THE AMERICAN team have described their pride at winning the 2009 PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup.

The USA line-up of Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Oscar Dominguez, Dennis Hatch and Shane Van Boening, led by captain Nick Varner, won the competition outright for the first time since 2005 with an 11-7 triumph over Europe at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

From the first day, USA were in complete control having won the first four matches. They ended day one 4-1 up, extended that advantage to 7-2 by Friday night, edged closer to their target at 9-5 by the end of Saturday and sealed an 11-7 success on Sunday.

"These have been the best days of my life, they all just played so well and I'm so proud of them," said Nick Varner. "I feel really good and I think I'm going to be like Dennis and probably start crying.

"The whole team, Dennis, Johnny, Corey, Oscar and Shane, have played so well and I am so happy.

"In our practise room we had a picture from last year and it really motivated us.

"This picture was of the European team with the Mosconi Cup trophy and underneath it said 'THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE' and that was a real motivator for us."

Dennis Hatch was making his debut in this year's competition having won an online vote on MatchroomPool.com and proved to be an inspired addition to the American team.

He won two out of three doubles matches and gained victory in both singles encounters, including a 6-0 final-day destruction of European star Niels Feijen in a performance described by Varner as 'completely awesome'.

Hatch's efforts saw him named as the tournament's Most Valuable Player and the 38-year-old from Buffalo said the event was easily the highlight of his career.

"I can't explain how I feel, this is the best moment of my life," said Hatch. "I want to thank all the fans for being here and if it was not for those guys we wouldn't have won.

"It's the best feeling I've ever had and these guys are just amazing. Nothing can compare to this. I'm already thinking about the Turning Stone Classic which I have to play in three days but I won't care if I win or lose because it won't be as good as this. How can it compare to this?

"I had no idea what to expect. I spoke to Johnny and Nick and they said it didn't matter what you thought it would be like, it would be different. There's so much more emotion and I've cried about 15 times each day.

"I was short of money and my family leant me $2,000 for the flights and if it wasn't for them then I wouldn't be here.

"To be MVP as well, I can't believe it. I'm just in awe of the situation at the moment. My head is going to be so big, it'll be hard for me to walk through the door! It's just unbelievable to be part of this team and to be in the limelight with the best players in the world.

"It just couldn't have gone any better and to get the MVP and win the Mosconi Cup with my team is the best feeling in the world.

"That 6-0 victory (against Niels Feijen) is the best match I will ever play in my life."

The emotional Hatch was the most vocal of the American players and at one stage screamed 'one plus one' at European captain Alex Lely while potting the winning 9-ball in a doubles match.

This was a direct response to Lely saying the same thing to Hatch earlier in the encounter when he had failed to notice that three balls had not gone past the headstring following the break shot.

"When he (Lely) said 'one plus one' I held that in for the whole match and I said to Oscar 'we're going to win this match'," added Hatch.

"You don't intimidate me, I'm here to win and it was an attempt at a bit of intimidation. I even had a few European fans coming up to me saying I was over the top."

The European team included five players who had all won world titles and the defending champions were strong favourites to claim another title.

However, without the volatile and sometimes destructive Earl Strickland in their line-up, the Americans felt a greater unity, which proved crucial in their victory.

"It's easy to say we've had a good time when you've won but the whole experience has been fantastic," said Mosconi Cup veteran Johnny Archer.

"Losing the last two year's wasn't an inspiration but we really wanted to redeem ourselves and I was so excited to be on the first team without any negativity.

"It's the difference between night and day. All of a sudden we could work with each other and everyone had a job to do.

"We've had a 11pm curfew every night and that's the way you have to win. It was just so much more different to anything in the past and I've not experienced anything like this.

"We had gone into a lull for the last few years for whatever the reason. In previous years the practise room hasn't been like it should be in and there wasn't the camaraderie.

"But this year it was there and to the last ball no one was going anywhere. If it had came down to the last match then we would've been there again.

"It showed in my play as well as when everyone pulls together it makes you play better.

"It's been by far the best crowd and most enthusiastic here in Vegas and when you have that crowd behind you it's hard not to be motivated."

The second debutant was Oscar Dominguez and he was delighted to win, especially as his father and ex player Ernesto Dominguez was present throughout the whole event.

"This is awesome, especially to play in front of my family and friends from LA," said Oscar Dominguez. "I'm surrounded by the best players in the world.

"My dad has always been there and helped share his knowledge. He cares about all of us and it's been something special to share with him and everyone else. I'm very blessed to have that and to be with these guys.

"I didn't know what to expect and had no idea what I was getting myself into. Everyone worked together as a team and we were all together in the practise room. We all pulled together and everyone really made me feel a part of it."

Shane Van Boening won the point that clinched the cup with a 6-2 victory over Ralf Souquet, an opponent who Van Boening had lost to earlier in the final day.

"Before that second match with Ralf started I was thinking 'how the hell did he beat me?' so I said to a friend that he is never going to beat me again," said Van Boening. "He had my number in the first match and I couldn't let him beat me again so I just put him away. I played perfectly in that match and didn't make a single mistake.

"This is the third year I have been in the Mosconi Cup and I've lost the last two so there was no way I wanted to lose again."

The American side was completed by Corey Deuel, who was returning to the line-up after not being selected for their defeat in Malta in 2008.

"This means everything to me, it's unbelievable," said Deuel. "It's the most nervous I've ever been in any tournament.

"I love playing in this and the Mosconi Cup is my favourite tournament to play in. The will to win is what got us through."