All of the talk about the change to young guns and less "ego" on the team has been well and good. "But" the real problem that team USA has failed to be competitive in the last few years has not ever been the attitudes of the team members.
This is the real reason they fail to compete.
China Open Attendance by team members.
Team Europe members/potential members who attended the China Open
Darren Appleton
Thorsten Hohmann
Mika Immonen
Chris Melling
Karl Boyes
Ralf Souquet
Neils Feijen
Nick Ekonomopolous
Team Europe members/potential members who did not attend the China Open
None
Team USA members who attended the China Open
Shane Van Boeing
Corey Deuel
Oscar Dominguez
Jeremy Sossei
Team USA members picked by Mark Wilson who did not attend the China Open
Justin Bergman
Justin Hall
Brandon Shuff
John Schmidt
Every single one of the players who are likely to be on team Europe compete in the world class events. This was one of the toughest fields of the year and it is events like the China Open that the top pros always play to stay at the top of the game and hone their skills against the elite players of the world.
4 of the 8 people on team USA attended the event. Where were the other 4? I know people can have things they need to do, or they can have issues with money or not see it as a good bet/investment, but EVERY player on team Europe went and competed and they will ALL be stronger players for having done it.
If money is an issue, then where is Justin Bergman? He just won a huge $2000 added bar box event, he could have used that as a stake to get into more world class events abroad and finally come out of the shadows and honed his game against the best of the best, and that WOULD help his game reach the next level.
Where is John Schmidt? I mean at all... You hardly see his name on "any" events of late. How is this guy going to compete at the elite level against the best players in Europe when he has not even played much pool at all over the last 2 years? I would have thought getting chosen for the team would get him commited to playing again and get him out there pushing his game back up near the top of the world, instead he said it was a great honor getting chosen, and I guess we will all now see him in December? Yeah he is sure going to be competitive...
Justin Hall? Has he "EVER" played in a world class event? He might have huge talent but he is going up against guys like Karl Boyes and Melling who have every bit as much talent as he does and who are going to play WAY more top level world class events against world class competition, that is going to make him a HUGE underdog in each match he plays. He might be able to still squeak out a short set win, but it will be a clear upset and over the long haul trying to buck the odds over and over again is a losing bet.
Brandon Shuff? Again, lots of talent, potential, and no world class tournament experience abroad against elite fields full of the best players in the world.
I am sure the half of the field that went to the China Open gained valuable experience, they came away from the event stronger no matter what their outcome was, they can build on their success and failures in that event and they saw the absolutely top elite level that exists in the sport and know now where they need to be to compare to it.
It was ALWAYS a lack of commitment to world class competition that led to the downfall of Team USA in the Mosconi Cup. It was the semi retirement of Archer, Morris (who was actually at the China Open this time), Deuel, and the other seasoned pros that let Team Europe catch up to them and pass them by. If the top American players had kept as focused on the game as the guys on Team Europe and went into every competition and focused on it like they did then the top pros on Team America would have remained right there with their European counterparts.
This has always been the problem with Team USA, and if these young guys who Mark Wilson is trying to make into a "team" are not actually competing at the elite level that the guys from Team Europe are then Team USA is doomed. Going to a day trip to talk to navy seals is awesome, but you know what would have helped team USA better? If EVERY player on the MC team went to the China Open and competed in it and supported each other during it and they ALL came away with the battle hardening it would have caused.
Mike Dechaine is no different. He came on here asking why he was not on the team, right after a big win where he beat Mika in a final. Well after Mika lost that final he went to the China Open and has played great pool against the best players in the world and will come back stronger because of it. Where is Mike? If you are the #2 player in the USA why the heck are you not out there competing at the top level that the sport offers and putting yourself up against the best of the best when the chances arise to do so? That is the way you become the best, you need to get out there and show the WORLD how good you are, not your little neck of the woods at home. Go win one or two of these things in a year and there is no way you won't be chosen for the team next year regardless of attitude. There is a point where a guy has simply too much success to say no to, but you did not even go over there and try... That makes your omission less of a thing IMO because it shows a lack of commitment to really stretch your legs and put yourself out there at the top end of competition, and guess what, every single guy on Team Europe did that and were there.