Those who are said to be dead live longer: Four wins in a row have promoted HSV to relegation rank in the final sprint of the 2nd Bundesliga. Even direct promotion is still possible should arch-rival Werder Bremen slip up. Does the trauma of the red pants end this year?
As much as Uwe Seeler would be happy about a successful catch-up race for Hamburger SV in the promotion race: After three failed attempts, the living club legend is skeptical.
“Hamburg has to be in the first division. But they woke up a bit too late,” said the 85-year-old two weeks ago on “NDR”: “I don’t think they can make it anymore.”
In the meantime, however, the belief in a happy ending should have returned to the former international striker. With victories against Karlsruhe, Regensburg, Ingolstadt and Hanover, HSV rolled up the field from behind, mistakes by the competition played into the hands of coach Tim Walter’s team.
If the last regular season game at Hansa Rostock (Sunday from 3:30 p.m. in the LIVE ticker) is won, the Rothosen would not be able to take third place and the associated relegation against the third from bottom in the Bundesliga.
And who knows? Perhaps northern rivals Werder Bremen will stumble at home against Jahn Regensburg and give HSV the opportunity to climb straight into the top flight thanks to the clearly better goal difference.
Bankruptcy in Kiel becomes a turning point for HSV
The Hanseatic League is currently trying to hide such arithmetic games. In their new role as hunters, the Walter protégés feel right at home. The frustrating previous years are forgotten, when the club, being the hunted, always gambled away its lead on the home stretch of the season. This time the form curve is pointing steeply upwards at the right time.
“We feel the longings of the people in Hamburg. We know that if we win at Hansa we’ll be safe in the relegation. And then of course we want to win that too,” revealed striker Robert Glatzel after the recent 2-1 win against Hanover 96, which the top scorer shot out almost single-handedly.
The 28-year-old described the 1-0 defeat at Holstein Kiel a month ago as a decisive turning point, after which not only Glatzel had already ticked off promotion.
“We swore to ourselves that things couldn’t go on like this, that there was always a tick missing. We didn’t pull the decisive scenes in front of our own and the opponent’s goal to our side. We didn’t play like a promoted team,” recalled the native of Munich. Internally they promised improvement – and kept their word.
Hamburg’s success factors: the style, the defence, a top striker and the fans
Coach Walter should feel confirmed in his approach of always referring to the overall development. Even after the apparent knockout in Kiel, he and his superiors remained calm. The team stayed true to their style of play, which is unique in the league, and got back on track.
And while the competition from Bremen, Darmstadt and St. Pauli kept making mistakes, HSV hoarded points.
A guarantee for this was the bombproof defense around captain Sebastian Schonlau, who is at the top of the league with only 33 goals. Goalgetter Robert Glatzel also made a significant contribution to the comeback with four goals in four games (21 goals in total).
Robert Glatzel is Hamburg’s goal machine
Also not to be underestimated is the unreserved support of the fans this time, who honor the progress of the past few months and heat up the atmosphere at every game.
“The way people push us here is a reflection. We are convinced of ourselves, brave and passionate and that’s exactly what the fans want to see,” Walter recently described the symbiosis.
Bankruptcy, bad luck and breakdown image at HSV soon history?
There is no question that HSV is now going into the last game of the season with a powerful tailwind. “We have a lot of positive energy and we’re taking it with us to Rostock,” announced hopeful Glatzel.
Along with his team-mates, he is well on the way to shedding the image of bankruptcy, bad luck and breakdowns that paralyzed the club for many years.
So even long-suffering fans like club icon Uwe Seeler can look to the future with more optimism.
Heiko Lütkehus