Latest news with #MathiasHonsak
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Last-gasp Scienza strike keeps Heidenheim in Bundesliga
BERLIN: Heidenheim's Leo Scienza scored a last-gasp winner in a 2-1 second leg play-off victory at Elversberg yesterday, securing his side's top-flight status next season. A 2-2 draw in Thursday's first leg at Heidenheim meant the winner in Elversberg yesterday would play in the Bundesliga next season. Heidenheim, who were third from bottom in the top division, took the lead through Mathias Honsak after nine minutes in front of a sold-out crowd of 9,200 at the Kaiserlinde Stadium. Elversberg, who finished the season third in the second division, helped their bid to become the smallest Bundesliga side in history when Robin Fellhauer equalised just after the half-hour mark. They looked to have taken the lead just two minutes after half-time when Tom Zimmerschied tapped in from close range, but the goal was overturned for offside after a lengthy VAR review. With the match heading for extra-time, Paul Wanner played Scienza into space and the Brazilian blasted a shot past the goalkeeper, sending the visiting side into raptures. The 4-3 aggregate triumph means Heidenheim, who this season played in the Conference League, in the top-flight for a third straight campaign. Visiting coach Frank Schmidt played for the club and took over as coach when Heidenheim were in the fifth division, before piloting them to the top flight. Schmidt said he was "mega happy, mega proud of the team and the club," but said he was too spent to celebrate. "I put everything into this. I'm empty, I've got nothing left, no energy. Tomorrow no matter who tries to call me, I won't be answering." Elversberg tested their top-flight opponents throughout, finishing with 65 percent possession. Coach Horst Steffen told Sky Germany: "To have such a performance and still lose, that hurts. The boys deserved better for what they showed today." Elversberg's defeat means Hamburg and Cologne are the only two teams promoted to the top flight, while Holstein Kiel and Bochum will play second division football next season. Elversberg, from a town of just 13,000, were promoted to the second division for the first time in 2023. Since the play-off was reintroduced at the end of the 2008-09 campaign, the top-flight team has now won over two legs in 14 of 17 seasons. The most recent second-division side to win promotion via the play-off was Union Berlin, who came through on away goals against Stuttgart in 2019.
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Pragmatic Heidenheim Secure Bundesliga Spot With Win Over Elversberg
Leo Scienza of Heidenheim 1846 celebrates with the fans following the team's victory in the ... More Bundesliga playoffs second leg match between SV Elversberg and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 (Photo by) Elversberg's run from the fourth division to the Bundesliga has been stopped. In front of 9,970 fans at the Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde, Bundesliga side Heidenheim beat 2. Bundesliga Elversberg 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate) to win the Relegation Playoffs. Heidenheim secured its spot in the Bundesliga most dramatically. Dominated on the pitch by the lower division team, Heidenheim forward Leonardo Scienza scored with just seconds remaining. It was Heidenheim's only opportunity in the second half. The Bundesliga team had taken the lead thanks to a goal by Mathias Honsak (9'). But from then on, it was all Elversberg, and in the 31st minute, Robin Fellhauer finally scored the equalizer. Then, within seconds of the second-half kickoff, Elversberg thought they had the lead. Fisnik Asllani thought he had given the Saarländer the lead, but VAR intervened correctly—Lukas Petkov was offside in the buildup. 'I was praying that it would be a goal,' Asllani said in the mixed zone after the game. 'But I think it is the correct decision. After all, that's what VAR is for: to make correct decisions. Otherwise, it would be pointless.' It felt like the decisive moment of the game because even though Elversberg dominated, the club coached by Horst Steffen didn't generate enough dangerous situations. Although they dominated possession and encircled Heidenheim in their own end, opportunities to score goals were lacking. 'Fortune wasn't on our side,' Steffen said. 'A few centimetres decide whether you win or lose the game. It is really sad. It is a sad moment. We thought we had a big opportunity and fulfilled our dream of reaching the Bundesliga.' The xG underlines this observation. While Heidenheim had an xG of 1.55, Elversberg's xG was just 1.55. Heidenheim also produced more shots on goal (11 to 8). 'We just weren't clinical enough,' Steffen said when asked about the difference between his side and Heidenheim. 'Perhaps we just lacked the experience to get the job done.' On balance, Heidenheim's performance over the full 180 minutes wasn't pretty. Although Heidenheim boss Frank Schmidt has evolved his game over the last few years, his sense of pragmatism has always been the foundation of the Swabian-based club. Heidenheim head coach Frank Schmidt got the job done. (Photo by) Sitting deep and absorbing the pressure, Heidenheim, in fact, never really looked in danger of conceding a second goal. And while the almost 10,000 fans in the Waldstadion were getting ready for 30 minutes of extra time, Scienza broke through the box and ended the match with seconds to go. 'It is difficult to put it all in words,' Schmidt said after the game. 'I knew that it would be a difficult task as Elversberg under Steffen plays good football. Even though you know how they play, they are hard to defend.' Then Schmidt admitted what everyone saw with their own eyes. 'To be honest, we didn't do much in the attack,' Schmidt said. 