The German Bundesliga was founded in 1963 and Hamburger Sport Verein (HSV) is the only team to have played in the first division in all 52 seasons since then. But tonight HSV came within a few seconds on the referee's watch of being relegated to the second division (the 2nd Bundesliga).In a thrilling match played before 27,986 in Karlsruhe, Marcello Diaz scored on a free kick from 20 yards out to tie the match at 1-1 in the first minute of stoppage time.
Hamburg, a bustling port city on the Elbe River in northern Germany, found itself in this predicament by finishing in 16th place out of 18 teams in the first division. And that was only with an upset of FC Schalke on the last day of the season - putting Hamburg one point ahead of SC Freiburg and four above SC Paderborn 07, both of which will play in the second division come August. By finishing third from the bottom, Hamburg had to play the third place team in the Second Bundelisga, Karlsruhe, in a two-game, home and away, total goals win, series with the winner playing in the first division next season and the loser in the second.
Ironically, Hamburg had been in this position a year ago and staved off relegation by one goal in a play-off of the first division's third worst and the 2nd division's third best.
This year, it looked as though HSV's luck had run out when KSC's Reinhold Yabo, who had come on just six minutes earlier, scored in the 78th minute. Karlsruhe was 12 minutes from the Bundesliga. The home side was looking better and better as Hamburg headed a ball off the post in the 82nd minute then saw the Karlsruhe defense clear one the follow-up off the line.
It wasn't until Diaz put the ball into the upper left corner that Hamburg fans began to think they were a team of destiny. That destiny became reality when Nikolai Müller buried a cross from the left in the 115th minute to make it 2-1. But HSV wasn't there yet. Keeper Rene Adler had to make a spectacular diving stop to his left on a penalty kick in the last minute to preserve the victory and Hamburg's history.
Watch a video of the highlights (commentary in English) here.
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