Mosconi Cup 2015 - My Expectations

sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Well, I'm off to Vegas tomorrow for the Mosconi, and it's time to get my expectations in order.

To me, 2015 is the dawn of a new day for Team USA.

In 2013, Matchroom choose both teams, and with good intentions tried putting together a 20th anniversary team, put together a Team USA consisting of, in my opinion, three guys who didn't deserve to be there based on their play in 2013.

In 2014, the team was, once again, not chosen on playing merit, as there was no point system, no path to qualify, and little opportunity for Mosconi hopefuls to compete against each other. The result was a team consisting chiefly of players that didn't finish strong in 2014 and they were demolished by a score of 11-5. Outside of the one team chosen by Matchroom, no Team USA has failed to win fewer than five matches, so the futility was, in my opinion, historic.

In 2015, however, things look a lot brighter. Three of the team members earned their spots on a point system announced in February and the two wild card picks by Coach Wilson consisted of two guys that played well in 2015. Yes, for the first time in three years, we have a team consisting of guys who deserve to be on the team and are playing well right now. That bodes well, but Team Europe, as always, looks formidable, and I'll quote from my post in another thread:


sjm said:
Team Europe members, with few exceptions, all play the full WPA calendar and, other than Appleton, the full Eurotour event schedule, too. They play in the World Pool Masters and the World Cup of Pool, too. And, yes, they played the biggest event in America, as all five of them were at the US Open nine ball in October. In fact, two of the four players reaching the final day were European, and not one of the last eight standing was American.

The European pedigree has been and will remain stronger than that of the American pedigree because Team Europe members play in premier pool events far more often than Team USA members. For this reason, they are better at dealing with late match pressure than Team USA, and late match pressure is a frequent thing in the race to five Mosconi Cup matches.
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I think that on pure playing merit, the teams are pretty close on paper, but the European pedigree is what Team USA will have to overcome.

That said, the Mosconi Cup will, in my opinion, come down to singles, in which Team USA has struggled in the last two Mosconi Cups. I think, however, that with a team featuring two players who went deep in the 2015 World 9-ball Championship (SVB, 2nd, Dechaine, tied 9th), we might just find the right stuff.

I'm bullish on the other guys, too. I saw a lot of Justin Bergman at the US Open in Virginia, and he's really in a good groove right now. Corey also found his highest gear in Virginia, and Skyler won several matches including a win over YL Chang, whom I count as one of the world's 10 best players.

My expectations this year are that we'll do better in singles than we have in the past two years and that doing so will keep us in the hunt for victory. We'll have to be at out best to win, but it all starts with better play in singles.

Good luck to Team USA. I look forward to cheering hard for you.
 
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Good thoughts there, sjm.

I'll be there cheering along with you.
 
sjm said:
Well, I'm off to Vegas tomorrow for the Mosconi, and it's time to get my expectations in order.

To me, 2015 is the dawn of a new day for Team USA.

In 2013, Matchroom choose both teams, and with good intentions tried putting together a 20th anniversary team, put together a Team USA consisting of, in my opinion, three guys who didn't deserve to be there based on their play in 2013.

In 2014, the team was, once again, not chosen on playing merit, as there was no point system, no path to qualify, and little opportunity for Mosconi hopefuls to compete against each other. The result was a team consisting chiefly of players that didn't finish strong in 2014 and they were demolished by a score of 11-5. Outside of the one team chosen by Matchroom, no Team USA has failed to win fewer than five matches, so the futility was, in my opinion, historic.

In 2015, however, things look a lot brighter. Three of the team members earned their spots on a point system announced in February and the two wild card picks by Coach Wilson consisted of two guys that played well in 2015. Yes, for the first time in three years, we have a team consisting of guys who deserve to be on the team and are playing well right now. That bodes well, but Team Europe, as always, looks formidable, and I'll quote from my post in another thread:




I think that on pure playing merit, the teams are pretty close on paper, but the European pedigree is what Team USA will have to overcome.

That said, the Mosconi Cup will, in my opinion, come down to singles, in which Team USA has struggled in the last two Mosconi Cups. I think, however, that with a team featuring two players who went deep in the 2015 World 9-ball Championship (SVB, 2nd, Dechaine, tied 9th), we might just find the right stuff.

I'm bullish on the other guys, too. I saw a lot of Justin Bergman at the US Open in Virginia, and he's really in a good groove right now. Corey also found his highest gear in Virginia, and Skyler won several matches including a win over YL Chang, whom I count as one of the world's 10 best players.

My expectations this year are that we'll do better in singles than we have in the past two years and that doing so will keep us in the hunt for victory. We'll have to be at out best to win, but it all starts with better play in singles.

