Van den Berg knocked Archer out to put Europe up for good.

Despite home-court advantage and heavy support from the 500-plus fans who packed the arena for each session, Team USA stumbled out of the gate. After dropping the ceremonial full-team opening match, 6-3, the Americans responded with the duo of Archer and Putnam erasing a 3-1 deficit to win their doubles tilt with Van den Berg and Melling, 6-3.

From there, the U.S. saw its hopes of a fast start wilt under the pressure of a 6-0 waxing and a pair of squandered leads. Feijen showed off his MVP form by burying Morris in the whitewash, and Van Boening felt the sting of back-to-back collapses. Teamed with 24-year-old Dechaine, Van Boening watched a 4-0 lead evaporate at the hands of Appleton and Souquet. The Euros rallied with six consecutive rack wins for a 6-4 verdict. And in the day's final match, Van Boening built a 3-0 lead on Melling, only to lose, 6-5.

Europe's top-ranked player, Melling has hit the 9-ball circuit much in the same fashion as Appleton. No youngster at 32, Melling is another converted English 8-baller who shoots fast and straight, and fears nothing.

"There's a lot of pressure on you here, no doubt," offered Melling. "But I'm enjoying every second of it."

Trailing 4-1, the Americans set their sights on Day Two, which traditionally is Animosity Day at the Mosconi Cup. The congenial competition that typifies the opening day usually goes out the window on the next, when the teams battle to establish their will. It was no different in Las Vegas.

Realizing his squad needed a fast start, U.S. captain Charlie Williams sent Archer and Van Boening out in the doubles opener, and America's top duo needed every made ball to escape with a 6-5 win over Feijen and Van den Berg. Then Dechaine stunned the Europeans by hammering Souquet, their most senior Mosconi Cup player. With the U.S. now within a match of bringing the score even, Morris and Putnam squared off against the Brit duo of Appleton and Melling. With the match close and the sizeable European fan contingent heckling the Americans, Morris not-so-gently requested that Appleton intercede and quiet his backers. Seemingly forgetting that he was miked for sound by Sky Sport, which was airing the matches live throughout the United Kingdom, Morris unleashed a barrage of expletives and challenged Appleton to step outside. While angry e-mails and calls streamed in to Sky and promoter Matchroom, Morris and Putnam settled in to score a 6-5 win and knot the overall score at 4-4.

That was to be Team USA's last whiff of hope. Feijen's countryman Van den Berg, whose on-and-off career makes him the forgotten man on Team Europe, turned in what proved to be the most critical performance in the Euros' run to the title. Focused and determined, Van den Berg demolished America's ace, Archer, 6-1, to restore the Europeans' lead. And when Souquet and Melling teamed to drill Morris and Van Boening, 6-2, Team Europe was once again in control.

"It's tough to fight back like we did and claw out a few wins, then get blitzed back to back," Archer noted.

Having withstood the U.S. squad's hardest charge, Team Europe coasted to an insurmountable lead on Day Three. Appleton and Feijen beat Putnam and Dechaine, 6-3, then Appleton returned to thump Putnam in a rematch of the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships finale, 6-2. And after Feijen and Souquet ran over Archer and Morris, 6-2, Team Europe had rattled off five straight wins for a commanding 9-4 lead.

Van Boening's gutty 6-5 win over Van den Berg assured action on Day Four, but Team Europe quickly regained its swagger with another decisive win, this a 6-2 beating by Melling over Dechaine.

"We're super confident," Appleton said as his squad reached the hill. "When we've lost it's been a close match. And when we've won it's been decisive. I think the aggregate rack score is 79-54, so we feel like we're in charge."

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