TSV 1860 Munich: A terrible seven minutes

In recent weeks, TSV 1860 Munich has managed to score crucial goals in the closing minutes several times; just last Sunday, they scored the 3-2 winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time against TSV Havelse. And on Wednesday evening, after what was clearly their worst performance of the young season so far, the Sixties managed, completely undeservedly, to make the game exciting again at the end: Sean Dulic, who made his junior international debut during the international break and set up the 3-2 winner against Havelse, scored himself in the 89th minute. In the final minutes, the Ostseestadion fell silent for the first time, but Hansa Rostock held on to hold on to a 2-1 (2-0) lead.

In Rostock, they had collected donations over the past few months to finance the construction of four new floodlight masts. The third-division match against 1860 Munich marked the end of the old masts. For Sechzig, however, the lights seemed to go out much earlier, figuratively speaking, as the first half was "absolutely forgettable," as coach Patrick Glöckner later said.

Rostock, a promotion hopeful, hadn't started the season well at all. But this time, Sechzig couldn't cope with Hansa's aggressive style of play at all, and Glöckner's team received three yellow cards within seven minutes, including two players from the three-man defense, Siemen Voet and Jesper Verlaat. After Rostock's deserved lead through Benno Dietz (31'), an even worse seven minutes followed for the visitors: Maximilian Krauß's 2-0 goal came primarily because Voet and Verlaat didn't want to risk a penalty during his solo run (34'), but this was only the most visible evidence of a generally lax approach to tackling. And then Verlaat was lying on the ground clutching his left thigh (37'), and a short time later he had to leave the field leaning on two shoulders – the captain had been out for months last autumn with a torn muscle.

Kevin Volland was absent from the Lions' match against Havelse due to a second yellow card. It was the first competitive match of the new season without the former international striker. After a "turbulent halftime talk," coach Glöckner attempted to make up for the lack of creativity by bringing in three new players. For a brief moment, it seemed as if he had changed the entire team, as Tunay Deniz (50th minute) and David Philipp (51st minute) promptly created the Sixties' first good chances. After that, a battle of even tack developed, with Sixties receiving three more yellow cards.

After Dulic's goal, goalkeeper Thomas Dähne, rushing forward, almost equalized, but his header landed on the back of an opponent. Then the final whistle sounded, and the lights actually went out. Rostock celebrated the farewell to its 55-year-old floodlights with a fireworks display. And Sechzig slipped to fourth place in the table ahead of their home game against Hoffenheim II on Saturday (4:30 p.m.).