What Was the Match of the Year in 2014?

Defenitely SVB-Orcollo in the finals.

Dennis must be really scratching his head after losing to Shane twice now in the finals while playing
great (2012) and damn near flawless (2014) pool. Greatest (as in best played) match I have seen.

gr. Dave
 
Schmidt vs. Gray 1st day of Mosconi Cup 2014. Best match I've seen in many years. 7 break and runs in 8 games - the back and forth pressure just mounted with each rack; fabulous crowd.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
Reviewing matches of year is like reviewing movies-there are different genres, some matches may be memorable not cos they elicit best performances. Some are memorable for other reasons. Below are only those I have watched, remembered or read about- there are many I may have missed out
:D

Box Office Blockbuster
Shane v Ko Pin Yi (CSI 10 ball challenge Race to 21)
This was easily the most anticipated high profile match of the year- it was scheduled months earlier so there was lots of hype and endless chatter. This was the match everyone have been talking about for years
But the actual event was a let down with both performing below their best. Notable was Ko down by 5 racks and then coming back to win by 4 racks so 9 racks ahead at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZo5nHx9As
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piEqzgRNFqc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPCFD2bOpuA

Action thriller
CSI 9 ball challenge Chang Jung Lin v Dennis Orcullo (Race to 21)
This had hallmarks of non stop action thriller with the leads see sawing between both of them. This had something like a 5 or 6 part script
I think Chang jumped into lead then Dennis came back even and jumped in lead and the lead changed some more. With Dennis in lead something like 17-15, he played a poor safety on 1ball and Chang ran out the match with an excellent 6 pack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Th2rUc4Rq4 Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Maj_HA-GDc Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68AmRrN8zA Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsqxnH9ilqE Part 4

Award worthy performances
Shane v Dennis US Open final
This was high level flawless performance by both-they give Oscars in movies for such performances

Horror cum comedy
1) Biado v Pupul (2nd MP Cup semifinal)
Biado forgot to call 10 ball (this tourney had a must call 10 ball rule)in final rack with score tied hill hill 8 -8. The 10 ball was a few inches from centre pocket and even Britney Spears would know Biado will shoot into centre pocket.
Then Pupul did his monkey dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZcgsHPE4Ac

2) Shane v Alcano (2nd MP Cup group match)
Shane did not call 10 ball , ref said must call , Alcano chimed in, Shane unscrewed his cue and forfeited.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ZrFBWjrKk

3) Niels Feijen missing 8 ball in final hill hill rack in World Cup of Pool final v England
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd-71DVMcJU

4) Morra missing a critical ball (forgot which one) in crucial rack v Germany in 2014 World Cup of Pool Quarterfinal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83x-JZ0d4KY

5) Misses by Shane , Darren in International Challenge of Champions
If I recall 2 or 3 of the big guns Shane , Darren missed easy shots which cost them the match


Feel good movie
Efren v Pulpul (MP Cup singles final)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB74rp1MmUI
This 60 year old man Efren shows he can still play by snapping this tourney. This was a win everyone liked


arps said:
Chang Yu-Lung vs Shane Van Boening (2014 World 9-Ball)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEi4CgIQc9I

Chang Yu-Lung vs Jeffrey Ignacio (China Open Finals)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygodkiP5OT8
Click to expand...

Yes the new WPA World No 1 Chang YL was involved in a number of very good matches
Other good Chang Yu-Lung vs Jeffrey Ignacio match was in All Japan quarterfinals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFzzipPnJWo Wasn't error free but was fast no nonsense punch and counter punch by both. probably one of fastest matches of year -lLess than 5 mins per rack

:D
 
Without a doubt it was Shane and Orcollo in the U.S. Open 9 Ball finals. With Dennis playing at such a high level coming into the match and Shane going for the never done before three-peat, the match lived up to all expectations and we were treated to an epic final!
 
Stu;

Great thread!

It's hard to top #8, imo, with these 2 combatants playing in the stratosphere and in the end, with a comeback required, Shane gets his well deserved trifecta US Open title. Brilliance from both guys! :thumbup:

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Shannon show up once again with his big 1p game to best Scott Frost at DCC. This one may not have been most people's number two choice match but I got so much entertainment value from it that I will give it my nod for 2nd place. :wink:

best,
brian kc <---- SVB in the grease in Greece was incredible, as well. :thumbup2:
 
Last edited:
sjm said:
2. January: Shannon Daulton beats Scott Frost at the Derby City One Pocket
Efren Reyes already owned the hot seat and Scott Frost and Shannon Daulton played each other for the other spot in the final. I'm sure I wasn't alone in predicting that Frost would win and give the fans an almost unimprovable matchup in the final. Apparently, nobody advised Shannon Daulton of the script. Shannon, with an almost unfathomable display of long banking, was up to the task and beat Frost in a truly memorable match.

3. January: Derby City Bank Pool Ring Game
If you were there or even if you watched it on stream, you'll never forget it. Sky Woodward put on a show for the ages and eventually found himself eye-to-eye with Bustamante as they fought for the $6,000 first prize. Bustamante was great, Woodward was even better. When the smoke had cleared, Woodward, who ran three different sixes along the way, had bested Bustamante. Freddie the Beard called it the best banking he'd seen in his life, a life which very sadly expired about four months later, robbing us all of the face of bank pool.

