Why isnt there an Asian Mosconi team? (+make it 10-ball)

kolaas

kolaas

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Personally I think that Asia deserves a team as well. So many awesome players that cannot compete, because they are not American or European..

Is there a specific reason for this? Ofcourse it would become a threeway competition, so that would need a different setup. But that shouldnt be a problem.

Also... I hope they will make it 10-ball next year. 9-ball on this level is just not so entertaining. This is how all racks go:

ball on break?
- yes
easy lay out > clearance or error
difficult lay out > fun to watch rack!
- no >
easy lay out > clearance or error
difficult lay out > fun to watch rack!

Error usually ends up in clearance for opponent.
I love seeing these people's perfect play, but with the easy lay out racks it only gets fun on keyshots or when they are getting out of line.

Chances are small these changes will be made.. skysports probably has a big influence on making this event broadcastable and thus the structure. But it could be made even more interesting.
 
I remember a few years ago there was an event similar to the Mosconi cup, except it was the world vs the Philippines. If I remember correctly, it was called the Quezon City Invasion.

The World Team members were:
Rodney Morris
Jian-Bo Fu
Raj Hundal
Ching-Shun Yang
Chia-Ching Wu
Thorsten Hohmann
Mika Immonen
Charlie Williams

The Philippines Team members were:
Dennis Orcollo
Roberto Gomez
Lee Vann Corteza
Warren Kiamco
Alex Pagulayan
Ronnie Alcano
Francisco Bustamante
Efren Reyes
 
Because the Phillipines or Taiwan alone could field teams that would be favorites over Europe. You would need 5 Shane Van Boenings or 5 Mika Immonens to make it a competition against an amalgam of the best players in Asia.
 
A team of Mika Immonen, Thorsten Hohmann, Ralf Souquet, Darren Appleton and Niels Feijen would definitely be on pretty even footing with a possible Asian team of susperstars Chin Shun Yang, Wu Chia Ching, Dennis Orcullo, Carlo Biado and Alex Pagulayan.

Don't forget that Ralf beat Orcullo and Biado back to back in recent exhibitions played in Asia.

Europe vs Asia is a coin toss.
 
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I'd like to see a World Pool League. 8 teams that play once a month with a match every weekend. Anyone have some cash laying around?
 
If the Mosconi Cup was expanded to allow Asia to have a team, and I certainly hope they do, it would be a toss-up between Europe and Asia. Europe has played superbly in this Mosconi cup, and based on the Philipines challenges, look like favorites against anybody. Chris Melling has been as good as it gets, and there doesn't seem to be a weak link. I'm a USA guy, but you got to give the European team its due-they've played about as well as you can play.
 
World Pool League?

chevybob20 said:
I'd like to see a World Pool League. 8 teams that play once a month with a match every weekend. Anyone have some cash laying around?
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I'd love to see that, but the travel would be prohibitive. But how about a round-robin World Team Tournament of 5-person teams that play World Standardized Rules of 8-ball, and the BCA/ACS/VNEA type of format (each player plays one game against each player on opposing team)? The average viewer could really relate to this format as it is pretty familiar to most.

The Mosconi Cup is great to watch (aside from the BS), but is it really team play or a series of singles (and doubles) matches? This is what APA is: a series of singles matches, not really team against team. When I play against a team, I want to play everyone on that team, not one player that my captain thinks I have a chance to beat.

Donny L
BCA/ACS Instructor
Gainesville, Fl
 
I would really hate to see an asian Mosconi Cup team. Not because they would win but I have a feeling Charlie Williams would find a way onto that team if he doesn't qualify to play or coach team USA.
 
sjm said:
Europe vs Asia is a coin toss.
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Not if big money is on the line, not even close actually. Forgive my repeating this, but i feel it needs repeating. Europe isn't all that it thinks it is.... the proof has to be in the big matchups, not in these short bs races. Put 20 or 40 k on the line, and watch half these European guys crumble, then tell me who is best.
 
