SJM at 2023 Mosconi Cup- Malice at the Palace

[justnum]

At this point I'd be willing to give justnum a shot at coaching the team, what could it hurt

I have professional references at the NJCAA level.

However it should be an online group venture.

 

[ShootingArts]

Coaching during an event can make a lot of difference or none or anything in between. The coach can't be someone the players compete against all year long then all of a sudden they are the coach. It also has to be someone they hold in great respect. Otherwise it is like the drinking buddy that thinks he becomes Don Shula on league night.

While you can't change fundamentals you might be able to change things like strategy slightly. A friend made the final table at a poker tournament for the first time. He was guaranteed twenty grand but that was for first out at the final table. I don't remember what first paid. He is a better poker player than I am, no sense trying to cram last minute poker knowledge in his head but he did call me for help. I talked to him about strategy. The strategy was tailored to him personally and his situation. I also spent most of my time talking steadying his nerves which were naturally a little out there the first time at a decent final table. Much more of a live gambler than a tournament player, this was a new experience to him. We will never know what he would have done without my advice, with it he did well. He thought I helped, tried to give me a very nice jelly!

I think that perhaps the biggest issue is that the US players are not team players and they have a little different view of independence than the european players. No way to forge them into a team overnight. Shane always seems to be a loner. Putting him in a leadership position doesn't work for him or anyone else. If he is on the team, assign him to do what he is best at and turn him loose. Don't try to add extra responsibilities.

Hu

 

[Brookeland Bill]

Replace JayJay.

 

[gambler67]

Greetings. I spent four more days in London after the completion of the Mosconi Cup, so I just got home to New York. That explains the lateness of my trip report. I have not read any of the postings on AZB pertaining to the Mosconi Cup, so I may well be repeating what others have said, for which I apologize.

I attended all four sessions in London at Alexandra Palace and I won’t beat around the bush about what is best described as an embarrassing effort by Team USA and a rock-solid performance by the far superior squad from Europe that underscored the huge gap between American and European pool. I rooted hard for Team USA, but it was hard to watch them take such a thrashing.

It is usually around this time that we get the following excuses from some on the forum: 1) If a roll or two went differently, it would have been a different match, 2) American players are able to play with Europe but have weaker mental games, 3) Team USA only had to break a little better to win, 4) Europe had better teamwork than the US and that was the difference, and let’s not forget my favorite, 5) Team USA didn’t lag well enough to win. Others have surely suggested that Team Europe is on a hot streak now, but there are ebbs and flows in the event and Team USA will likely go on a similar streak one of these days. None of these excuses are valid.

So, what exactly did happen? Team Europe outplayed Team USA in almost every area of the game. They had better fundamentals, played better patterns, broke the balls better than Team USA, and played better defense than Team USA. The total rack score showed that, in rough terms, Europe beat the USA in a twenty-five ahead set, so this was a massacre of the highest order. Europe, in rough terms, won a twenty-five ahead race against Team USA in a single Mosconi Cup!!!

At Large estimated that each match took an average of 50 minutes, so there was about 700 minutes of play in total, or just under twelve hours. Imagine a gambling match played to twenty-five racks ahead. This one only took about twelve hours. Most would say that the loser of a twelve hour twenty-five ahead race had no business even being on the table with the winner. That’s how bad this was.

What went on at the individual player level? Despite his Match 14 meltdown, Shane Wolford exceeded expectations. We got Fedor’s “B” game when we needed his “A” game. The Mosconi was a nightmare for SVB, Woodward and Styer. At Large noted that Team USA broke and ran just 20% of its racks compared to 35% for Team Europe ---- two very different levels of play.

Team Europe was, indisputably, great but America needs to own how far it has fallen behind Europe in pro pool. I remember thinking in June that Team Europe would likely be Filler, Gorst, Kaci, FSR and Shaw or Ouschan. It’s hard to even imagine the beatdown that such a team would have offered to a Gorst-less Team USA. To their credit, Matchroom accurately assessed what was coming and tried to shake things up by proclaiming Gorst eligible for Team USA.

I’m a bit of a broken record on this subject and have said pretty much the same for nearly fifteen years on the forum: Team USA is just as far behind Team Europe in its decision making as in its stroke fundamentals. 9ball has evolved to the point that players lacking both superior conceptualization and superior execution skills are, for the most part, incapable of winning anything big, so the immediate future looks bleak. With tight pockets and difficult breaking rules in vogue, one must possess superior tactical skills to succeed, and few Americans show such skills.

Where does the solution lie? Yes, some of it lies in practicing harder, but the real solution lies in training. American training is falling short of the mark and needs a rewrite to ensure that the next generation of American pros will have more well-rounded games than this one.

Congratulations to the far superior Team Europe. Well played!

If we took on individual countries instead of an entire continent things would probably be different, i like our chances against most countries individually except maybe the Philippines. If Matchroom continually likes throwing lambs to the slaughter and they make money off the spectacle who really cares to change anything. Having more or less 2 rookies playing for Team USA and in London was also part of the disparity, it wouldn't surprise me if team USA keeps it much closer in Vegas next year, for shit sakes they kept it to 11-8 last year with Strickland looking like he never played the game in his life and was mentally beat from game one. Probably a different captain needed as well from players telling JJ who they did and did want to play, with a strong leader they wouldn't bother to ask that one, do what your told and when your told or sit home and let someone else pickup a $20,000 check. In my opinion we never send our strongest team for the event either with the BS points system. A much stronger team would have been Fedor, SVB, Skyler, Bergman and Deuel. In short too many Wolfords and Styers and not enough SVB's and Fedors. For all the grief he will get for another MC cup thrashing, SVB had a 2-1 match record, a stronger leader won't let him get away with being a team cancer!

 

[skogstokig]

If we took on individual countries instead of an entire continent things would probably be different, i like our chances against most countries individually except maybe the Philippines.

there is such a contest - the world cup of pool. USA (svb/sky) is not the current champion, philippines is, with germany being the latest runner-up. USA is also not a recent champion. there are many other strong individual countries aside from the ones mentioned above, such as taiwan, china, austria, poland, spain.

 

[Bob Jewett]

there is such a contest - the world cup of pool. USA (svb/sky) is not the current champion, philippines is, with germany being the latest runner-up. USA is also not a recent champion. ...

And while the teams have only two players, I think the results would be similar with five.

 

[justnum]

Countries are smaller than some companies.

Would it be possible to secure additional funding by allowing corporate teams like charities to compete not for prizes but as financial backers or dead money for make a wish type players?

Countries cant do all the work that is why we have business.


The current model is country players go.
If a sponsor like food for children said lets raise money and send children to get the free tour.

This way the corporate sponsor can practice moving people through the event.

The sponsor sells tech like apps or wifi or other gadget related concepts.

 

[gambler67]

there is such a contest - the world cup of pool. USA (svb/sky) is not the current champion, philippines is, with germany being the latest runner-up. USA is also not a recent champion. there are many other strong individual countries aside from the ones mentioned above, such as taiwan, china, austria, poland, spain.

i was thinking more in a 5 person team setting