May 4, 2025: A Trophy for Harry Kane

NOTE: While these entries are dated 2022, I decided to backdate the posting dates of events from 2023 onward to the same date in 2022.

May 4, 2025: Bayer Leverkusen and SC Freiburg play to a 2-2 draw at Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg im Briesgau, Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany. Freiburg jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Bayer, the defending Champions of Germany's national soccer league, the Bundesliga. But Bayer scored in the 82nd minute, and then found the equalizer in stoppage time, the 93rd minute.

It wasn't enough: Bayer needed a win to keep their hopes for a 2nd straight title alive. Instead, they handed the title to Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V., a.k.a. Bayern Munich, who had played RB Leipzig to a 3-3 draw at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig the day before. (The "e. V." stands for "eingetragener Verein," or "registered association.")

It was the 34th league title for Bayern, meaning "Bavarian," who had won 11 straight titles before Bayer Leverkusen won it the season before. What's more, the league's trophy, officially called Der Meisterschale ("champions' bowl"), but often called Der Salatschüssel ("salad bowl"), was the 1st trophy won by their English striker, Harry Kane.

Born in 1993 in Leytonstone, East London in 1993, and growing up in Chingford, also in East London, he nonetheless followed most of his family, and rooted for North London team Tottenham Hotspur, a.k.a. "Spurs." This was a big mistake, as they had an atrocious record, while their North London neighbors, Arsenal FC, won many trophies.

Spurs won the League Cup in 2008. Kane reached their first team in the 2009-10 season. Although he became the Premier League's 2nd all-time leading scorer, behind only Alan Shearer -- though often for diving to win penalties, making his achievements dubious -- Spurs continually fell short of winning trophies:

* They reached the Semifinal of the FA Cup in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018, 

* They reached the Final of the League Cup in 2015, but lost to West London team Chelsea FC; and again in 2021, losing to Manchester City.

* In Premier League play, they finished 2nd in 2017, 7 points behind Chelsea; 3rd in 2016 and 2018; and 4th in 2012, 2019 and 2022. Infamously, in 2016, they and "Cinderella team" Leicester City were in "a two-horse race," but, tailing off, Spurs finished 3rd behind Leicester and... Arsenal. Man City won it in 2018.

* And in the UEFA Champions League, they reached the Quarterfinals in 2011 and 2013, and the Final in 2019, losing to Liverpool FC.

Kane's luck with the England national team was no better. He became their all-time leading scorer, but didn't make their team for the 2010 or 2014 World Cup, or Euro 2012; were eliminated from Euro 2016 in the Round of 16 in a massive upset by Iceland; finished 4th at the 2018 World Cup, when Kane refused to pass to open men in the Semifinal against eventual winners France; lost the Final of Euro 2020 to Italy on penalties, although Kane made his; lost to France again in the Quarterfinal of the 2022 World Cup; and lost to Spain in the Final of Euro 2024. England has never won the Euros, and hasn't won the World Cup since 1966.

Indeed, trophies seemed like a foregone conclusion when Kane joined Bayern for an initial 100m euros (£86.4 million) in August 2023. The club had won 11 successive Bundesliga titles before his arrival.

Kane even had a shot at silverware on his debut, but Bayern lost 3-0 to Red Bull Leipzig in the German Super Cup at Allianz Arena, with the England captain coming off the bench for the final half-hour.
Was he cursed? When Bayern were then knocked out of the DFB-Pokal (Germany's version of the FA Cup) by 3rd-tier team Saarbrücken, some may have believed so.

Leverkusen ran away with the league as Bayern finished 3rd, their lowest position since 2011;  while, in the Champions League, Thomas Tuchel's side were beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid in the Semifinal.

"People made bad jokes about him," explained Taufig Khalil, commentator for ARD Radio. Bayern Munich won the German championship 11 years in a row, Harry Kane came for 100 million-plus, and the next season, Bayern Munich did not win a single trophy!

"It was tough for him. He came to Munich because he knew this is the club where you can win trophies, where you will be on top. And then he came, and it was a very bad season last year."

"There are many people who, throughout my career, only talk about the fact I haven't won a title yet," the England captain said recently, as Bayern Munich's Bundesliga crown began to look more inevitable. "It would be nice to silence a few of them."

Kane even saw the irony in the fact his 14-year wait for a senior trophy might end while he watched on from the stands as Bayern faced RB Leipzig on Saturday, having been handed a one-game suspension following his 5th yellow card of the season last week.

"It's kind of my story that I'll miss the Leipzig game," said the 31-year-old. "But no worries, I'll celebrate more than anyone else."

Kane even made his way to the touchline ready to join the party until a stoppage-time Leipzig leveller meant the wait was delayed by a day when second-placed Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 at Freiburg on Sunday.

That saw Vincent Kompany's side secure the German title, and means Kane has finally put to rest the notion that a glittering individual career may finish without any silverware.

The striker had been following the Leverkusen game with fellow England international (and former Tottenham teammate) Eric Dier and the rest of their Bayern teammates, and posted a video on social media of them singing the Queen song "We Are the Champions" after the title was confirmed.

The 2024-25 season also marked the end of a 17-year trophy drought for Tottenham, as they won the UEFA Europa League.

*

May 4, 2025 was a Sunday. American football was out of season. There were 2 games in the NBA Playoffs. The Indiana Pacers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-112 at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland. And the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets, 103-89 at the Toyota Center in Houston.

There was one game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues, 4-3 at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. Adam Lowry scored the winning goal at 16:10 of the 2nd overtime.

And these Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-5 at Yankee Stadium. Taj Bradley outpitched Will Warren. Cody Bellinger hit a home run, and Aaron Judge went 1-for-5.

* The New York Mets lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

* The Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-4 at Fenway Park in Boston.

* The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 11-9 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. A wild game: The D-backs led 7-1 going to the bottom of the 4th, and 8-6 going to the bottom of the 9th. The Phils tied it, but the D-backs scored 3 in the top of the 10th, and the Phils could only score 1 in the bottom half.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles, 11-6 at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

* The Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 at Truist Park in the Atlanta suburb of Cumberland, Georgia.

* The Sacramento Athletics beat the Miami Marlins, 3-2 at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

* The Cleveland Guardians beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

* The San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-0 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Stephen Kolek pitched 5 1/3rd innings of 4-hit shutout ball, and the bullpen completed an 8-hit shutout.

* The Washington Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-1 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros, 5-4 at Rate Field in Chicago, in a game shortened to 7 innings due to rain.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat their arch-rivals, the Chicago Cubs, 4-0 at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Freddy Peralta pitched 6 innings of 4-hit shutout ball, and the bullpen finished a 5-hit shutout.

* The Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners, 8-1 at Globe Life Field in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Los Angeles Angels, 13-1 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

* And the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies, 9-3 at Oracle Park in San Francisco.