8. October: Van Boening beats Orcullo to win the US Open final
Orcullo shoots a 1.000 accu-stats for the first nine racks to gain a 6-3 lead, but when Shane's chances came, he went into overdrive and played some of the best pool I've ever seen. Dennis was brilliant in this one, but not nearly as brilliant as Van Boening, the deserving 13-10 winner.
Click to expand...

For me, it's Match #3, followed by Match #2 and then Match #8.

Ken
 
Williebetmore said:
Schmidt vs. Gray 1st day of Mosconi Cup 2014. Best match I've seen in many years. 7 break and runs in 8 games - the back and forth pressure just mounted with each rack; fabulous crowd.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yup, that one was a dandy. Probably didn't make my list because it was a race to five, but as we are all reminded every December, short races can, and often do, produce great drama.
 
spartan said:
Reviewing matches of year is like reviewing movies-there are different genres, some matches may be memorable not cos they elicit best performances. Some are memorable for other reasons. Below are only those I have watched, remembered or read about- there are many I may have missed out
:D

Box Office Blockbuster
Shane v Ko Pin Yi (CSI 10 ball challenge Race to 21)
This was easily the most anticipated high profile match of the year- it was scheduled months earlier so there was lots of hype and endless chatter. This was the match everyone have been talking about for years
But the actual event was a let down with both performing below their best. Notable was Ko down by 5 racks and then coming back to win by 4 racks so 9 racks ahead at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZo5nHx9As
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piEqzgRNFqc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPCFD2bOpuA

Action thriller
CSI 9 ball challenge Chang Jung Lin v Dennis Orcullo (Race to 21)
This had hallmarks of non stop action thriller with the leads see sawing between both of them. This had something like a 5 or 6 part script
I think Chang jumped into lead then Dennis came back even and jumped in lead and the lead changed some more. With Dennis in lead something like 17-15, he played a poor safety on 1ball and Chang ran out the match with an excellent 6 pack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Th2rUc4Rq4 Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Maj_HA-GDc Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68AmRrN8zA Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsqxnH9ilqE Part 4

Award worthy performances
Shane v Dennis US Open final
This was high level flawless performance by both-they give Oscars in movies for such performances

Horror cum comedy
1) Biado v Pupul (2nd MP Cup semifinal)
Biado forgot to call 10 ball (this tourney had a must call 10 ball rule)in final rack with score tied hill hill 8 -8. The 10 ball was a few inches from centre pocket and even Britney Spears would know Biado will shoot into centre pocket.
Then Pupul did his monkey dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZcgsHPE4Ac

2) Shane v Alcano (2nd MP Cup group match)
Shane did not call 10 ball , ref said must call , Alcano chimed in, Shane unscrewed his cue and forfeited.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ZrFBWjrKk

3) Niels Feijen missing 8 ball in final hill hill rack in World Cup of Pool final v England
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd-71DVMcJU

4) Morra missing a critical ball (forgot which one) in crucial rack v Germany in 2014 World Cup of Pool Quarterfinal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83x-JZ0d4KY

5) Misses by Shane , Darren in International Challenge of Champions
If I recall 2 or 3 of the big guns Shane , Darren missed easy shots which cost them the match


Feel good movie
Efren v Pulpul (MP Cup singles final)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB74rp1MmUI
This 60 year old man Efren shows he can still play by snapping this tourney. This was a win everyone liked




Yes the new WPA World No 1 Chang YL was involved in a number of very good matches
Other good Chang Yu-Lung vs Jeffrey Ignacio match was in All Japan quarterfinals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFzzipPnJWo Wasn't error free but was fast no nonsense punch and counter punch by both. probably one of fastest matches of year -lLess than 5 mins per rack

:D
Click to expand...

An early leader for post of the year in 2015. Thanks for your insights and your links, Spartan.

You and ARPS are reminding me that while I saw a whole lot of great pool in 2014, I missed quite a bit of it, too.
 
Last edited:
I have to go with #8. Didn't he almost drop his first match in the US Open only to come back strong get it done? I can't remember what the early score was or who he shot in his first match but I thought he was going to get dropped to the loser side and found out later he came back and took it.
 
Dockter said:
I have to go with #8. Didn't he almost drop his first match in the US Open only to come back strong get it done? I can't remember what the early score was or who he shot in his first match but I thought he was going to get dropped to the loser side and found out later he came back and took it.
Click to expand...

The first match was against Saez, and Shane recovered for an 11-10 victory.
 
sjm said:
The first match was against Saez, and Shane recovered for an 11-10 victory.
Click to expand...

And Shane had another squeaker in his third match. From an article by Jerry Forsyth:

"Late evening matches of interest included a match between Shane Van Boening and Do Huang Quan where the pool gods showed their undying love for Van Boening. Quan had him in the vise twice and let him out. Quong was running out when he led the match 10-8 but dogged an easy 5 ball and then dogged another golden opportunity in the hill match to ran the victory to Van Boening 11-10."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top