My Day Three Recap

jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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What a day! What a day! What a day! This may be the best MC yet in terms of thrilling matches, great play with some surprises and a VERY vocal crowd. Here we go.

Shane and Skyler led off for USA and Marcus answered with Kaci and Filler. I think Shane and Sky play good together, but this is Killer Filler and his right hand man Big Easy Kaci. I like Europe in this match up, but what do I know.

Kaci scratches on the first break. Ball In Hand for USA. No problem with this relatively easy layout. 1-0 USA

Next game, all USA again with a neat break and run. 2-0 quickly

Filler breaks, a ball down. Kaci pushes out. Shane takes the table length paper thin cut on the one and makes it. They're off and running again, and moments later it's 3-0 USA.

The next game is a good one. Shane is hooked on the one and unleashes a nifty jump shot and makes the ball. Sky follows with a good safety, Filler kicks and hits the two and it turns out okay. Shane fails on his safety attempt and leaves an opening. Filler and Kaci go to work and grab this game. It's 3-1 now.

In my opinion this is Europe's best team and maybe USA's also.
Kaci makes a ball on the break but Filler has to push. Not so good. Shane makes the one and Sky has a thin cut all the way down the rail. A very tough shot. He smokes it! USA makes an excellent out to lead 4-1.

Sky misses on the one in the next game and it is the first missed ball or error in the match! Filler plays a good safe and Shane shoots another strong jump shot and makes the ball. Skylar misses an easy four ball and then Kaci misses it also! Shane and Skylar clean up the remaining balls. They win 5-1 and USA leads 6-5 for the Cup.

(Part One)
 
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Maybe it’s just me.....looks like the two teams are in a paint ball battle...

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Skyler is up again (he plays in the first three matches!) against Niels.

The first game features a good safety by Niels with Skyler making an equally good return shot. Niels hangs the three and Sky makes a long cut down the rail on the six that highlights a beautiful run out. He leads 1-0.

In game two we see Sky make a nice jump to get safe and Niels jumps back, making the ball, but gets hooked on the three. He kicks and misses for a foul. Another good run out from here and Skyler leads 2-0.

Niels breaks empty and Skyler makes yet another great run out, playing perfect position all the way.......until the nine ball. It's a pretty straightforward angle shot into the corner and the way Sky handled this rack it was almost a given he would make this. But he didn't, missing the entire pocket. Maybe he thought it was a given too. Niels makes the nine and it's 2-1 USA, not 3-0. That one hurt!

Sky comes up empty on the break. Niels pounces on the open table and looking confident he runs out the rack. It's 2-2 now. The Euro team are giving fist bumps now to Niels. The most emotion I've seen from them so far.

Game five and Sky gets the first opening and runs down to the seven ball when he misses another "easy" one. A gift to Niels and he wipes up the last three balls to take the lead 3-2.

Sky comes back to life with a strong break and run to catch up 3-3.

Niels makes a dry break and Skyler comes with a strong run out to take the lead 4-3. Just when it looked like he was dead he came back to life and regained his power. Skyler follows this with a very solid break and run, all while under pressure, to win the game and the match 5-3. USA leads by two 7-5.

(Part Two)
 
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So far I'd say USA has shown an advantage in push-out play and bank shots. Europe has kicked better and made some better safeties.

Skyler again! with Tyler against Kaci and Kazakis (Sounds like a famous singing duo from the Balkans, "Kaci & Kazakis" :)).

Skyler makes a good break and they run out the first game, 1-0.

Kaci makes a good break and they return the favor, 1-1.

Game three and Kaci makes a good one ball and Kazakis follows with an equally good shot on the two. A nice run out follows for a 2-1 lead.

In the next game Tyler plays position for a bank that Skyler wants to shoot. Skyler gets his bank and swishes it, but leaves Tyler to close to the ball and he must play safe. He hooks Kaci who retrieves his jump cue and proceeds to luck the ball in after jumping to hit it. They run out from there, 3-1 Europe.

Now there is a terrific safety battle on the three ball. Finally Kaci makes a good shot on the three and Euro's win the game to reach the hill, 4-1.
K & K are laughing and joking on the sidelines now. Everything's funny when you're winning big money!

Kaci breaks empty and US runs out, 4-2. Next game is back and forth after Tyler makes a huge shot on the one. Kaci is tested with another jump shot and hits it only to leave a combination for Sky. He makes it and on the next shot Tyler plays good position for Sky. They get out from there and it's 4-3.

Kaz breaks empty and Tyler plays a fair safe which Kaci plays back, leaving a long difficult shot on the two. Skyler kills it and they run out. It's 4-4!!

After Sky's break, Tyler plays a tricky billiard on the eight and Sky follows with a great long combination shot. But Tyler is left with a thin cut on the one and he hangs it up. All's well for Europe for a moment until Kazakis misses the three ball. That's all the boys need and they do a good job of handling a tough layout to win the match 5-4. The K&K twins aren't laughing now. ;)

USA leads 8-5 and things are getting tense for Europe and their fans. Skyler had won all three of his matches!

(Part Three)
 
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Shane now had an opportunity to avenge his defeat by Filler from the day before.
In the first game Shane fouls on the four and Filler runs out for first blood. It's 1-0.

Filler makes one of his stress free run outs to make it 2-0. In the following game Shane tries to slow roll the three and it hangs. Filler springs to the table and runs out gleefully, extolling the crowd to cheer louder after sinking the nine. 3-0.

