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Day Two at the Mosconi Cup: Team USA edge ahead after a dramatic evening

Team USA put on a terrific display on the second day of the Mosconi Cup to take a 5-4 lead in the race to 11. However, Jeremy Jones' side will rue a missed opportunity in the final game.

The Americans won three of the five matches in the second session and came within a whisker of winning a fourth on what was a very positive day for the visitors.

Europe - who were the overwhelming favourites ahead of the event - have got ground to make up, but they will also be relieved that the difference at this stage is only a slender one.

Here's what went down on day two.

Shane Van Boening 3-5 Jayson Shaw (USA 2-3 Europe)

The day began with a fans choice match which saw the supporters vote on who they would like to play in the opening contest.

Shane Van Boening got the nod for America and unsurprisingly, fan favourite Jayson Shaw was picked to represent Team Europe.

The American got off to a flyer and took a 2-0 lead. Thing could've got even better in the following frame but with two balls remaining, Van Boening found himself blocked when going for the eight ball. A miss gave Shaw a chance to steal a point and that's exactly what the Scotsman did.
Eagle Eye now had momentum and he certainly capitalised on it as he went on to win the next three frames to take a 4-2 lead.
Van Boening pulled a point back but it wasn't enough to stop Shaw from taking the match.

Skyler Woodward 5-3 Albin Ouschan (USA 3-3 Europe)

The opening two frames of this match were relatively straight forward as both players cleaned up the table and got on the scoreboard.

The third frame turned into a titanic safety battle which appeared to be going in Ouschan's favour. The world number one produced a sensational jump shot to send the fourth ball into the bottom left pocket. With two balls remaining, the Austrian was on course for victory until an easy miss on the eight ball allowed Woodward to return to the table and take an unexpected point.

Both players shared the next four frames which saw Woodward lead 4-3.
Ouschan had the break in the following game but failed to pot. With the balls awkwardly positioned, Woodward set up a safety but it wasn't good enough to stop his Austrian opponent from finding the pocket.
Despite this, the current word champion failed to make contact with the ball in the next shot and opened the door for Woodward to close out the game. The American duly obliged and sealed an important win for Team USA.

Van Boening/Woodward 5-4 Ouschan/Shaw (USA 4-3 Europe)

Woodward and Ouschan were joined by Van Boening and Shaw in the third match of the evening.
The South Dakota Kid broke first and raised the roof with the second Golden Break of the tournament.
Team USA had the momentum and raced to a 3-1 lead. However, a couple of errors in the next frame handed the initiative back to Europe who levelled the match at 3-3.
The seventh frame proved to be a decisive one due to the ball positioning. The nine ball was teetering on the edge of the bottom right pocket and was placed right behind the fourth ball meaning whoever could get to it first, would take the frame.
Europe were on the table and were in prime position to take control of the match. However, a bad miss from Ouschan on the second ball allowed the Americans to return to the table and take out that nine ball early.
Europe levelled the score in the following frame but a flawless outing from Van Boening in the decisive games allowed the visitors to take another point.

Tyler Styer 5-3 Joshua Filler (USA 5-3 Europe)

The evening's heavyweight battle saw Tyler 'The Baby Faced Assassin' Styer take on Joshua 'The Killer' Filler.
An early error from the German allowed Styer to take the opening frame. Moments later, the American returned the favour as Filler levelled the match.
The third frame was arguably the most dramatic. Styer was able to pot seven straight balls before stumbling on the eighth. Both men struggled to put it away due to its awkward positioning until an unbelievable stroke of luck saw Styer's attempt fly around the table before finding its way into the middle pocket. The American went on to pot the nine ball and took a 2-1 lead.
Both players shared the next four frames as the Baby Faced Assassin held a 4-3 advantage.

The American then sealed the deal by winning the final game, and as a result, helped Team USA to a 5-3 lead in the overall standings.

Reinhold/Jones 4-5 Kaci/Alcaide (USA 5-4 Europe)

With Europe now behind by two points, the final match of the evening was now of significant importance.
Chris Reinhold and Jeremy Jones teamed up for the Americans while Eklent Kaci and David Alcaide led the way for Europe.
The hosts made a good start by winning the opening frame but things quickly took a downturn from there. Multiple missed shots from Kaci allowed Team USA to storm to an incredible 4-1 lead.
Europe needed to get their act together and step by step, they did just that. A mistake from Reinhold in the sixth frame allowed the hosts to clean up before also taking the seventh frame and making the score 4-3.
America needed one more opportunity to seal the match and that chance fell to Reinhold. However, a huge miss on the five ball allowed the hosts to return to the table and win another point.
In the decisive break it was Europe who took to the table first. A flawless performance allowed them to take the point and take the win.

What's happening on Day Three?

The Mosconi Cup is finely poised as we enter the third day of the event.
Thursday will see three singles matches and three doubles games on what should be a thrilling evening of pool.
Europe are behind, but Alex Lely's side have more than enough quality to turn things around.
Team USA, on the other hand, will be looking to continue their underdog story.

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