Öster, heading into the final round one point behind Degerfors in qualifying and three points behind Norrköping on safe ground, had the most difficult starting position of the three teams that settled around the two bottom lines of the table.
But just seconds before the half-time signal, the old song “Do like the sun, rise to the East…” was played over the speakers at the Växjö arena. The reason for the choice of music was that Alibek Aliev had just headed in 1–0.
Coming into halftime leading 1–0 was very good, says Aliev.
The home fans cheered, but with the necessary help from other teams still conspicuous by their absence, Öster went into half-time in a table position below the relegation zone.
The feeling was still positive.
I definitely thought we have this, says Robin Wallinder.
Ståhl equalized
The second half had barely begun before Djurgården's Adam Ståhl neatly scored an equalizer.
"We've had big problems coming out in the second half and not conceding anything stupid in the first ten minutes. We're doing that today and it's costing us a lot," says Aliev.
Gothenburg gave Öster the help the team needed by defeating Norrköping. But in the 79th minute, Patric Åslund put Djurgården in the lead, which made the autumn darkness over Öster even more compact.
I see it late, but I should be able to solve a shot like that, Wallinder says self-critically.
Coach Roberth Björknesjö made several offensive substitutions in the hope of creating scoring opportunities, but to no avail. Instead, Djurgården extended their lead and won outright.
Former national team captain Tommy Svensson and other Östers supporters among the 9,012 in the stands could only conclude that their team will once again have to start over in the country's second highest league.
It's very heavy, not many people said anything in the locker room, says Alibek Aliev.
"Many in tears"
After the final whistle, Östers players and leaders spent some time at their supporters' stands.
"You know how much it means to them. They have been positive even though it has been very difficult for us. It is very sad to stand there and see many of them in tears," says Aliev.
History thus repeated itself for Öster in the team's ambition to re-establish itself in the Allsvenskan. During the 2000s, the former champion club has been promoted on no less than four occasions, and has been relegated directly just as many times.
