Lanus set for Argentine honors

(CNN) -- Up until now, Lanus' best claim to footballing fame has been as the birthplace of Diego Maradona. But the Buenos Aires district may finally have a team to do its most famous son justice.

Following a 4-0 win over Gimnasia-La Plata on Wednesday and a goalless draw with Argentinos Juniors last weekend, Lanus need just a point from their final match of the season on Sunday to clinch the first Argentine league title in their 92-year history.

By coincidence, that match will take Lanus to Maradona's beloved Boca Juniors, the outgoing champions whose title defense fizzled out Wednesday when they were beaten 2-1 by second-placed Tigre.

Tigre's victory kept them in the running for a first title of their own, but the initiative now is firmly with Lanus. By knocking Boca out of the championship equation, Tigre have taken the sting out of Lanus' trip to the Bombanera, one of the most intimidating stadiums in world football.

And even a defeat for Lanus -- currently unbeaten in eight games -- and a win for Tigre would send the two into a championship playoff.

Having spent most of their history bouncing around in the lower reaches of Argentine football -- surviving several close run-ins with their creditors along the way -- Lanus' ascent began in the mid 1990s as they consolidated their top-flight status under the leadership of Hector Cuper, the Argentine coach who went on to manage Mallorca, Valencia and Inter Milan.

Since then the club has invested its money wisely in a much admired youth academy, initially run by the club's current coach Ramon Cabrero, who has demonstrated his faith in the system by regularly fielding teams almost entirely made up of players that have come through the club's ranks.

They include Lautaro Acosta, a recent under-20 world champion with Argentina, and the highly-touted winger Diego Valeri who has been tipped for a January move to Juventus.

"Lanus play simple and unambiguous football that fans of any club can enjoy. The team plays with character and have been competing for titles for two years now. We're very pleased with our campaign, but the best prize of all would be to win the championship," says Cabrero.

Having finished second in the 2006 Clausura championship, it now looks as if Cabrero's youngsters are ready to graduate with honors. E-mail to a friend