'Until Scienza and Paul Wanner, who came on fresh, combined to get the job done.' Moments of ecstasy for the winner and agony for the loser followed. 'It is brutal,' Schmidt said. 'We have experienced it ourselves. It is cruel that a team that finished third in the 2. Bundesliga has to play in the relegation playoffs. You play a great season, and your dream is being shattered.' Failure in the 2020 relegation playoffs for Heidenheim wasn't the end of the story. The club would win the 2. Bundesliga in 2023. Perhaps in a few years, Elversberg might be there as well. Indeed, an argument could be made that the Saarländer weren't quite ready for promotion yet. Promoted twice in the last three seasons, Elversberg's infrastructure hasn't quite kept pace with the club's growth. One example is the stadium, which is currently being expanded to 15,000 seats and, as a result, is open on one end. Still, the club is doing a fantastic job, and there is a sense of when and not if Elversberg will eventually represent the Saarland in the Bundesliga.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Heidenheim retain Bundesliga place after late 2-1 win at Elversberg
Heidenheim's Leonardo Scienza (C) celebrates scoring his side's second goal with teammates during the German Bundesliga Relegation second leg soccer match between SV Elversberg and 1. FC Heidenheim at Ursapharm-Arena an der Kaiserlinde. Silas Schüller/DEFODI Images/dpa Heidenheim retained their spot in the Bundesliga for next season after a last-gasp 2-1 win at second-tier Elversberg in Monday's play-off second leg. Léo Scienza struck the winner with a fine finish five minutes into stoppage time. Advertisement After a 2-2 draw in Thursday's first leg in Heidenheim, the return match was also full of drama at Elversberg's 9,000 capacity stadium as the Bundesliga third-bottom side edged second-division opposition for the 12th time in 13 seasons. Only Union Berlin have won the play-off as a second-tier side in that period. Heidenheim took an early lead through Mathias Honsak. But Robin Fellhauer levelled for the hosts on the half hour after the sort of flowing move which characterized their surprise surge up the second-tier table to third. Elversberg thought they were ahead shortly after the break but a long video review ruled it out for a contentious offside. The home side remained in the ascendancy, but with the away goals rule having been scrapped, the clash was headed for extra-time until Scienza's special finish. SV Elversberg's Robin Fellhauer celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the German Bundesliga Relegation second leg soccer match between SV Elversberg and 1. FC Heidenheim at Ursapharm-Arena an der Kaiserlinde. Silas Schüller/DEFODI Images/dpa
CNA
26-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Scienza's last-gasp goal saves Heidenheim, ends Elversberg's Bundesliga dream
ELVERSBERG, Germany : Bundesliga side Heidenheim retained their spot in the top flight as Leo Scienza struck deep into stoppage time to seal a dramatic 2-1 win at Elversberg in the second leg of the relegation playoff on Monday. Having battled back to draw 2-2 at home in the first leg, Heidenheim, who finished in 16th place in the Bundesliga, edged a spirited Elversberg, who have never played in the top flight, 4-3 on aggregate. Mathias Honsak fired Heidenheim ahead after nine minutes, latching onto a slick through ball from Scienza, who had surged forward after winning possession in midfield. Elversberg equalised in the 31st minute after a great run by Tom Zimmerschied who set up captain Robin Fellhauer in front of goal to coolly finish past the goalkeeper. The hosts thought they had gone in front two minutes after the break when Fisnik Asllani turned home from close range, but the goal was chalked off following a VAR review for offside. Despite dominating possession, Elversberg failed to find a breakthrough, and their dream of reaching the Bundesliga slipped away when Scienza capped a great team move five minutes into stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations among the visiting fans. Heidenheim will play their second Bundesliga season, while VfL Bochum and Holstein Kiel were relegated from the top flight. Cologne and Hamburg SV won automatic promotion to the top division.
Reuters
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Scienza's last-gasp goal saves Heidenheim, ends Elversberg's Bundesliga dream
ELVERSBERG, Germany, May 26 (Reuters) - Bundesliga side Heidenheim retained their spot in the top flight as Leo Scienza struck deep into stoppage time to seal a dramatic 2-1 win at Elversberg in the second leg of the relegation playoff on Monday. Having battled back to draw 2-2 at home in the first leg, Heidenheim, who finished in 16th place in the Bundesliga, edged a spirited Elversberg, who have never played in the top flight, 4-3 on aggregate. Mathias Honsak fired Heidenheim ahead after nine minutes, latching onto a slick through ball from Scienza, who had surged forward after winning possession in midfield. Elversberg equalised in the 31st minute after a great run by Tom Zimmerschied who set up captain Robin Fellhauer in front of goal to coolly finish past the goalkeeper. The hosts thought they had gone in front two minutes after the break when Fisnik Asllani turned home from close range, but the goal was chalked off following a VAR review for offside. Despite dominating possession, Elversberg failed to find a breakthrough, and their dream of reaching the Bundesliga slipped away when Scienza capped a great team move five minutes into stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations among the visiting fans. Heidenheim will play their second Bundesliga season, while VfL Bochum and Holstein Kiel were relegated from the top flight. Cologne and Hamburg SV won automatic promotion to the top division.
