SV Elversberg are dangerous even in their socks

“Der Zug hat keine Bremse,” the song about a train with no brakes, echoed through Borussia Mönchengladbach’s guest dressing-room corridor on Saturday night. It suited SV Elversberg perfectly.

The club from Saarland had just won its second Bundesliga match, beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-3 after trailing 3-1. It was not simply another victory. Elversberg, promoted from the historically smallest league location, had now won both of its opening matches and scored seven goals in the process. No Bundesliga newcomer had previously scored seven goals in its first two games.

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This team has courage, it did not play to hold on at 3-3.

The 13,000-inhabitant town of Spiesen-Elversberg does not even have a railway station. Yet its football team is racing through the league without slowing down. Among the 59 clubs that have played in the Bundesliga over 63 seasons, Elversberg is currently the only one with a 100 percent winning record.

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I believe we are currently surfing a wave of euphoria.

The team’s first match against Bayer Leverkusen followed a different script. Elversberg led 2-0 after nine minutes and added a third goal in the 46th minute before conceding twice and holding on for a 3-2 win. Against Gladbach, it showed it could recover from a collapse rather than merely protect an early lead.

Hugo Bolin put Gladbach ahead in the 11th minute, but David Mokwa equalized in the 20th. Bolin restored the lead before Joe Scally made it 3-1 in the 56th minute. Elversberg refused to retreat. “This team has courage, it did not play to hold on at 3-3,” coach Vincent Wagner said. Sporting director Christian Weber acknowledged that the club was riding a wave of euphoria, while insisting the victories also reflected the quality of a carefully assembled squad.

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It is extraordinary that we have already managed in two matches to prove that we can compete in the Bundesliga.