It wasn't long after the final whistle that Tim Walter had gathered everyone who belonged to the inner circle around him. Hamburger SV lost 0-3 to VfB Stuttgart in the first leg of the Bundesliga relegation play-off on Thursday evening. Nevertheless, nothing was lost for the second division club, the coach wanted to make it clear to everyone, as difficult as it was to believe in it. "I told them we could do anything," Walter later told Sky. "We've had a lot of setbacks. Nothing knocks us over. Only losers fall down, winners stand up."
Tobias Rabe
Editor in charge of Sport Online.
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However, it is highly doubtful that Hamburger SV will still be a winner in the second leg at the end of the season after the performance in the first duel with the sixteenth-placed team in the Bundesliga. On Monday (20.45 CET in the F.A.Z. live ticker for the relegation, on Sat.1 and on Sky), HSV not only needs a win, but must also score at least three goals more than the opponent. Walter, the eternal optimist, believes in it – under conditions. "I trust my team 100 percent. If we score a quick goal at home with our spectators and get off to a good start, then that's going to be topped."
A quick goal in the first leg was scored by Stuttgart, who, after slipping to the pitch that leads to the relegation, can reach the relegation on the last matchday last Saturday with a little delay. Konstantinos Mavropanos headed a corner kick into the Hamburg goal after just 44 seconds. After that, VfB had more top-class chances. Serhou Guirassy even missed a penalty (27th minute). Later, Josha Vagnoman (51st) and Guirassy (54th) made the result clear. Hamburg's Anssi Suhonen was also shown the red card (69th).
"It makes a difference in people's minds"
"My analysis is quickly told," Walter said. "We start the game in the worst possible way, are quickly 1-0 down and then get a penalty. By saving the penalty, we get into the game and have some control without becoming compelling. Then we come out again. We have set ourselves a lot of goals, but immediately get a blow to the neck again. Then it is difficult to get up again and straighten up. Nevertheless, we did it, but then Anssi gets the red card." His bitter conclusion: "All in all, a used day."
This feeling was also written on the faces of the other Hamburgers at a late hour before midnight in Stuttgart. "It's hard to put into words because relatively little fit," said Jonas Boldt, the sporting director. "Basically, you get on your face at the end of the last matchday and now again. It certainly makes a difference in people's minds." Boldt alluded to Sunday's experience. HSV had won in Sandhausen, thought they were already promoted, but a late goal for Heidenheim in Regensburg sent the Hamburg team back into the relegation. That hurt.
Of course, there is still hope of returning to the Bundesliga after five years in the class below. "It would not be in my nature if I were to deny or give up hopes here now. I'm always combative and don't give up until it's over," Boldt said, but acknowledged that "a performance or result like today doesn't make things easy." His lifeline: "We play at home on Monday and have great fans who always support us. Then we'll throw everything into the balance and try to hope for a miracle."
Coach Walter aimed in the same direction when he was asked about what now gives him hope for a happy end to the relegation from Hamburg's point of view: The "Volkspark", the home stadium. However, the numbers for the extra round after the regular season are less encouraging: In the previous 24 duels of a relegation in the Bundesliga, the higher-class club prevailed 18 times, only six times the second division club managed to get promoted. However, none of these clubs, which came from the second to the first divisions via the detour, lost the first leg – and certainly not so clearly.
Goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes, who not only prevented an even higher bankruptcy of HSV when the penalty kick was held, also called the 0-3 defeat a "tough result". Nevertheless, he does not give up hope either. "No one is grieving here. None of this is of any use now. We still have a game of chance, after all, anything is possible in football." Sebastian Schonlau agrees after listening to Walter's words in a circle. "The coach always leads the way. He stands in front of us with a conviction that we can still turn this around." Therefore: "If he pretends that, then we believe it."