Dramatic late goal saves Heidenheim's Bundesliga status
The teams drew 2-2 in Heidenheim last Thursday and Heidenheim secured its place in the top tier with a 4-3 aggregate triumph after Leo Scienza completed a superbly worked goal in the fifth minute of injury time.
The playoff, known in Germany as the 'Relegation,' is between the teams that finish third-to-last in the Bundesliga and second in Bundesliga 2.
Heidenheim's victory meant the top tier club has won all six playoffs.
It ended Elversberg's fairy tale rise for at least one more year and broke the hearts of a capacity crowd at Elversberg's tiny home ground.
The club from the Saarland was aiming to become the smallest ever club to play in the Bundesliga based on population size. Elversberg is in Spiesen-Elversberg, a town of around 13,000.
It has been in the Bundesliga 2 for only two seasons.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Norway soccer federation says it will donate profits from Israel game to humanitarian work in Gaza
GENEVA (AP) — Norway's soccer federation says it 'cannot remain indifferent' to humanitarian suffering in Gaza and will donate any profits from an upcoming World Cup qualifying game against Israel to aid work there. Norway plays Israel in Oslo on Oct. 11. 'Neither we nor other organizations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected to for a long time,' Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness said in a statement Tuesday. 'We want to donate the proceeds to a humanitarian organization that saves lives in Gaza every day and provides active emergency aid on the ground,' she said. It wasn't immediately clear how much the Norwegian federation expected to earn through ticket sales for the match, which begin next week. The Israeli soccer federation responded to the move on Wednesday by urging its Norwegian counterpart also to condemn the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and hostage-taking by Hamas. In a statement first published by British daily The Telegraph, the Israeli federation also called on the Norwegians to 'make sure that the money is not transferred to terrorist organizations or to whale hunting,' referring to an issue Norway has faced global criticism for. The Norwegian federation said it is working with UEFA and local police on security arrangements for the Oct. 11 game. Extra security is expected to limit capacity by up to 3,000 tickets, the federation said. Ullevaal Stadium typically has crowds of 26,000 for national-team games. Israel has been unable to host games in international competitions for security reasons since October 2023. It staged its 'home' qualifying game against Norway in Hungary. Norway won that game 4-2 in March. Norway currently tops the five-nation qualifying group ahead of Israel. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Galatasaray negotiates the signing of Manuel Akanji
If the deal goes through, it would be a huge transfer coup in Turkey. Galatasaray negotiates the signing of Manuel Akanji According to L'Équipe, Galatasaray has opened talks to sign Manuel Akanji (30), the Manchester City centre-back. The Istanbul club's management has already submitted a contract offer to the Swiss international. His agent is expected to travel to Istanbul soon to continue negotiations. Should a personal agreement be reached, the Turkish side will then need to negotiate directly with the Cityzens to finalize the terms of the transfer. Under contract until 2027, Akanji has played 136 official matches for City, but was not included in the squad for the opening Premier League fixture this season.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Falcons starting right tackle Kaleb McGary carted off practice field with possible left leg injury
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons right tackle Kaleb McGary was carted off the practice field with a possible lower left leg injury on Wednesday, giving the team a new challenge as it prepares for Friday night's final preseason game at Dallas. The Falcons provided no immediate update on the status of McGary, a 2019 first-round pick who has started 92 of 93 games. If the Falcons are without McGary, they will have to find a new blocker to protect the blind side of left-handed quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the 2024 first-round pick who is entering his first full season as the starter. McGary recently signed a contract extension through the 2027 season. The Falcons' latest depth chart listed six-year veteran Brandon Parker and rookie Jack Nelson as McGary's top backups. Veteran Elijah Wilkinson, who has played both tackle and guard in his eight-year career, moved in to replace McGary in Wednesday's practice. Another backup, Storm Norton, has an undisclosed lower body injury and is not expected to play against Dallas. McGary's injury came less than an hour after coach Raheem Morris announced plans to hold out most starters against the Cowboys. Morris said Penix and veteran backup Kirk Cousins will not play, meaning neither will have taken a snap in a preseason game, though both saw extended work in last week's joint practices with the Tennessee Titans. Morris also said the team's two rookie first-round picks, edge rushers James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker, also will be held out. Morris on Wednesday expressed confidence in the team's offensive line depth. 'I've been really pleased with the depth of the offensive line since I've been here,' said Morris, entering his second season as coach. Morris said he was confident in the depth extending past the top backups. ___ AP NFL:
