What makes the Mosconi different from every other event is the screaming fans who are loud while a player is at the table, and sometimes even when they are over the shot.

Some have a very hard time adjusting to an environment in which they do not have the usual opportunity to concentrate on the job at hand. Others struggle to deal with the excessive negative feedback that must be endured from time to time. I'll put Gorst in this category. Fedor has as much heart as anybody, but that doesn't get you to the finish line at the Mosconi. The dynamic and the vibe are different than at any event in the history of pro pool. A couple of players that I've spoken with over the years how told me flat out that they found adjusting to the crowd situation to be very difficult.

The player who seems least affected by the boisterous ways of the Mosconi crowd is definitely Jayson Shaw, who is in the conversation with guys like Archer, Feijen and a couple of others for best ever player at the Mosconi.
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That's basically saying the same thing as I did, an intense pressure filled situation. Having heart in a tournament is different from having heart in an exhibition where all eyes are on you. The crowd participation is implied in the intense and pressure statement. It's the same on an amateur level where guys can play great in a tournament but start dogging it when they gamble and all eyes are on them.

The crowd situation isn't the only thing that affects the MC players, but it is a big component of it. Other things include the bright lights, being streamed internationally, the pressure of teammates relying on you, the pressure of representing your country, the short race to 5, etc. I can go on and on. Some players can handle it and others can't. But it's not just the crowd alone.

Sure, the finals of a WPC has a lot of pressure, but there isn't nearly as many variables at play like at the MC.
 
Kris_b1104 said:
That's basically saying the same thing as I did, an intense pressure filled situation. Having heart in a tournament is different from having heart in an exhibition where all eyes are on you. The crowd participation is implied in the intense and pressure statement. It's the same on an amateur level where guys can play great in a tournament but start dogging it when they gamble and all eyes are on them.
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No, we are not saying the same thing.

Heart is not the deciding factor in who can play when faced with the systemic interruption that is not found in any other pool tournament of the year. Crowd noise, which in the case of the Mosconi might be termed crowd sharking, does not add pressure but merely decreases concentration in a way with which some can and some cannot cope.
Kris_b1104 said:
The crowd situation isn't the only thing that affects the MC players, but it is a big component of it. Other things include the bright lights, being streamed internationally, the pressure of teammates relying on you, the pressure of representing your country, the short race to 5, etc. I can go on and on. Some players can handle it and others can't. But it's not just the crowd alone.

Sure, the finals of a WPC has a lot of pressure, but there isn't nearly as many variables at play like at the MC.
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I agree that Mosconi pressure is different, and the atmosphere is definitely different. but there's less pressure at the Mosconi than at a WPC. Play bad at a major and you don't get paid at all and you lose money due to your expenses. A guarantee of a $20,000 payday and expense paid for every Mosconi participant offers a safety net not found in other events. Also, the Mosconi is for those who have had a good year in competition, the ones who are less dependent on the $20,000 difference between winning and losing.

I strongly agree that the race to 5 format adds some pressure. The importance of every shot is magnified. For this fan, the short race format is the very best thing about the Mosconi.
 
Kris_b1104 said:
You can't convince me that Thorpe and Styer are close to Filler/FSR/Shaw/Albin in skill level and with enough coaching, can perform the same as them. They've been on the scene for over a decade and have yet to prove themselves of that type of caliber.
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Thorpe is a cut below the top U.S. players, no doubt.

Styer, in my opinion, has all the tools to be a top 25-50 player globally. He does have great fundamentals. He tries his hardest. He is very conscientious.

I think he has fallen short on the mental side. His decision making is not elite and he sometimes tries to baby his position with disastrous results. Last year, he talked too much trash in the Mosconi presser, and the pressure got to him. He just needs to shut up, focus and play.

If he was the fifth best U.S. player, I'd be fine with that. What we need is Sky to play at the Mosconi like he did the last time Johan was coach, and to find that fourth guy.
 
jbart65 said:
I am for anything that might help Team USA.

Perhaps the best news might be ... WNT is putting all its emphasis on the US getting better. Just look at all the new US events.

Showmanship will take a backseat. Johann will demand a serious approach and he won't play favorites with picking players. Fedor won't have to quietly worry about the level of commitment from his teammates. He's is probably the happiest.

As for Sky, he tried to get MR to let Johan assist the team before one of the Mosconis in which Woodward was player coach. MR rejected his request. Sky won't be a problem. He's got too much respect for Johan.

The US might get its ass kicked again, but at least I won't have to wonder about commitment.
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Great now they can blame Johan when they lose instead of playing better pool. Team pool isn't like team football. Sky needs to tackle Jayson extra hard so he struggles to play....What they need is a defensive coordinator to play smarter pool in the shorter sets. What Matchroom would like is bigger audiences. Based on the US losing a lot...how about loser breaks...that might make everything closer and more exciting.
 
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We've said the same thing for 20 years. There are no juniors coming up that are world class in the USA. Nothing has changed that. Shane was the last American and he burst onto the international scene in 2007. From 2007 until today in 2026, no American junior has come close to Shane as they reached adulthood.
 
I think this team would have the best chance: SVB, Sky, Bergman, Gorst and Oscar. Still probably distinct underdogs, but if things start rolling their way, they could pull it off with the right coach in place now.
 
I think everyone has their ideal team in mind but needs to remember Matchroom does this to make money. The rule that the top three money winners are selected is because they want that talent to show up in tournaments to drive attendance and viewership. Mosconi is a reward since the travel, lodging, and $20k minimum is automatic. There is a realistic probability that the final rankings will be something like Gorst, SVB, Hohmann/Verner as the top three. Even with Johan able to choose, would Matchroom really let him pick someone like Bergman who has played in 1-2 events vs Hohmann/Verner who has played in 10+. This would disincentive future attendance because those players and others realize they will probably never out perform Gorst/SVB and are battling for 1 spot.

Matchroom should continue to provide travel and lodging, but the payout should have a greater difference between winning and losing. The teams will be more incentivized to practice together if the winning team splits $250,000 vs getting nothing.
 
Railbird-2026 said:
Great now they can blame Johan when they lose instead of playing better pool. Team pool isn't like team football. Sky needs to tackle Jayson extra hard so he struggles to play....What they need is a defensive coordinator to play smarter pool in the shorter sets. What Matchroom would like is bigger audiences. Based on the US losing a lot...how about loser breaks...that might make everything closer and more exciting.
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What they really need is Tonya Harding
 
Architect said:
I think everyone has their ideal team in mind but needs to remember Matchroom does this to make money. The rule that the top three money winners are selected is because they want that talent to show up in tournaments to drive attendance and viewership. Mosconi is a reward since the travel, lodging, and $20k minimum is automatic. There is a realistic probability that the final rankings will be something like Gorst, SVB, Hohmann/Verner as the top three. Even with Johan able to choose, would Matchroom really let him pick someone like Bergman who has played in 1-2 events vs Hohmann/Verner who has played in 10+. This would disincentive future attendance because those players and others realize they will probably never out perform Gorst/SVB and are battling for 1 spot.

Matchroom should continue to provide travel and lodging, but the payout should have a greater difference between winning and losing. The teams will be more incentivized to practice together if the winning team splits $250,000 vs getting nothing.
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Bergman posted today on facebook that he plans on playing a bunch of major events this year
 
westcoast said:
Bergman posted today on facebook that he plans on playing a bunch of major events this year
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That's awesome to hear! He had some moments in the recent predator tournament where he played really solid. He also had some moments where he showed that he needs to get back into the tournament grind mindset. He has potential to go deeper in those tournaments than any US player other than Gorst and SVB.
 
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