Good luck to Team USA. I look forward to cheering hard for you.
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I also think the home field advantage last yr can't be overlooked ,, I hope you guys give them a taste of thier own medicine it could be what propeles team USA to victory
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one stroke said:
I also think the home field advantage last yr can't be overlooked ,, I hope you guys give them a taste of thier own medicine it could be what propeles team USA to victory
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Crowd noise might help, but all these guys are used to having to perform with little fanfare, and every one of them has shown they can find their top gear with or without positive feedback from onlookers.

As we saw in 2013, crowd noise doesn't distract Team Europe from the business at hand.

The path to victory is keeping it close. Then, and only then, will both teams feel the true heat of battle. If that's how it goes, we're in with a good chance.
 
sjm said:
* * *
I think that on pure playing merit, the teams are pretty close on paper, but the European pedigree is what Team USA will have to overcome ...
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Well said, sjm. IMO, this is where the rubber meets the road.
Team Europe has the stuff to do it, they have proven it.

Here's how we can overcome that European "pedigree:"


  • Take advantage of the team rapport that has been built over the past year
  • Focus less on "fist-pumping" and more on getting down to business
  • Individually, understand why you are there: you earned it
  • Maintain that professional and positive attitude; you guys have proved you got class
 
It's hard for me to see that this year's team is obviously superior to last year's. Three of the five are the same. Of the new ones, Dechaine is an obvious choice, but Skylar Woodward, in his first Mosconi Cup, is not as obvious. Of the two that were in last year but are out now, John Schmidt was an unusual choice last year, but he also played the single best match of last year's cup. Justin Hall had the best overall Cup out of the whole team last year, and he's also out this year. I think the point system probably worked and picked as good of a team as could be expected, but I'm not sold that they're better than last year. What's different is the environment, and that has to be the difference for the US to win.
 
BRussell said:
It's hard for me to see that this year's team is obviously superior to last year's. Three of the five are the same. Of the new ones, Dechaine is an obvious choice, but Skylar Woodward, in his first Mosconi Cup, is not as obvious. Of the two that were in last year but are out now, John Schmidt was an unusual choice last year, but he also played the single best match of last year's cup. Justin Hall had the best overall Cup out of the whole team last year, and he's also out this year. I think the point system probably worked and picked as good of a team as could be expected, but I'm not sold that they're better than last year. What's different is the environment, and that has to be the difference for the US to win.
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Yes and no. Dechaine's absence hurt a lot last year, but don't overlook how much better Justin Bergman is playing than he played a year ago. To me, the addition of Dechaine and the Bergman improvement are what make this team stronger than you may realize.
 
IMO Europe have got the next 2 MC in the bag!
After this years MC, the next time the cup is held on USA grounds (2017) just like in The Color Of Money - The USA will show its cue case and Europe will ask the question..?
Upon which the USA will produce a performance of DOOM! :thumbup:
 
sjm said:
Yes and no. Dechaine's absence hurt a lot last year, but don't overlook how much better Justin Bergman is playing than he played a year ago. To me, the addition of Dechaine and the Bergman improvement are what make this team stronger than you may realize.
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I disagree MD has already had one MC meltdown and although you say the crowd is a non factor MD has melted before more than one and Black Pool was certainly could have been a disaster had the same occurred there
The home venue is a much better choice for bringing him back

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one stroke said:
I disagree MD has already had one MC meltdown and although you say the crowd is a non factor MD has melted before more than one and Black Pool was certainly could have been a disaster had the same occurred there
The home venue is a much better choice for bringing him back

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It strikes me as odd that anyone thinks this is relevant. Mike is a much, much stronger player than he was in 2012 and will likely improve on his 0-2 record in singles in 2012.

Second, even his effort in 2012 doesn't jive with the haters who say he's a bad teammate. In doubles, here's what happened in 2012:

Archer/Dechaine beat Appleton/Melling 5-4
Vandenberg/Ekonomopoulos beat Dechaine/Shuff 5-4
Ekonomopoulos/Feijen beat Hatch/Dechaine 5-4

To me, that's a good teammate, not bad one. Thirteen racks won against fourteen racks. Every teammate paired with Mike found themselves able to compete with Europe's most elite in a scotch doubles format.

Obviously, you're one of the haters, so you feel that the more times you repeat the "Dechaine meltdown" story, the more accurate it gets. Unfortunately, Mike, who has been hard on himself over his play in 2012, is no more than the undeserving scapegoat for a disappointing loss. You don't read much about the "Van Boening meltdown" in the 2014 Mosconi, but that's because there aren't many Shane haters on the forum.

I"m hoping that not too many of the Dechaine haters are in attendance when the games begin tomorrow, for it won't help Team USA's chances.
 
SJM, you mentioned the Euro's play the "full Eurotour schedule". But how many tournaments are we really talking about there? According to this web site, there were only 6 in 2015:
http://eurotouronline.com/eurotour-calendar/

Perhaps a better comparison is not number of tournaments played, but experience playing in front of an arena crowd. Are those Eurotour events played in an arena or a poolhall? The USA tournaments are poolhalls, so the USA players are not used to an arena crowd. The Euro players probably have a lot more arena crowd experience.
 
sjm said:
It strikes me as odd that anyone thinks this is relevant. Mike is a much, much stronger player than he was in 2012 and will likely improve on his 0-2 record in singles in 2012.

