Something To Celebrate Tomorrow

With three rounds left to play in Germany, VfB Stuttgart find themselves on the verge of completing the first league and cup double in the club's history. After finishing in 9th place last year, Stuttgart are currently one point back of leaders Schalke 04, with Werder Bremen a point further back. They will face Nurnberg in the German Cup final on May 26th.

Most of the credit for the successful run this season has been heaped on coach Armin Veh. Rightly so, he's turned around a club that went into the toilet in Giovanni Trapattoni's last couple of months in charge.

On the occasion of Cinco de Mayo, let's also give some credit to Stuttgart's two Mexican internationals, Pavel Pardo and Ricardo Osorio. They are the first Mexicans to have ever played in the Bundesliga. While other mexicanos have experienced success in Europe, Pardo and Osorio are marking a new path in Germany that will hopefully nudge more of their compatriots to make the leap to Europe as well. It's the only way Mexico will ever come close to winning a World Cup.

As you light some coals tomorrow for your Cinco de Mayo BBQ, raise a glass in honor of Pardo and Osorio.

Veh has Stuttgart soaring [UEFA official site]

-ac