Heidenheim and Elversberg draw 2-2 in Bundesliga playoff first leg

HEIDENHEIM, Germany (AP) — Two overachieving clubs clashed for a place in the Bundesliga and neither could strike a decisive blow.

Top-tier Heidenheim and second-division Elversberg drew 2-2 in the first leg of their relegation/promotion playoff on Thursday, leaving the contest finely poised before the second leg in Elversberg on Monday.

“Everything open,” Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt said.

Heidenheim, which was only promoted to the top division in 2023 after an unlikely ascent through the lower leagues, finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga this season when it also had to contend with European competition after its eighth-place finish last year.

Elversberg, which was still playing at fourth-tier level three years ago, finished third in the second division to earn its shot in the playoff.

It was a duel between modest clubs with the longest-serving coaches in German professional soccer. Schmidt took over in Heidenheim on Sept. 17, 2007, while his Elversberg counterpart Horst Steffen took charge on Oct. 29, 2018.

Steffen led the team from the fourth-tier regional league, clinching promotion to the third division in 2022, then to the second as third-division champion a year later, before earning the shot at Bundesliga promotion this year.

Heidenheim made the better start and missed good chances before Lukas Petkov struck for the visitors in the 18th minute, and Fisnik Asllani finished off a well-worked team move to make it 2-0 in the 42nd.

Omar Haktab Traoré thought he’d pulled one back for Heidenheim before the break, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check found an offside player involved in the buildup.

Schmidt reacted with three changes at the interval.

Tim Siersleben pulled a goal back on a rebound in the 62nd, and Mathias Honsak equalized three minutes later.

The home team finished strongly as the visitors tired, but neither team could claim an advantage before the second leg in Elversberg.

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Heidenheim's Niklas Dorsch, front, tries to score past Elversberg goalkeeper Nicolas Kristof during a Bundesliga relegation playoff first leg soccer match between FC Heidenheim and SV Elversberg, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Heidenheim, Germany. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Heidenheim's Frans Krätzig, left, and Elversberg's Tom Zimmerschied battle for the ball during a Bundesliga relegation playoff first leg soccer match between FC Heidenheim and SV Elversberg, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Heidenheim, Germany. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Heidenheim's Mathias Honsak, center, celebrates after his goal during a Bundesliga relegation playoff first leg soccer match between FC Heidenheim and SV Elversberg, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Heidenheim, Germany. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Elversberg's Lukas Petkov, left, celebrates with Semih Sahin (r) after scoring during a Bundesliga relegation playoff first leg soccer match between FC Heidenheim and SV Elversberg, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Heidenheim, Germany. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Heidenheim's Omar Traore, left, and Elversberg's Robin Fellhauer battle for the ball during a Bundesliga relegation playoff first leg soccer match between FC Heidenheim and SV Elversberg, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Heidenheim, Germany. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant Friday for director and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield to face a child sex abuse charge.

An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal complaint in support of the charge, which says a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately. The acts allegedly occurred on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” a TV series Busfield directed and acted in.

The child said the first incident happened when he was 7 years old and Busfield touched him three or four times. Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when he was 8.

The child's mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.

Busfield's attorney and agent did not immediately respond to email messages seeking comment late Friday.

The arrest warrant, which was signed by a judge, said the charge is for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.

According to the complaint, the child, which it identifies only by his initials, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching him and woken up scared.

The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him.

The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital. The child’s parents had gone there at the recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said.

“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. It starred Elodie Yung as a Cambodian doctor who comes to the United States to get medical treatment for her son, witnesses a mob killing and ends up becoming a cleaner for organized crime.

The show was produced by Warner Bros., which according to the complaint conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them.

Busfield is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991.

He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert; there was no immediate response to an email sent to her publicist.

FILE - Actor Timothy Busfield smiles before an NFL football game in Detroit, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)