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Message: [QUOTE="ETSA, post: 4035464, member: 2606"] Competition is enhanced at the end of the season for teams trying to avoid demotion. Every game, even at the bottom of the league, is important to maintain their level. At the top of the league the competition is not just for the top spot, but also for second and sometimes third place for promotion, or a playoff with a team from near the bottom of the next higher division. I have followed Regensburg as they dropped from 2nd to 3rd to Regionalliga and back to the top (at the moment) of the 2nd Bundesliga. Odd thing about being where they are right now, is that I have not yet seen fans talking yet about moving up to the Bundesliga, but many fans post about how we have 12 points in 4 matches toward the 40 points that seems to guarantee maintenance of a position in 2nd Bundesliga. It's called Klassenerhalt in German - maintenance of class - and is the first goal of most clubs. After being a yo-yo club in 2002-2003 and 2012-2013 Jahn has achieved Klassenerhalt in the 2. Bundesliga four times so far, but was actually in danger of demotion last year, finishing 14th, one above having to playoff with the #3 team of the third league for the privilege of playing in the second division this year. American soccer has been slowly conforming with international norms for years - remember the countdown clocks and no draws and shoot outs? We can get to promotion/relegation some day also. [/QUOTE]