Match concludes on the 34th day of the league - numerous Rostock fans exit disheartened
The Final Push in the 3rd Division:
The 3rd Division is cruising towards the final stretch, with a palpable sense of excitement at the stadiums. Here's a lowdown on the away fans that graced the fields on the 34th matchday.
With the endgame in sight and mere four games left, it's evident that Dynamo Dresden and Arminia Bielefeld are on a clear path to the 2nd Bundesliga, leading the pack by five and four points respectively. However, the story is not so pretty for SV Sandhausen, Hannover 96 II, and SpVgg Unterhaching, who can no longer escape the arrow pointing down.
On the brighter side, the race for the third spot is still neck-and-neck, with Energie Cottbus nudging past 1. FC Saarbrücken once again. Hansa Rostock struggled with a 0:4 blow from Arminia Bielefeld but still has a chance to close the gap with a win in their postponed match against Unterhaching.
In the nail-biting relegation battle, SV Waldhof Mannheim and VfB Stuttgart II are locked in a fierce fight for the last safe haven. Both teams are currently level on points and four points behind Borussia Dortmund II, who is also not yet assured of safety. The upcoming clash between Mannheim and Stuttgart II on the 19th at 19:30 could be a game-changer.
Away Fans on the 34th Matchday
The 34th matchday saw a mix of long and short travel distances for away fans. Rot-Weiss Essen had the shortest trek of 322 kilometers to SV Sandhausen, while Alemannia Aachen and Dynamo Dresden, who generally have the most dedicated fans, racked up the longest distances.
Stats for the away fans who attended the games over the weekend, with travel distances between cities (source: diefalsche9.de):
TSV 1860 Munich - Alemannia Aachen- 15,000 spectators- 1,500 away fans- Traveled 638 kilometers
Energie Cottbus - Viktoria Köln- 13,748 spectators- 65 away fans- Traveled 661 kilometers
SV Wehen Wiesbaden - SpVgg Unterhaching- 2,916 spectators- 60 away fans- Traveled 430 kilometers
SV Sandhausen - Rot-Weiss Essen- 4,348 spectators- 1,400 away fans- Traveled 322 kilometers
Arminia Bielefeld - Hansa Rostock- 25,907 spectators- 3,000 away fans- Traveled 422 kilometers
VfL Osnabrück - FC Ingolstadt- 14,517 spectators- 190 away fans- Traveled 569 kilometers
VfB Stuttgart II - SC Verl- 500 spectators- 20 away fans- Traveled 449 kilometers
1. FC Saarbrücken - Dynamo Dresden- 15,303 spectators- 2,000 away fans- Traveled 646 kilometers
Hannover 96 II - Waldhof Mannheim- 1,478 spectators- 600 away fans- Traveled 423 kilometers
Erzgebirge Aue - Borussia Dortmund II- 10,495 spectators- 100 away fans- Traveled 504 kilometers
While Victoria Cologne and SpVgg Unterhaching only managed double-digit numbers of supporters, five teams celebrated four-digit numbers of guests. Traditionally, two East German clubs, Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden, took the top spot in the ranking.
The 3,000 Rostock fans that traveled to Bielefeld witnessed a crushing 0:4 defeat, a major setback in their promotion ambitions. Conversely, around 2,000 Dresden fans cheered their team to a 4:1 victory away against 1. FC Saarbrücken, bringing Dresden significantly closer to promotion.
- The team Osnabrück faced FC Ingolstadt, with 190 away fans traveling a distance of 569 kilometers.
- Dynamo Dresden's fans, known for their dedication, traveled 646 kilometers to cheer for their team against 1. FC Saarbrücken.
- In the relegation battle, VfB Stuttgart II had 20 away fans traveling 449 kilometers for their match against SC Verl.
- Despite the setback of a 0:4 defeat, 3,000 Away fans from Hansa Rostock traveled 422 kilometers to support their team against Arminia Bielefeld in the European-leagues football.