Second, even his effort in 2012 doesn't jive with the haters who say he's a bad teammate. In doubles, here's what happened in 2012:

Archer/Dechaine beat Appleton/Melling 5-4
Vandenberg/Ekonomopoulos beat Dechaine/Shuff 5-4
Ekonomopoulos/Feijen beat Hatch/Dechaine 5-4

To me, that's a good teammate, not bad one. Thirteen racks won against fourteen racks. Every teammate paired with Mike found themselves able to compete with Europe's most elite in a scotch doubles format.

Obviously, you're one of the haters, so you feel that the more times you repeat the "Dechaine meltdown" story, the more accurate it gets. Unfortunately, Mike, who has been hard on himself over his play in 2012, is no more than the undeserving scapegoat for a disappointing loss. You don't read much about the "Van Boening meltdown" in the 2014 Mosconi, but that's because there aren't many Shane haters on the forum.

I"m hoping that not too many of the Dechaine haters are in attendance when the games begin tomorrow, for it won't help Team USA's chances.
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Nope not a hater nor a hugger I call it like it is ,, we just saw MD meltdown at the 14-1 he also was close on the hustlers so to think he is far removed from a meltdown is wishful thinking at best ,
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one stroke said:
Nope not a hater nor a hugger I call it like it is ,, we just saw MD meltdown at the 14-1 he also was close on the hustlers so to think he is far removed from a meltdown is wishful thinking at best ,
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Then wishful thinking it is, nobody knows for sure what will happen in the future. It is my wish to see a good event this year as it is my second Mosconi cup in three years.

Pressure at the level that I have seen over the years that the M-cup brings can cause many a strong player to melt down. Some melt down in obvious ways and some more subtle. Players who cannot help but show emotion are self exposed but there are other types of meltdowns that are much harder to see.

It has been easy for the Euro champions to keep their composure, They are ahead and when you play ahead you relax and play your game. On the other hand you have USA who are trying to win this for their fans and country and once they get behind are not enjoying the game and play tight, they start to show emotion.

I wished that Mike D was chosen again so we could measure his game and maturity level, I got my wish so we will see if team USA can once again be competitive with the elite of Europe.
 
Cuebuddy said:
Then wishful thinking it is, nobody knows for sure what will happen in the future. It is my wish to see a good event this year as it is my second Mosconi cup in three years.

Pressure at the level that I have seen over the years that the M-cup brings can cause many a strong player to melt down. Some melt down in obvious ways and some more subtle. Players who cannot help but show emotion are self exposed but there are other types of meltdowns that are much harder to see.

It has been easy for the Euro champions to keep their composure, They are ahead and when you play ahead you relax and play your game. On the other hand you have USA who are trying to win this for their fans and country and once they get behind are not enjoying the game and play tight, they start to show emotion.

I wished that Mike D was chosen again so we could measure his game and maturity level, I got my wish so we will see if team USA can once again be competitive with the elite of Europe.
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That's the whole thing in a nutshell ,, he earned his chance by his play its up to him after that , if he plays well it's not likely we will see him with anything other than a big grin on his face
The test will come if he's playing bad atleast he's here where he won't get barbecued by the loud fans

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one stroke said:
That's the whole thing in a nutshell ,, he earned his chance by his play its up to him after that ,

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Well said, the games aren't played on paper, and all five members of Team USA must try to find their best stuff. Seeing who will do so --- that's what makes this fun.
 
jeffj2h said:
SJM, you mentioned the Euro's play the "full Eurotour schedule". But how many tournaments are we really talking about there? According to this web site, there were only 6 in 2015:
http://eurotouronline.com/eurotour-calendar/

Perhaps a better comparison is not number of tournaments played, but experience playing in front of an arena crowd. Are those Eurotour events played in an arena or a poolhall? The USA tournaments are poolhalls, so the USA players are not used to an arena crowd. The Euro players probably have a lot more arena crowd experience.
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Thanks for that. I actually thought Eurotour had eight events, but I was mistaken as it's only six. Don't forget the European Championships, which included a nine ball event, a ten ball event, an eight ball event and a 14.1 event, noen of which are listed.

Still, as I said, the Europeans test themselves against the toughest fields far more often than all Americans not named SVB and they don't waste their time with bar table events that don't help them prepare for the Mosconi.
 
I expect a closer result this year, and will be quietly barracking for the US team, though I suspect my loyalties will change if it goes down to the last couple of matches. My DNA got stamped by supporting the Europeans... well, most fellow Commonwealthers from UK, back in the early days.

What's good for the sport is best for all, so a thriller finish and some spectacular contests is what I'm hoping to see!

Colin
 
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