Match report
Austria marked their return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence with a tense 3-1 win over debutants Jordan in their Group J opener, relying on a second-half own goal and a last-gasp penalty to claim the three points.
The evenness of the Group J match is best revealed by the chances created – Jordan had 11 to Austria’s 10, and had more on target with 4 to 2. But Austria had enough class in the midfield to build pressure and looked especially threatening when Marko Arnautovic joined the game at half-time. Next up for Austria is a meeting with reigning champions Argentina, while Jordan will be back in San Francisco to face Algeria in what is now a must-win game for both sides.
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The record books might suggest this was a rather comfortable evening for Austria, but for 70 minutes it was anything but as Jordan looked just as likely to take the lead. The game finally turned when Yazan Al-Arab misdirected what it must be said was a sublime corner from Stefan Posch into the back of his own net just minutes after Marko Arnautovic had a goal ruled out for a handball to his same teammate in the buildup. Jordan were unable to find a way through a low block even as they chased the game in the dying stages, and Austria took full advantage on the counter as the game opened up.
Romano Schmid opened the scoring for Austria with a stunning strike that was soon outdone by Jordan attacker Ali Olwan scoring his side’s first in a World Cup. But Austria had too much class across the 100 minutes to clinch a valuable three points in a Group J that also includes Argentina and Algeria.
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Full time: Austria 3-1 Jordan
Austria have returned to the World Cup stage in style with a victory over Jordan that was much closer than the final scoreline suggests.
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GOAL! Austria 3-1 Jordan (Arnautovic 90+11)
Marko Arnautovic steps up to the penalty spot and seals the deal for Austria with a strike into the top left corner.
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Key event
The verdict is in: Penalty!
Stop the clock: we have a VAR check in progress. The ball seems to have struck Salim Obaid’s raised hand as he slid in to block the shot.
90+9 min Austria are on the attack and Arnautović collects the ball on the right with space to take a hurried shot that pings off a sliding Jordan defender and out for a corner.
90+8 min Jordan have had their share of space in the final third throughout this clash but that has disappeared now with Austria locking the game down. Austria now look the most likely to score on the counter with Laimer’s pace down the left opening up Jordan and Arnautović remaining forward as a looming threat.
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90+6 min Austria are defending deep with only Marko Arnautović in anything resembling an attack. Jordan knock the ball between their midfield and defence but need to reach the frontline soon.
90+4 min Austria have slowed the flow of the game as their press puts Noor Al-Rawabdeh under pressure. A simple back pass to Yazeed Abulaila almost ends in disaster as a lazy first touch skids off the keeper’s right boot and out for a corner. Time is getting away from Jordan now.
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90+3 min Jordan spring forward and have their best chance since falling behind to an own goal before the opportunity is cleared.
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90+2 min Marko Arnautović breaks the defensive line and only has the keeper to beat to all but settle the game. But the strike is straight at keeper Yazeed Abulaila.
90 min Jordan are handed a boost with a minimum 10 minutes of stoppage time to come.
89 min Jordan are looking more desperate but still to find a groove after throwing on fresh legs.
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86 min A clash of heads leaves Yazan Al-Arab on the turf and gives Jordan a moment to collect their thoughts and swing some additional changes. Coach Jamal Sellami turns to fresh legs in attack Musa Al-Taamari and Odeh Al-Fakhouri curiously making way. Mohammad Al-Dawoud and Ali Azaizeh will have their chance to chase an equaliser.
83 min Austria goalscorer Romano Schmid is the next to be taken out of the action for Patrick Wimmer.
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82 min Jordan pull some defenders with Abdallah Nasib and captain Ehsan Haddad making way for Saed Al-Rosan and attacker Mahmoud Al-Mardi.
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81 min Jordan have no choice but to chase the game as their intensity lifts but Austria are better prepared to throw numbers back.
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78 min There is a bit of push and shove in the aftermatch of the goal which Arnautović is half-heartedly claiming. Marcel Sabitzer is shown a yellow card though Austria won’t mind too much after taking the lead for a second time.
Heartbreak for Yazan Al-Arab who has been immense at the back but goes into the record book as the first Jordan goalscorer at the wrong end in a World Cup.
GOAL! Austria 2-1 Jordan (Al-Arab og 77)
Austria finally have their second after a horror attempt at a clearance from a corner that has bounced off Jordan defender Yazan Al-Arab’s back and into the net.
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76 min We’re back under way in San Francisco with it all to play for.
