Bremer SV made it: In the third game of the regional league playoffs, Benjamin Eta’s team secured their ticket for the regional league north with a 3-1 win against Concordia Hamburg.
Mats Kaiser (No. 24) gave Bremer SV the lead. (archive image)
IMAGO/Lobeca
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There was a big rush on Sunday afternoon in the Panzenberg stadium. More than 2000 spectators wanted to follow the decisive playoff game between Bremer SV and Concordia Hamburg live on site.
Whipped on by their noisy supporters, Bremer SV started briskly. After three minutes, Alexander Arnhold put the first scent mark, but his shot from the second row was no problem for Hamburg goalkeeper Johannes Florian Höcker. Andy Appiah tried his luck on the other side, but his long-range shot did not pose any threat to Malte Seemann and the Bremen goal.
Otherwise, Concordia tried to keep the space for the 152-goal men from Panzenberg as tight as possible. That was not always successful in the initial phase, which was also due to a few bad passes in Hamburg’s build-up. In the 8th minute, an attempt by Arnhold hit the lower edge of the crossbar and gave the guests a moment of shock. Just two turns of the hand later, Sebastian Kurkiewicz forced Höcker to make a brilliant save.
Bremen kept up the pace, kept putting the guests under pressure and were rewarded for their effort. Hamburg’s Dallas Sikes Aminzadeh unhappily extended a throw-in to Mats Kaiser, who was lurking at the back post, and scored from ten meters for a deserved lead (19′).
Bremer SV gives up the game
Shortly thereafter, the guests were very bummed that referee Franziska Wildfeuer did not punish Seyhmus Atug for a clear emergency brake. Seconds later, he had the first really big opportunity for Hamburg after a corner. Seemann just managed to steer the ball around the post. This scene seemed to be a wake-up call for the guests, who now became more offensively active, but still did not act solidly at the back.
However, the result did not change until the break, also because Narek Abrahamyan missed Seemann by centimeters after exemplary preliminary work by Ian-Prescott Claus.
In the second half, great chances to score were few and far between. The Hamburgers tried to hit the attackers Sinisa Veselinovic and Selim Ajkic, who had just arrived at the break, with long balls – but often without success. But the plan of Concordia coach Frank Pieper von Walter with the two tall strikers worked in the 64th minute. Steven Lindener pulled a cross from the left onto the far post, where Veselinovic spiraled up and headed in to level.
Concordia closer to second goal
The home side were shocked. Concordia was suddenly very close to the second goal and promotion. But Bremer SV survived this phase unscathed and caught themselves again fifteen minutes before the end. Lamine Diop initially forced Höcker to do another brilliant act – the host’s first notable opportunity in the second half, by the way.
Five minutes before the end, the Hamburg keeper was powerless when Sebastian Kmiec first grabbed the ball in midfield, shook off two of his opponents and completed his solo with a powerful shot into the far post. Lamine Diop eliminated the last remaining doubts about Bremen’s promotion in the final minute after a nice preliminary work from Kurkiewicz on the left. A little later it was over and Bremen’s joy knew no bounds.
While Bremer SV follows Kickers Emden, who were able to buy their ticket on Wednesday evening, into the Regionalliga Nord, Concordia Hamburg will also compete in the Oberliga next season.
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