Europe Throw The Point Away at Mosconi Cup

Europe Throw The Point Away at Mosconi CupCrucial errors from the European billiard team handed America another point on the final day of the 2006 PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup.The Europeans lead 5-3 but Imran Majid missed a simple-looking shot at the 6-ball and then, when the match had become a hill-hill affair, Thomas Engert nudged the red three with his cue while shooting at the 1-ball.Discuss the PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup
It brought the score back to 9-8 in Europe's favour and they would be hoping that these mistakes would not prove critical.Europe won the lag but lost position and USA looked to take an early lead. However, John Schmidt missed a 9-ball, much to the frustration of team-mate Earl Strickland, and Thomas Engert softly rolled the 9-ball into the top left pocket to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.But America won the next as Strickland pocketed the 9-ball to match the score tied at 1-1 before they took the lead by winning the third. Schmidt played safe on the green six but the following shot from Imran Majid was poor and he left the same ball over the right centre pocket as USA moved in front.However, it did not last long as an error from Strickland, who missed a relatively easy shot on the green three, led to Majid making it 2-2.Deuel scratched as the 2-ball nudged the white into the top left pocket. With the remaining balls spread out, Team Europe completed the run out to take the lead at 3-2.A gentle break from Strickland in the next split the pack and left an easy shot on the 1-ball. The Americans then worked their way through the table to level things up 3-3.Thomas Engert kept his composure to sink the 9-ball in the seventh rack, as Europe edged ahead once more at 4-3.After a lengthy safety battle at the start of the eighth, Deuel left the 1-ball on and van den Berg pocketed it and gave Engert a shot at the 2-ball. It got better for Europe as a 3-9 combination from Majid took the Europeans to the hill and 5-3 ahead.Europe should have sealed the victory but Majid missed a straightforward shot at the green six with the Europeans only four balls away from winning the point. Strickland won the rack for USA to keep the match alive as Europe were hoping they would not live to regret that miss.America piled on the pressure on the hosts as they ran through the tenth rack to make it a hill-hill affair.Thomas Engert made a critical error in the 11th as, while playing a shot at the 1-ball, nudged the 3-ball with his cue to foul and give the Americans ball in hand.They could not believe their luck and they stole the point as John Schmidt sunk the 9-ball to seal the win.

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