Jacob has a bright idea: “They could have taken the hydration break during those 4 minutes of VAR Handbags”.
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Lance must be watching a different game to me with the query “who is the audience?”. “I’m watching from my apartment in San Francisco and can’t figure out why they started a game at midnight for most of the USA, Canada, and Mexico and 4am in Europe. Who’s watching this besides you in Australia? OTOH, the level of play deserves late night so maybe FIFA are geniuses.”
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NO GOAL! Austria 1-1 Jordan
The referee determines that Stefan Posch handled the ball while trying to control it just a split second before Marko Arnautović tapped it into the back of the net. A huge call but looks like the right one to me. Now for an ill-timed hydration break
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The referee has gone to the sideline to review the replay. All the focus is on the handball claim rather than any supposed contact with the keeper.
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Hang on a second, VAR is looking at the replay. There wasn’t much contact on the keeper but the ball has perhaps brushed Stefan Posch’s arm before bouncing down to Arnautović’s feet.
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GOAL! Austria 2-1 Jordan (Arnautović 68)
Marko Arnautović reclaims the lead for Austria as the calmest presence in the six-yard box amid a mad scramble off a corner.
65 min Yazeed Abulaila is back to his feet after some extra attention. It is hard to spot much contact from Arnautović on the replay.
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63 min Carney Chukwuemeka is immediately involved in all the most exciting moments as he goes to ground in the penalty area but has any claims waved away. Shortly after Jordan keeper Yazeed Abulaila is the one to end up on the turf holding his face after next to know pressure from Marko Arnautović. The referee allows play to continue and Chukwuemeka fires a shot on target that is blocked by a sea of Jordan feet.
61 min Austria take time to settle back into their rhythm after the sweeping changes while Chukwuemeka already looks lively.
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59 min A triple change for Austria with defender Kevin Danso joined by a pair of exciting new additions in Carney Chukwuemeka and Paul Wanner. Captain David Alaba, and midfielders Xaver Schlager and Phillipp Mwene are done for the day.
57 min Arnautović goes to ground in the defensive half to masterfully earn a free kick and relieve the pressure.
55 min No change to the familiar pattern as Odeh Al-Fakhouri twice finds space down the right side. Musa Al-Taamari and Ali Olwan time their run perfectly off the second chance but the cross is a touch deep and is collected by keeper Schlager.
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53 min Austria slow the game down with Xaver Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald knocking the ball around the midfield and defensive line.
Ali Olwan creates something out of very little with a solo run to equalise for Jordan though the goal had been coming. Austria, on the other hand, have paid a huge price for leaving too much space in their defensive half even while holding a narrow lead. Game on!
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GOAL! Austria 1-1 Jordan (Olwan 50)
Ali Olwan is giving too much room as he carries the ball from near the halfway line and into the penalty area, cuts on to his right boot and rockets the ball off the inside of the far post and into the net. The striker goes down in history as Jordan’s first World Cup goalscorer.
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48 min Stefan Posch takes too much time to consider his options for a throw-in and the referee blows the whistle to hand the ball back to Jordan in their attacking half. That’s surely one of the better rules that Fifa has brought in for this World Cup.
47 min Ehsan Haddad shows Jordan are setting out to chase the game as the captain charges into space down the right and hammers a flat cross into the penalty area. The scramble sends the ball out to Odeh Al-Fakhouri to take it deep and to the goalline under little pressure. But the cutback ends up in keeper Schlager’s hands.
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46 min Jordan resume the second half with the same XI players that began the first.
Austria are last to make their way out of the tunnel but veteran Marko Arnautović is already alone on the sidelines ready to enter the fray. Saša Kalajdžić makes way after a half where the final ball from his Austria teammates generally didn’t do him any few favours.
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If the final word on the latest Kylian Mbappé masterclass isn’t enough to entertain you, Peter has stepped forward with a simple request: “After the next hydration break I’d like to see Austria take a couple of stiff schnaps shots at the Jordan goal.”
Jordan are far from out of this Group J clash against Austria and had their fair share of chances both before and after Schmid’s opening goal. We’ll be back shortly for the second half, but in the meantime here is some half-time reading from Leander Schaerlaeckens on the other side of the US at New York New Jersey Stadium.
After the whistle blew for half-time, Kylian Mbappé ran to the player tunnel at a good clip, followed by Ousmane Dembélé. Behind them, the rest of the French team were in no such hurry, sauntering off the pitch. The forward widely considered the best in the world – or at least the most famous in the Non-Ronaldo-and-Messi Division – and the reigning Ballon d’Or winner had much to discuss.
