U.S. RETAINS MOSCONI CUP
by Mike
Panozzo
Early Saturday evening Team USA captain Earl Strickland lamented that in five appearances at the Mosconi Cup team tournament, he'd yet to have the privilege of making the title-clinching 9 ball. On Sunday night in York Hall at London's east end, Strickland realized his dream, drilling the final shot home to secure the U.S. squad's 12-9 victory over a tenacious European group. Strickland's 5-2 win over Germany's Thomas Engert garnered the U.S. its fifth consecutive Cup win. Strickland, playing his strongest pool of the year, posted four wins in five matches in the 2000 Mosconi Cup, leading the U.S. team by example and through his relentless locker room support.
"Being captain is tough," said the 39-year-old North Carolina native. "I kept pushing the guys upstairs to practice and work on their breaks and everything. It's the first time I've ever had all of their undivided attention. This is a great, great feeling."
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U.S.
team captain Earl Strickland gets mobbed by his
American teammates after clinching the country's
12-9 win over Europe at the 2000 Acclaim Mosconi Cup
in London.
Photo by
Lawrence Lustig |
Strickland opened a 2-0 lead, but scratched on the next break and followed with a poor safety to let Engert knot the match at 2-2. But Strickland regained the advantage, and lept on two critical errors by the German, including a scratch early in the final rack, to coast home.
"This was a great team," Strickland said of teammates Johnny Archer, Jeremy Jones, Shannon Daulton, Michael Coltrain and Corey Deuel. "But this was also the toughest European team we'd ever faced. Next year we better really come with our playin' shoes on."
The 12-9 win was the closest contest since 1996, when the U.S. won 15-13.
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Europe
Stays Alive
Sun, Dec 17 5:30 PM (EST)
Like Oreos & Milk
Sun, Dec 17 2:30 PM (EST)
Europe Storms Back
Sun, Dec 17 12:30 PM (EST)
The Heat is On
Sun, Dec 17 10:30 AM (EST)
The Early Bird Catches the Worm
Sat, Dec 16 6:30 PM (EST)
U.S. Surge Continues
Sat, Dec 16 5:30 PM (EST)
U.S. Steals Two-Game Lead
Sat, Dec 16 3:30 PM (EST)
U.S. Gains 5-4 Lead
Fri, Dec 15 5:30 PM (EST)
Train Finally Moves Out
Fri, Dec 15 4:30 PM (EST)
Europe Storms Back
Fri, Dec 15 2:30 PM
(EST)
U.S. Stretches Lead
Fri, Dec 15 1:30 PM (EST)
U.S. Sets Off 2-1 Lead
Thus, Dec 14 7:30 PM (EST)
Let's Get Ready to Rumble
Thus, Dec 14 4:30 PM (EST) |
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