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Philippines, 19 May 2024 |
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Van den Berg: ?They?re weaker than last year; we?re stronger? PhilBoxing.com Sat, 26 Nov 2011 HOLLAND?S NICK van den Berg believes the European Mosconi Cup team is stronger than ever, while the American side is getting weaker. That was the Dutchman?s candid assessment of the respective sides, and he is confident of victory at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from December 8 to 11. Van den Berg was part of the winning European five last year and will be back to help defend the title after coming out in the top five of the gruelling year-long qualification system. He will be joined by countryman Niels Feijen, Germany?s Ralf Souquet and English duo Darren Appleton and Chris Melling as they face off against an American team comprised of Johnny Archer, Shane Van Boening, Rodney Morris, Shawn Putnam and debutant Mike Dechaine. However, van den Berg believes the additions of Dechaine and Putnam, who is returning to the team for the first time since 2005, have strengthened Europe?s chances. ?Europe is very big and there are lots of top players to choose from but in the US you only have a handful of players you could pick for the Mosconi Cup,? said van den Berg. ?They can only have the best at that moment so now players that should be there like Corey Deuel and Dennis Hatch aren?t playing. Dennis always plays good in the Mosconi Cup and last year we saw him as the weak link but at the tournament he was their best player. ?I think they?re weaker than last year and we?ve only got stronger. ?In the last seven years we?ve had the advantage as in my eyes we have a stronger team than the Americans. ?On the Euro Tour we have so many good players and you have to play even better than before and you need to run out every time. ?European players have started to dominate in world events. We already have the Mosconi Cup and it will stay here. ?That said, I think there will be a lot of hill-hill matches but I?m 95 per cent sure we will win, the other five per cent is the luck factor involved.? Van den Berg has played in the Mosconi Cup on four previous occasions and believes he will produce his to form in America. Although he will be making his fifth appearance in the prestigious competition, being picked for the team has still been the highlight of his pool year. ?It means a lot to me and I?ve been working all year for it,? added Van den Berg. ?I set some goals for the future at the beginning of my year and my goal was to get into the Mosconi Cup team. ?Only five players can get into it and the ranking system made it more nerve-wracking. Every Euro Tour match was effectively three more points and I was getting excited at the end as there were only a few points between me, Darren and Ralf. ?It?s the only tournament of its kind with that audience, that atmosphere where everyone wants you to win ? during the Mosconi Cup it overwhelms you. ?I?m pretty good under pressure but it hasn?t brought the best out of me yet and hopefully this year it will and I will show my best game.? ?The coach (Johan Ruijsink) is Dutch and Niels is Dutch so this is the first year three Dutch are in it ? I can?t wait.?  |
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