Will Terry net title No. 5 with Blues?
Juventus can clinch Serie A on Sunday; Real Madrid, Monaco sniff at top place in leagues
Chelsea is on the verge of winning the Premier League title, as the Blues need just one more win to raise the trophy. That could come as early as Friday, as Chelsea visits struggling West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.
This would be Chelsea’s fifth league championship in the past 13 seasons, and of course John Terry has been there for all of them. Up till now, the only players able to say they’ve won five Premier League titles have played for Manchester United.
As for West Brom, it’s been a good season on balance, as they sit in eighth place. But the Baggies have been looking pretty bagged lately, with only two points from their last six outings, and failed to score a goal in all of April. There also a huge gap in both points and goal difference between them and seventh-place Everton. Late-season mid-table slumps is apparently a trademark of manager Tony Pulis; his teams have managed only six Premier League wins out of 44 games after reaching the 40-point mark.
If Chelsea fails to win the title today, they get another chance on Monday at home to Watford. I’m pretty sure the champagne is already on ice.
Table toppers
Juventus can clinch the Serie A title on Sunday away to second-place Roma. It would be the club’s sixth straight Scudetto. Juve has been inching toward the finish line, with draws in its last two Serie A games, but another draw in Rome would be good enough to retain the crown. Bad news for Roma is that league scoring leader Edin Dzeko is ruled out with a calf strain.
Another big top of the table clash is in Belgium as leaders Anderlecht visit second-place Club Brugge on Sunday. Anderlecht leads by two points with two rounds remaining after this weekend. Their player to watch is league top scorer Lukasz Teodorczyk. The 25-year-old Poland international could be on his way to the Premier League this summer according to rumours.
Whitecaps FC signed a player from Club Brugge this week, as Australia international attacker Bernie Ibini comes to Vancouver. Ibini has been playing on loan with Sydney FC, which just won the Australian A-League title last Sunday.
Closing in
There are many other games with title implications across Europe. Real Madrid will finally make up its game in hand on Barcelona with two tough tests, Sunday at home to fourthplace Sevilla, then Wednesday away to Europa League semifinalists Celta Vigo. If Barca drop points away to struggling Las Palmas, then the title could go to Real.
In France, Monaco also makes up a game in hand, giving them a chance to clinch League 1, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain. Saint-Etienne is central to the title race, as the seventh-place side faces PSG on Sunday and then Monaco on Wednesday. Monaco, which leads PSG by three points, faces Lille this weekend.
The Dutch title race has tightened up, after Feyenoord’s shock 3-0 loss to Excelsior. Feyenoord is a point up on Ajax, with the final round of games this Sunday. They both play mid-table sides, with Feyenoord poised to clinch the title with a win at home to Heracles.
Finally in Portugal, Benfica is on the verge of adding to its trophy case. Benfica leads Porto by five points with two rounds remaining, and can seal the deal Saturday at home to Vitoria Guimaraes.
To catch a thief
Former Croatia international defender Robert Kovac, now an assistant coach at Eintracht Frankfurt, was in the news this week — but for his crime-fighting skills. Kovac was a bystander who didn’t simply stand by when an elderly gentleman was mugged after leaving a bank in Frankfurt. The 43-year-old Kovac heard the man’s cries for help and rushed to his aid. He saw the robber fleeing, chased him down, grappled him, and held him until the police arrived. A 28-year-old man from Lithuania is now in custody, while officials have commended Kovac for his bravery.
As a player, Kovac featured for such clubs as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus. He obviously hasn’t lost too much pace. I think he should consider a comeback, or perhaps invest in a cape.
Bob Lenarduzzi is president of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Tickets: visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.