LONDON – The very moment when the reward for seven months worth of hard work appears to have been earned is typically when the choke takes its fatal hold. And while numerous champions have been crowned across Europe, in Spain and Italy the gasping leaders show signs of faltering.
Deportivo Coruna needs only look back at 1994 and 1995 to see how quicklydreams of glory vanish. On both occasions the Spanish title appeared won until a power failure in the final stretch. Now it’s deja vu all over again.
Juventus, too, appeared to have weathered the storm as it closed in on another title in Italy’s Serie A. But a 2-0 upset at low-ranked Verona, combined with a gutsy win by second-place Lazio, leaves Juventus with a two-goal cushion atop the standings and two awkward matches remaining.
First for Juventus is a home game against fifth-place Parma, before the season ends at Perugia. Lazio, which condemned Venezia to Serie B next season with a 3-2 win, has lightweights Bologna and Reggina as its last two opponents.
Things started to go wrong for Deportivo from the four-minute mark in an explosive match against Celta Vigo. That was when Benni McCarthy steered Vigo, which had gone winless for a month, into the lead.
At that point the specter of failure began to take a grip on Deportivo. First there came a plain unlucky break when Juanfran Garcia was red-carded for lashing out at an opponent with his forearm.
Turu Flores pulled 10-man Deportivo level at 1-1 early in the second half, but with 16 minutes left Gustavo Lopez delivered the killer blow and Vigo held on despite the ejection of goalie Jacques Songo’o.
It was carnival time for Barcelona at Atletico Madrid in a 3-0 romp that consigned the ’96 champions to the wilderness of the Spanish second division. Barcelona, however, is edging toward a third successive championship and could add the European title to that achievement. It has trimmed the gap between first and second to only two points.
To reach the May 24 final, however, it had to eliminate Spanish rival Valencia last night, with the second semi between Bayern Munich and yet another Spanish club, Real Madrid, today.
Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld took his team to the final last season only for Bayern to blow a one-goal lead in the final minute, when Manchester scored twice. He thinks his team has the edge to get there again.
“We have scored four goals twice this season against Real, and know the team is vulnerable” said Hitzfeld. “The disadvantage is the thorn sits deeply. The pride of the Spaniards is well known.”
A 3-2 loss at home to Oviedo has condemned Sevilla to the second division, but there have already been suggestions of foul play.
In defeating Sevilla, Oviedo moved clear of Betis at the end of the standings, leaving Betis in danger of the big drop, too.
Yet it had been rumored that with their fates already sealed, Sevilla’s players were not going to bust a gut – in revenge for Betis’ lack of effort in similar circumstances three seasons ago. The Spanish Federation will likely order a probe.