A confident Filler is playing to the crowd and shows off with a kick-safety. Its a long game with a series of safes and escapes. That is until.Shane gets to see a long six ball. He misses it though and Filler takes over, and finishes out the rack. After Josh makes the nine, the cue ball is tracking toward the far corner. He leans down and follows it with his head until it hits the rail harmlessly by the pocket. He looks up at the crowd with a big smirk on his face. Joshua is gloating openly. He's stomping on Shane again, 4-0.

The last game feels like a formality and Shane complies, missing a bank on the three and turning the happy killer loose again. Its all over, the new King cements his rule 5-0.

8-6 USA now

(Part Four)
 
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The best is yet to come in the last match of the day. Bergman and Thorpe finally get their chance facing Jayson and a struggling Niels.

In the first game Justin makes a long one ball that leads to USA winning game one. 1-0.

Jay scratches on a kick in the next game and USA runs out. 2-0.

Thorpe breaks good and the local boys make another nice clean run out. 3-0.

Jayson breaks good also and Europe gets on the board with a table clearance of their own. 3-1 US.

Billy breaks empty and Team Europe responds with one more good run out. 3-2 US.

Jayson rolls in the one and Niels drops a long two and has to go three rails for shape. One problem - the corner pocket gets in the way. A perfect run out from there and USA is on the hill, 4-2. One more game and they're up 9-6.

They have their chance early but Billy misses an easy one in the side. An inning later Jayson plays a great loc' em up safety. Justin kicks and hits the five, leaving Niels hooked. He can only kick at the five, so he kicks it straight in the side. They win the game. 4-3 US.

Jayson breaks, balls down. They run out! Just like that it's hill-hill. 4-4.

Justin crushes the balls, making a couple and leaving a wide open table. USA is running out for the match until Justin goes a hair long on shape and Billy is edge hooked. He opts to bank the six cross corner and swishes it. Looks like they've got this one and the live audience is getting wound up to go crazy. I see a long hard angled shot on the seven that is no bargain and turn to Pat Fleming and tell him, "This can be missed." Twice I said that to him. And sure enough Justin did just that. Europe takes care of the last three balls and they've closed the gap to 8-7 going into the final day.

My takeaway is that USA has looked better all three days and yet they've only managed a single game lead going into the final day. Their lead is precarious and they will surely be tested in the singles tomorrow. Its still anybody's game. Only fitting considering how competitive this edition of the MC has been.
 
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What a great Cup! Thanks for the updates, Jay. I feel like I'm sitting right there. Good stuff! :)
 
great write up, jay. i agree that team USA has looked stronger, and i'm not convinced that europe can win four matches tomorrow. johan is probably gonna outsmart chamat in the player selection. it will be tight, i predict hill-hill
 
thanks for the update jay
very appreciated as i have not been able to watch
 
My opinion to yesterday: The Euro players got lucky that Shane struggled again against Filler and Bergman had that crucial and tough 7 Ball that he missed. Whithout that a 10:5 lead for USA and no chance for Europe on day 4.
 
Mikkes said:
My opinion to yesterday: The Euro players got lucky that Shane struggled again against Filler and Bergman had that crucial and tough 7 Ball that he missed. Whithout that a 10:5 lead for USA and no chance for Europe on day 4.
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Perhaps, but Tyler Styer missed at double hill and it appeared to have lost the match to Kaci/Kazakis, but Alex returned the gift with a miss of his own. Similarly, on Day 1, Team Europe won the safety battle at double hill in Match 2 but Feijen's miss giftwrapped the match for Team USA. So using your logic, maybe Europe should really lead by 9-6. In truth, we're both wrong, for it is what it is, and there are ebbs and flows like this in every Mosconi Cup.
 
sjm said:
Perhaps, but Tyler Styer missed at double hill and it appeared to have lost the match to Kaci/Kazakis, but Alex returned the gift with a miss of his own. Similarly, on Day 1, Team Europe won the safety battle at double hill in Match 2 but Feijen's miss giftwrapped the match for Team USA. So using your logic, maybe Europe should really lead by 9-6. In truth, we're both wrong, for it is what it is, and there are ebbs and flows like this in every Mosconi Cup.
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After winning the first three matches on day three USA lead 8:5, so the momentum was clearly on there side. At this point i thought it´s over for team Europe. I never thought that Shane was beaten so badly again and the the scotch double was lost hill hill.
 
No major upsets so far

Interesting thing is so far there have been no major upsets.
On other hand , last year had number of upsets- Styer beating Niels, Thorpe over Kaci, Sky over Jayson, Thorpe/Styer over Kaci/Shaw, Sky/Styer over Niels/Albin.
There will always be upsets every event - an the upsets may happen on this last day :)
 
spartan said:
Interesting thing is so far there have been no major upsets.
On other hand , last year had number of upsets- Styer beating Niels, Thorpe over Kaci, Sky over Jayson, Thorpe/Styer over Kaci/Shaw, Sky/Styer over Niels/Albin.
There will always be upsets every event - an the upsets may happen on this last day :)
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I'd say the biggest upset last year was Woodward over Ouschan. Albin had been in dead stroke all week and his brilliant play continued in Match 16, in which he broke and ran his first four racks, but Skyler turned the tables on him with what may have been the single most clutch jump shot in the history of the Mosconi Cup, and it set the stage for Team USA's win.

You're right, though, form has been holding in singles, and it's singles only today. We'll see if we get the same today or if the upsets are going to be a big part of the story.
 
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