No doubt, guys like Pagulayan and Morra would help. So would Mexican Jesus Atencio, who is a fast-rising star. You'd have to call it Team North America, and, although it is not my preference to move in that direction, I would be OK with it. Still, addition of these players wouldn't be even close to enough.
With Kaci at 22, Gorst at 21, Filler at 23, the young nucleus of Team Europe will be around for a long time, and Ouschan and Shaw are only in their early 30's, so it looks like Team USA will be the underdog for many years to come. The balance of power stands with Europe, as at present the world's top 20 based on Fargo is comprised of 11 Asian players, 7 Europeans, 1 Canadian and 1 American.
I tire of the argument that because Europe has a bigger population than the US, the matchup is unfair. One of our European posters once suggested that there are 20 nine ball players in America for every nine ball player in Europe. Success lies in training, work ethic and preparation, not in population or numbers.
Mosconi participation, which guarantees a huge payday by the standards of tournament prize money in America, is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the American touring pro. It helps vitalize the big tournaments on the American pool calendar as they are the stepping stone to gaining a spot on Team USA.
