Europe tightens noose around Team USA with 9-4 lead

Ralf Souquet

Midway through day three of the 2011 Mosconi Cup, the scoreline is starting to become the 6th man on Team Europe. The players on the European squad are playing with comfort and the US team is playing as if their backs were to the wall.

The third match of the day saw Ralf Souquet and Niels Feijen taking on the formidable team of Johnny Archer and Rodney Morris.

Again, the match was close early, mostly thanks to the play of Johnny Archer as he jumped to make one ball and kicked another into the pocket to keep USA close at 1-1.

Team USA quickly took a 3-1 lead after that as they broke and ran a rack and then took advantage of a scratch by Morris on the break to run out rack four.

Johnny and Rodney got back to within one at 3-2 after Rodney played a 4-6 carom after a weak Feijen safety. That would be the last 9-ball for Team USA in this match though as Ralf and Niels played strong and relaxed to run out from their break in rack six and then ran again in rack seven after dry break from Archer.

The US team had control of the table in the final rack, but a missed bank by Morris was the end of the road as Europe ran out for a 6-2 win and what appears to be an insurmountable 9-4 overall score line.

Next up, Shane Van Boeing vs Nick van den Berg.