Now a reminder from the liberal-minded Netherlands, where the Eredivisie has continued much along the same course as it has for the last few months. AZ Alkmaar continue to notch up victory after victory and Steve McClaren has kept his team FC Twente on the top of the chasing pack in second. The gap between the teams has remained constant though, there is no turn of events that can deny Louis van Gaal from leading AZ to their second Eredivisie and glory. Nine points buffers the champions elect from FC Twente and only four games remain of the season.
The latest round of fixtures had AZ playing away from home against NAC Breda, who are chasing a Uefa Cup spot in seventh. Unfortunately for NAC some of their earlier season form is now abandoning them and they are in the midst of another poor run, mirroring their faux pas at the end of December. Last weekend NAC managed to put up some staunch resistance and had chances to take the lead.
With only twenty minutes remaining Moussa Dembele had an inspirational run up the right wing. What initially looked like a harmless run altered when he pirouetted and left two NAC players behind, he then cut into the penalty area and took advantage of the defenders hesitation. A well struck low drive was parried by Jelle ten Rouwelaar but proved to be too strong, and that was almost that, 1-0 to AZ. Except that an NAC forward got involved in a comedic 'scrap' when he pulled over AZ goalkeeper Sergio Germán Romero and a fellow defender, narrowly avoiding a full scale melee.
FC Twente reacted the following day as normal, by winning themselves. This time they dispatched the relegation threatened Roda JC 4-2. In doing so McClaren's team are still unbeaten in the league since November, a run of 20 games which is extraordinary which ever way you look at it. Not a match for AZ's 28 games though, and that is exactly why both teams seem destined to finish in their current positions.
FC Twente continue to play with the attacking verve that has earned McClaren praise from the likes of Johan Cryuff this season. Romano Denneboom opened the scoring with a low finish at the far post with the 'keeper stretched. Roda JC responded and equalised soon after through a powerful header, but FC Twente upped their performance levels and struck twice more before half-time. Firstly my namesake, Douglas Franco Texeira(!) put in his own strong header and then Slobodan Rajkovic made it another one.
Roda JC are still in with a fighting chance of avoiding their first ever relegation but they will need to react quickly and show more resolve than they did here. The game ambled on through the second half until the teams traded goals in the last fifteen minutes. Eljero Elia finished another incisive move as Roda JC again failed to deal with a cross, Roda then grabbed their consolation with the goal of the game- Sekou Cisse shooting emphatically with his left foot into the top left corner.
This time next week FC Twente face NAC in the semi-final of the KNVB Beker (Dutch cup). It appears to be a great opportunity for McClaren to round off an impressive first season of rehabilitation after the England debacle. He has acclimatised well and managed to improve on the impressive foundations that were already in place. It would be interesting to see him take his team through the Champions League next season when he's settled.
As for the rest of the contenders and wannabees in the Eredivisie, PSV continued their recent mini-resurgence by winning their third league game in a row. The defeated FC Utrecht 2-0 at home and look like they will grab Uefa Cup, or now the Europa League, qualification. FC Utrecht meanwhile continued their poor run of results, having not won since mid-February they have blown their once realistic hopes of being where PSV are now heading.
Elsewhere Feynoord hammered Heracles 5-1 at home. Dutch hero Roy Makaay provided the inspiration with a hat-trick and the club (celebrating it's centenary year) are now established firmly in mid-table but still well below their standards. Heracles on the other hand need to watch their backs as their latest defeat saw them spiral within 3 points of a relegation play-off.
The weekend's other huge winners were Ajax, who destroyed Willem II a shocking 7-0. Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick for Marco van Basten's team as they ran riot, two of the goals coming from the penalty spot. Five of the home team's goals came in the first forty-five minutes and it's worth wondering if Ajax ended up just feeling sorry for their opponents as they added only two more in the second half. That result may yet prove to be pivotal as it helped Ajax to completely turn their goal difference into their favour in comparison with FC Twente's. Only one point divides the two teams from second and third.
Those were the key moments from the Eredivisie and it would take a stupid man to predict the title going to anyone other than AZ Alkmaar. They will be deserved champions, their long unbeaten league record holds testimony to that. The KNVB Beker is where the intrigue now lies, AZ were surprisingly defeated in the quarter-final and FC Twente are the prime contenders left. It remains to be seen if Steve McClaren can continue on his own road to career redemption...