The Dual Dragons of Manila: Duong – From Vietnam's GOAT to ROW Contender

The contract without transparent audit clauses is where irregularities begin to speak for themselves. Similarly, a roster that cannot be explained is where the real questions start.

Reading carefully through the predictions for the third edition of the Reyes Cup, I noticed one detail that forced me to read three times before trusting my eyes: Duong – the Vietnamese player nicknamed "Vietnam's GOAT," who played a pivotal role in Asia's two consecutive championship wins – has been listed on the Team ROW (Rest of World) roster, not Team Asia. This decision could render any analysis of paper-versus-actual results meaningless.

The Merseyside stands are not loud, but their money flow never stays quiet. In Manila this October, Duong's silence at the ROW table will speak volumes.

I open the contract first before opening my mouth – and in this case, the roster itself is the first document that needs dissecting.

CONTEXT: THE REYES CUP AND THE BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY

The Reyes Cup is a Mosconi Cup-style team event for Asia, pitting Team Asia against the Rest of World, held in Manila, Philippines. In the most recent two editions, Asia has won consecutively – a detail that many Western analysts tend to overlook when looking at Team ROW's automatic qualifiers: five former US Open champions on one team.

Drawing from the US Open Championship points standings, the selection system divides into two tiers: automatic qualifiers based on points ranking and three captain's wildcards. Team Asia's captain is Francisco Bustamante – a name any serious pool follower recognizes. Team ROW's captain is Josh Souquet, who has publicly declared an "Avengers" strategy: assembling the biggest stars to reclaim the cup from Asia.

The regular pool season is never quiet, but this year's Reyes Cup may be the most complex in terms of variables since the tournament's inception.

ANALYSIS: THREE LAYERS OF DISSECTION

Layer 1: Strategic Asymmetry Between Captains

The difference in selection philosophy between Bustamante and Souquet creates two nearly opposing team blueprints.

Bustamante selects on cohesion. Aloysius Yapp (World No. 1, though described as having a "shaky year") represents veteran leadership. Carlo Biado – the reigning world champion from the Philippines – is a battle-tested team contributor. Duong, despite being placed on ROW, is a player who has proven composure in decisive frames at Manila.

Souquet, conversely, selects on stardom. This is easily justified on paper: Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (US Open 2026 winner), Shane van Boening (Florida Open 2026 winner), Jayson Shaw (8-time Mosconi Cup winner) – three names any tournament would want. But in team pool, paper does not always beat cloth.

Layer 2: The Three Wildcards and the Dual Value of Each Selection

Team ROW is expected to name Joshua Filler, Fedor Gorst, and Jayson Shaw as wildcards – where competitive value and entertainment value intersect most visibly.

Joshua Filler is a name that data alone cannot fully capture. Three Mosconi Cup MVP awards (2026, 2026, 2026) are a more precise measure than any ranking table, because MVP measures exactly the skill set required for the Reyes Cup: delivering under pressure in race-format team play. He won the 2026 UK Open, reached the European Open semi-finals, and the US Open quarter-finals – a consistent run at the highest level. Filler, simply, is the best player at the moment – and three MVP trophies prove he is not just the best but the most reliable when the team needs him most.

Fedor Gorst is the most complex equation among the three wildcards. Described as "the most talented and accomplished cueist remaining on the ROW board," Gorst has an extremely high ceiling – he eliminated van Boening at the US Open before losing to Capito in the next round. A player who can beat a former world champion and lose to a debutant in the same event signals mental oscillation. In a team format, one lost frame can create a domino effect – and Gorst is the biggest variable in Souquet's equation.

Jayson Shaw brings an element that numbers cannot measure: the ability to energize teammates. Eight Mosconi Cup wins are not just a personal record – they are field-tested evidence of the specific mental resilience required in team pool, where crowd noise, momentum swings, and mutual dependency create an entirely different symphony compared to singles play.

Layer 3: Albert Januarta and the Generational Challenge

Bustamante named Albert Januarta as Team Asia's wildcard – a decision ambitious in both market and sporting terms.

Januarta is 18 years old, the WNT's top-ranked player, with a playing style described as "silky and mature." As the youngest player never tested at this team level, he is a double-edged sword. Ceiling: a generational talent establishing himself at Manila. Floor: a nervous debutant disoriented by crowd pressure, costing critical frames.

Notably, Januarta is following the path of AJ Manas – last season's wildcard who energized the home crowd. Unlike Shaw or Filler, he carries no reputation burden – at 18, he only needs to play within his ability and let history write itself.

CONTRARIAN VIEW: WHAT THE PAPER ROSTER DOES NOT TELL

Every transfer has two readings: one for fans, one for courts. The Reyes Cup is no different.

On paper, Team ROW is clearly superior – five former US Open champions on one team is unprecedented in team pool history. But 28 years of following these matches have taught me: in team environments, discipline and rhythm often defeat genius and individuality.

The Mosconi Cup has proven this repeatedly: a European team with more world champions has lost to the USA because the locker room dynamics collapsed. Souquet understands this – but his "Avengers" strategy bets on stars harmonizing under pressure. No one knows in advance whether a team featuring Shaw, Filler, Gorst, Sanchez Ruiz, and van Boening – five names accustomed to spotlights and applause – can play for the team instead of for themselves.

On Team Asia's side, the home-cloth advantage at Manila is a factor that data often overlooks. In professional pool, cloth speed, surface bite, and air conditions vary enough between regions to create a typical adjustment period of two to three days. East Asian players familiar with the Manila setup will have a genuine structural advantage – not a psychological one, but a mechanical one that can be measured.

And the biggest question no one can answer: why is Duong on ROW?

This is a detail the original article does not explain, and let me be direct: if it is not a typo, this is the boldest tactical decision in Reyes Cup history. Moving a player who has twice defeated ROW strategically and mentally to the opposing team – if truly intentional – is either Bustamante dismantling the Asian team from within, or it is a systemic flaw in the eligibility regulations that governing bodies must clarify before the tournament begins.

TAKEAWAY: A GOLDEN MOMENT FOR ADMINISTRATORS TO ACT

The Reyes Cup is at a pivotal moment in defining its own identity. The first three editions have built a foundation, but if Team ROW wins this year with a star-studded roster, the tournament will have a narrative about individual power conquering team cohesion. Conversely, if Asia wins a third consecutive time, the Reyes Cup will become a symbol of East Asia's rise in global pool – and that is a far more compelling story than any ranking table.

Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: Manila in October will not lack drama, and perhaps – for the first time in Reyes Cup history – the most interesting question is not which player wins, but whether Duong scores a single point for ROW.