Looks like I have to eat my words from yesterday. Team USA did win the opening team match, but it all went downhill from there.
My overall take on Day 3 is as follows. Once again I love the team match to open each day, although tomorrow I think there's still a singles match left over from today to start out. IMHO today saw a much higher level of play by all concerned but the four top guys from Euro were just too good, and carried Mickey along with them. The matches were closer than the score indicates, thanks to some good fortune by the Euro's, who really didn't need it. They played that good. Other than a couple of early bobbles it was one flawless performance after another.
I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation after the team match and the score at 6-5 Europe. The next doubles match had Sky/Shane up against Ruiz/Krause. It looked good on paper for our side. First game went to Euros after they got BIH on the seven. No big deal. Second to US after Krause misses a long two ball and US makes a clean run out for 1-1. Next game Sky scratches on the break, BIH to Euros and they mop up for 2-1. Good break by Ruiz, wide open table, easy run out, 3-1. Failed break by Shane, open table, Euro cruises through the rack, 4-1. Another good break for Euros and they run out to win 5-1. Just like that it's over. After the second game, Team USA barely got back to the table. The great Francisco Ruiz literally carried Krause across the finish line, leaving him perfect position shot after shot. If Krause got out of line, no matter, Francisco would bring them right back into line. Simply an amazing performance by a great player. He made Mickey look good and was complementary to him even after the match. 7-5 Europe
Next we had singles with Billy Thorp and David Alcaide. We start off with a good run out by Billy for a 1-0 lead. He looks fit and ready for the fight. David makes a break and run, 1-1. Thorp makes a ball on the break but has no shot. Alcaide does get a shot though and makes another smooth run out for 2-1 lead. As good as Francisco had just played, where he had to work for every shot, David made it look like just another day in the park, one clean shot after another, staying in line all the way. If that wasn't enough he then broke and ran out the next rack for a 3-1 advantage. This time he did get out of line on the eight and the nine, slicing each one in the heart of the pocket.
Finally Billy got a look at the two ball in the next game and made a really high quality run out to close the gap to 3-2 down. He showed tremendous heart imo to make a run out like that after what he had just witnessed from Alcaide. Next game Billy comes with an excellent kick safe that yields him a shot on the two and then he plays perfect position for a 3-9 combo. Swishes it and he's tied the match at 3-3. I want to stand up and clap! But alas another scratch on the break by Billy and once again David methodically mows down the rack for a 4-3 lead. This guy is a machine! He seems less bothered by the so called MC pressure than any other player. In the final game they have a good safety battle on the two that Alcaide eventually wins, and what else, one more beautiful run out. It's over, Billy played as good as he could, but David played super solid from start to finish. Europe leads 8-5.
Next we have Gorst and Styer vs. Shaw and Kaci. In the first game Jayson misses an easy five ball and the US takes the lead 1-0. Game two a long safety battle ensues that Europe wins to tie the match 1-1. Game three Euros are running out until Shaw is faced with a tricky eight and nine ball on the long rail. Kaci had put him in an awkward position for the shot. Jayson tries a billiard on the nine that fails. Gorst makes a nice long shot on the eight and they win for a 2-1 lead. Good break shot by Tyler and they make a very efficient run out for a 3-1 lead. There is life left in Team USA. Game five and Tyler has a table length shot on the three ball that requires a big stroke to get back up table for the four. He jars the three and Euros run out for a 3-2 deficit. Gorst now scratches on the break and Euros run out the open rack. It's 3-3. Golden break by Euros and they lead 4-3. In the final game Gorst misses a long three ball and the Euros clean the table again for the 5-3 win. They lead 9-5 and the festivities are halted for the day. A merciful end to yet one more bad day for Team USA. They played their best for the most part and looked to have chances in each match, but Team Europe was just too strong with max efforts by their big four. The scratches on the break being the big killers for the US chances.
All of a sudden it looks like another dismal year for our side. They looked ready for the battle ahead and never gave up but were simply outgunned. These guys are not quitters by any means. That much is clear. But it will take a miracle now to change the outcome.
rest of the world plays all fouls..
