Team USA Shining at World Cup
For the past 6 days the world has tuned into Sky Sports and its affiliated networks to watch the world’s best competitors and teams battle against one another for the title of World Cup of Pool Champion. The Scotch doubles format pits pairings from around the globe in a winner breaks, 9 ball tournament, with the host country offering two teams in England A and England B.
Representing team USA for the first time in this event are 5 time US Open Champion Shane Van Boening and rising Kentucky star, young gun Sky Woodward. Sky and Shane have competed internationally before as part of the team USA Mosconi Cup but never as a sole pair like we’ve seen this week at the World Cup. The two have shown top notch play through each round having already beaten a very tough Spain pairing of David Alcaide and Francisco Diaz-Ruiz; former champions and runners up Finland (Mika Immonen & Petri Makkonen), and most recently the defending champions of Chinese Taipei featuring double world champion Ko Pin Yi and Chang Yu Lung.
As a pair the two are playing with a quiet confidence, fluent communication and a steady rhythm that has, one by one, pushed passed every opponent they’ve met in the event thus far. Once they’ve been able to grab control of a match they’ve kept it as evidenced in their match against Finland where they found themselves trailing 4–2 down and put together 7 straight racks to win 9–4.
UNITY | BELIEF | SYNERGY
For American pool fans this has to be a welcomed relief and sight to behold. Watching their best players succeeding and playing together on the international stage is a definite boost to American spirits. Team USA hasn’t lifted the World Cup of Pool title in 9 years (Van Boening & Morris in 2008) and recent installations of the US Team have felt disjointed or have simply under performed. But this duo in Shane and Skyler are making their presence known as strong title contenders at this year’s World Cup. Perhaps a sign of things to come for American pool internationally.
It’s a great sign to see young talent joining the top ranks and excelling on the world stage. With young players like Skyler, Justin Bergman, Billy Thorpe beginning to ascend and take the torch that has been up for grabs in the US as the old guard that was so dominant in the 90’s is less relied on. It’s a perfect season to see these new faces join Shane at the top and make a strong claim and push for American cue sports.
This also has to be encouraging to watch for American Mosconi Cup hopes as the team now will certainly have a steady doubles pair in the World Cup of Pool finalists Shane and Sky, but will also likely be backed by a strong core of young talent and the leadership of Mosconi Cup veteran Captain Johan Ruysink.
As I write this article Team USA awaits in the finals for their final obstacle in Team Austria. USA has shown every bit of class and teamwork needed to be champions and are one match away from taking the title. No matter what the outcome US fans have to be excited to see their boys on the verge of victory. As stated in a previous interview Shane’s goal was “…to get passed the semi-final.” and that mission has certainly been achieved. Now they look to one more round of play to achieve a higher goal. Being World Cup of Pool champions once more…
Go get em’ boys. We’re proud of you!
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