Play beings 11am PT
Team USA vs Team EUROPE
Van Boening/Styer vs Kaci/Feijen
Woodward/Bergman vs Kazakis/Shaw
Players from both teams cranked up the war of words ahead of Sunday’s partypoker Mosconi Cup press conference, less than 24 hours before play begins at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Convention Center, Las Vegas, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
The two team captains revealed their line-ups for day one at the press conference, before players from both sides stoked up the heat. It came two days after a fiery ‘Face Off’ between the two captains, in which USA Coach Johan Ruijsink challenged European Captain Marcus Chamat’s wildcard selections.
Chamat, however, responded at Sunday’s press conference and highlighted his record as European Captain since taking the reins in 2015.
“The Face Off was something different,” said Chamat. “I didn’t expect him to speak like this. This is my fifth year as a captain. In the first three years, it was 12 sessions to me, none to USA. Now it is 13 to me, three to USA. That speaks for something. You compare the teams? You cannot compare humans to lions.”
The tournament begins on Monday with five matches. The traditional team match will raise the curtain on the 26th annual partypoker Mosconi Cup. That will be followed by a doubles match which sees Shane Van Boening and Tyler Styer take on Eklent Kaci and Niels Feijen. Styer defeated Feijen in what many believe was a crucial singles win on day one of last year’s Cup, but the Dutchman isn’t reading too much into that.
“Everybody who thinks the win was over-hyped needs to watch the match again,” said Styer.
“He knows who his daddy is,” replied Feijen. “Over the years, the quality and shot making I have seen with this European team is frightening. The shots they go for and they make is intimidating as hell, it is pure quality. With my experience we have a great team.”
Monday’s third match will see Billy Thorpe take on World and US Open Champion Joshua Filler, before Skyler Woodward and Justin Bergman face Alex Kazakis and Jayson Shaw.
The day’s play will conclude with Bergman against Shaw. That means US No.1 Van Boening will only play one doubles and the team match on day one, with Coach Ruijsink perhaps saving him for a big day two.
“Winning last year was probably the best feeling ever,” said Van Boening. “You are trying to win for the team and everybody is depending on me to make that shot. It was the most pressure I have ever felt. We are trying to move forward from last year’s event and bring that into this year’s event.
“Who is their weakest player? I think all of them in my opinion. If we played race to 100, none of them would have a chance. They don’t mean anything to me at all.”
The 2019 partypoker Mosconi Cup will take place at Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas this November 25-28, live on Sky Sports, DAZN and networks around the world. Tickets now sold out.
The 2019 partypoker Mosconi Cup is partnered by Rasson Billiards who supplies the Official Table; the cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and Saluc is the Official Ball Provider. Predator is the Official Cue of the event, Kamui the Official Chalk and Tip and Ultimate Team Gear provide all partypoker Mosconi Cup apparel. CSI is the official sponsor of Team USA and Just Eat sponsor Team Europe.