The Chinchilla said:
Not if big money is on the line, not even close actually. Forgive my repeating this, but i feel it needs repeating. Europe isn't all that it thinks it is.... the proof has to be in the big matchups, not in these short bs races. Put 20 or 40 k on the line, and watch half these European guys crumble, then tell me who is best.
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Before you dismiss the Europeans, let's not forget that Ralf Souquet just went to Asia and beat Orcullo and Biado in back to back challenge matches on their own turf. Darren Appleton leveled Pagualyan in the hot seat match for the US Open, resulting in a $30,000 payday. Darren also bested World 9-ball champion Yukio Akagariyama at the Challenge of Champions, which ultimately resulted in a $25,000 payday. Those are very big matches. The bigger the prize, the better these two European superstars play.
 
Donny Lutz said:
I'd love to see that, but the travel would be prohibitive. But how about a round-robin World Team Tournament of 5-person teams that play World Standardized Rules of 8-ball, and the BCA/ACS/VNEA type of format (each player plays one game against each player on opposing team)? The average viewer could really relate to this format as it is pretty familiar to most.

The Mosconi Cup is great to watch (aside from the BS), but is it really team play or a series of singles (and doubles) matches? This is what APA is: a series of singles matches, not really team against team. When I play against a team, I want to play everyone on that team, not one player that my captain thinks I have a chance to beat.

Donny L
BCA/ACS Instructor
Gainesville, Fl
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If we are talking about a team based world pool league, then I would guess that corporporate sponsors and advertisers would like to be involved in such an entity. Remember, pool is much bigger in Asia than in North America. Plus, I'd love to see it. Team events like the MC are fun to sweat.
 
sjm said:
A team of Mika Immonen, Thorsten Hohmann, Ralf Souquet, Darren Appleton and Niels Feijen would definitely be on pretty even footing with a possible Asian team of susperstars Chin Shun Yang, Wu Chia Ching, Dennis Orcullo, Carlo Biado and Alex Pagulayan.
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Yang and Wu are on roughly equal footing with at least a dozen more Taiwanese players. If the teams included more players, Asia (I'm thinking more Taiwan than Philippines) would be a lock to win. The depth of talent from Taiwan is incredible: dozens of unknown kids who have years on the pro tour with television exposure and experience.
 
buddha162 said:
Yang and Wu are on roughly equal footing with at least a dozen more Taiwanese players. If the teams included more players, Asia (I'm thinking more Taiwan than Philippines) would be a lock to win. The depth of talent from Taiwan is incredible: dozens of unknown kids who have years on the pro tour with television exposure and experience.
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Agreed. With teams of 20, Asia would be favored over Europe. Wish we got to see more of the great Asian players here in America.
 
I can't see Matchroom changing any of their tournaments to 10 ball in the near future, changing to an unfamiliar game (even if it is only adding a ball) hurts it's marketability as the general public is far more familiar with 9 ball than 10 ball.
 
that's not what the Mosconi Cup is about

The whole thing about the Mosconi Cup is that it's a tradition based rivalry. It's like you are saying "Hey, lets make it Ali,Fraiser, and Foreman."

Adding more team(s) would change the whole idea of a two sided rivalry. Also you would not be able to hold any of the events in the USA. You think the Taiwanese and Chinese players think that the Derby City Classic is beneath them? They'd love to go but it's not easy for a Chinese, Taiwanese, and in some cases Philippine national to get a visa (issued by US Customs) to the US.

Also it's crazy to think you could make a team of 5 from all of Asia. Then throw in communication factors. This is a team tournament, communication is vital to winning.

If anything I think there should be an annual Cup between Taiwan and the Philippines modeled after the Mosconi Cup. That would be a good one to watch every year. And they should do it soon cause Efren is getting long in the tooth.

kano
 
Because I believe the Mosconi Cup was modeled after the Ryder Cup in golf. Adding teams would take away from this mirroring.
 
Cameron Smith said:
I can't see Matchroom changing any of their tournaments to 10 ball in the near future, changing to an unfamiliar game (even if it is only adding a ball) hurts it's marketability as the general public is far more familiar with 9 ball than 10 ball.
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Pool is so boring to most that the last thing it needs is more boring safety, bitty bat play. I understand that those who cn play might enjoy or appreciate some of the safety play, but that is not the crowd the game needs to attract in order to get some money into the game.
I want to see someone go for a hard shot and run out again.
While we are there, Let's let Rodney and Darren go at it. Rodney looks a little tense and needing to vent a little.
 
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