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Team USA On Verge of Redemption
Dec 13, 2009, 12:41 PM

Staring down the finest collection of players assembled by Team Europe in the 15-year history of the Mosconi Cup, underdog Team USA enters the final day of the 2009 team 9-ball event needing just two wins to recapture the coveted Mosconi Cup trophy in Las Vegas.
Holding a comfortable lead since the first day of action at the MGM Grand, Team USA won two critical matches on Saturday to enter the final day with a 9-5 lead in the race to 11 tournament. Team Europe, featuring a quintet of former and current world champions, captured the days first two matches to cut the US lead to 7-4. Dutchman Neils Feijen and Germany's Thorsten Hohman routed Corey Deuel and fans' choice selection Dennis Hatch, 6-1, and US Open finalists Mika Immonen and Ralf Souquet topped Shane Van Boening and first-timer Oscar Dominguez, 6-4, to shift momentum in the Euros' favor.
Hatch, Team USA's emotional leader this year, stemmed the tide with a 6-4 win over Feijen. Johnny Archer then turned in his finest match of the tournament, playing perfect pool and coaxing shaky teammate Deuel to a hard-fought, 6-5, win over Darren Appleton and Hohmann.
Only Immonen's 6-4 win over Dominguez prevented the Americans from reaching the hill heading into Sunday's conclusion.