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Reports: Two Fans Suffer Heart Attacks at Signal Iduna; One Has Passed

A quiet second half in Dortmund from the stands as fan groups from both sides forego singing and chanting in respect for the two victims.

Lars Baron/Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund completed their victory over Mainz in near-silence on Sunday, with the ever-raucous crowd at Signal Iduna hushed from the collapse of two fans in the Yellow Wall during the first half. Both fans reportedly suffered heart attacks; one fan apparently passed away at the scene, while the other was resuscitated and taken to a hospital. Initial reports indicated the second fan passed away as well, but Dortmund's official news release reported that the fan made it to the hospital and has since stabilized.

The resulting show of respect was eerie: a murmur enveloped the stadium while shouts from the players and instructions from coaches were clearly audible from the pitch.

The players seemed to know something was amiss as well. Celebrations for Shinji Kagawa's goal to put Dortmund ahead by two goals were muted, and even Mainz's comeback attempts seemed a bit deflated. The only singing that occurred in the second half came in the 88th minute, as fans around the entire stadium gave a unified rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone":

After the referee whistled to end the game without any stoppage time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. We will update this story as more official news is released. Echte Liebe, and You'll Never Walk Alone.