Ligue 1 special: LOSC Lille to finally get the Championnat after 57 years of agonising wait
It has taken more than half a century, but LOSC Lille are now on the brink of recording a famous double. According to many critics in France, Lille’s success this season has not been founded on dull 1-0 wins. However, two such victories this season ensured
that the title triumph would go down as the greatest in the history of the club.
Beating PSG in the final of the Coupe de France by a slender margin (1-0) and then winning against Sochaux by the same margin tells everyone that Lille has the talent and temperament to be champions of France.
An event 57 years in the making
For quite some time, Lille have been threatening to shift the balance of power in Ligue 1 football. Since making a return to topflight French football in 2000, Lille have invariably grown stronger with each passing season before politely becoming one of
the big guns in French football. Now, LOSC have commenced the serious business of winning titles. This is something Villeneuve-d’Ascq residents have not seen for a long time.
The transformation
Last season, Lille played the most attractive football in Ligue 1 and had scored the most goals in the 2009/10 season. All signs indicated that Lille were preparing for a major coup this season. In the previous campaign, Les Dogues were in second place and
were very close to playing in UEFA Champions League.
LOSC deserved to play in the elite European club competition this season but things changed. In came Lorient who changed everything for Lille. On a disastrous evening of May 15, 2010, Lorient hosted Lille at Stade Moustoir, a game that would eventually prove
to be a turning point in Lille’s history. Lille lost to Lorient and were effectively out of the Champions League race.
It was that day when Lille stopped being a ‘nice little boy’ and turned into a ‘ruthless trophy-hungry giant’. No longer would the club stand and watch its dreams being shattered. That 2-1 loss at Lorient saw Lille finish fourth in the league. Lorient were
fired up for that game and Lille midfielder http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rio-Mavuba-c31174 also admitted that he was surprised to see Lorient so pumped up for the game.
After that game, Mavuba said, “I’m not sure why they were desperate for seventh place.” Garcia and his charges were left to simmer in anger for three months. However, the players channelled their frustration in just the right way, making sure no force hampers
their ambitions this time around.
Cold-blooded and ruthless
In December 2010, Lorient got their comeuppance when Lille scored six goals past them in a 6-3 win at Stade Metropole. The game saw http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Moussa-Sow-c26939 score his second hat-trick of the season. The Senegalese International has now become a symbol of the new Lille
and his performances have been duly noted everywhere. This unsparing attitude was evident in many games this season.
Hazard warning
At last, Lille had started making all the right noises. Still there were nagging doubts in the minds of many regarding the outfit’s mental resilience, and the drive to go all the way. Identical 3-1 defeats at the hands of Lyon and last season’s champions
Marseille in October suggested that there were still improvements to be made. Many questioned Lille’s ability to overcome the best in France. However, this particular psychological barrier was surmounted on March 6, when Lille totally outplayed Olympique de
Marseille at Stade Velodrome. Hazard scored a beautiful goal but Loic Remy levelled the score. Once again, many critics must have thought, “That’s why Marseille will win the championship again.”
Lille, however, were not ready to let Marseille off the hook this time around. In added time, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Pierre-Alain-Frau-c30011 scored a goal to win the game 2-1 for Lille. Though Marseille kept on winning despite playing poorly, so just to prove a point, the club from
the North of France started doing what Marseille had been doing for years. They edged past Nancy and the Saint-Etienne this month without even playing the best of football. Later on, they showed their mental strength as they overcame PSG in the final of the
Coupe de http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899. For once in 57 years, Lille have found a way to win the title. The elusive Championnat is just a point away and it might be the dawn of a new era at Villeneuve d’Ascq.
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