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Austria hold the advantage at the break in a game that has largely followed the script, as they seek to control the ball in midfield and find a pass into towering forward Saša Kalajdžić’s feet, while Jordan are comfortable sitting back and waiting to unleash Musa Al-Taamari on the counter.
Romano Schmid curled shot from range in the 20th minute is a goal deserving of the lead though Jordan almost responded immediately with a shot that crashed off the crossbar. Austria lead Jordan for possession 58-42% though the shots on target favour the World Cup debutants 3-1 while both have had five chances sail wide.
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Half time: Austria 1-0 Jordan
Romano Schmid’s rocket from outside the penalty area is all that separates the two sides in what has been an enthralling encounter filled with end-to-end football.
45+3 min Schmid has time to try to pick out a pass into the Austria attack where Kalajdžić is hovering ominously. A quick Jordan clearance sends Musa Al-Taamari on his way but the long hit ends up with keeper Schlager.
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45+1 min Jordan continue to attack down their left where Mohannad Abu Taha offers width. Musa Al-Taamari soon sets off on a solo run from the right side and beats the first Austria defender to get a shot away with his left boot that drifts into the side netting. Four minutes of added time.
44 min Stefan Posch crunches Odeh Al-Fakhouri in the back as they compete for a high ball to hand Jordan another free kick in their attacking half. The overly elaborate set up wastes the chance.
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42 min Jordan earn their own free kick in their attacking half where a flatter cross earns a corner – one of their key weapons.
41 min Austria win a free kick out of nothing in the midfield and take time to set up their attack. Alaba delivers a loop free kick for Kalajdžić to nod backwards where the Jordan defence are able to clear.
39 min Both keepers take their time with a goal kick with half-time coming in to view.
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37 min Austria take some momentum out of the game with Jordan pressing hard in attack. The midfield battle has leaned to one side with the contrasting approaches to leave Austria enjoying about two-thirds of the possession.
35 min Jordan flood forward and a pacey build up gives Ali Olwan time to unleash a powerful shot that might have troubled the keeper if it wasn’t so straight. Musa Al-Taamari gathers the rebound but his own chance is blocked by Philipp Lienhart before Austria finally clear. Jordan continue to look most dangerous on the counter.
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33 min Austria send the ball long for Konrad Laimer to run on to and into the penalty area. The midfielder tumbles to ground with arms waving in the air after there was an obvious tug on the shirt. But he equally had a fist full of the Jordan defender’s jersey. Stefan Posch is next to find space in attack but a heavy final touch allows the keeper to shut down the danger.
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32 min Fast feet from Ali Olwan opens up the Austria defence but the cross into the penalty area is comfortably cleared by their centre-backs.
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31 min Mwene quickly has an opportunity to make amends as he searches for Saša Kalajdžić but the cross is a touch behind the forward and he is unable to get enough on his header.
29 min Austria look more and more threatening as Jordan allow them time to build attacks. The right final ball all that’s missing to link midfield with the attack as Phillipp Mwene misdirects a cross.
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27 min Austria win the ball back for their own throw in the attacking third and pile the pressure back on Jordan in the six-yard box. A desperate clearance gives the ball back for Austria to rebuild as Xaver Schlager charges through the middle of the pitch unopposed.
25 min The game recommences with a throw to Jordan in their defensive half.
22 min Jordan nearly equalise immediately as they race forward from the restart and thunder a shot into the crossbar. Just as this game is firing up, it’s time for a so-called hydration break.
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It was wonderful one-touch passing from Austria in the build up to deliver the ball to Romano Schmid alone at the top of the penalty area. A touch to the right was enough to open up his body and pick a gap between the defensive line and past the keeper into the top right corner.
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GOAL! Austria 1-0 Jordan (Schmid 20)
Romano Schmid gives Austria the lead with a stunning strike from distance.
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19 min Austria get in behind the Jordan defence with the second ball off a corner. The shot is blocked before the flag goes up.
17 min Jordan burst forward again – they look lively on the counter. Odeh Al-Fakhouri leaves the defence in his wake to get a shot away that briefly interests Austria keeper Schlager before it sails over the bar.
15 min Austria have taken control of the midfield as Jordan are content to sit back. Saša Kalajdžić is the target man and the centre of each attack.
“It’s a comfortable 15 degrees, which I suppose that means there is no need for a ‘hydration break’,” Richard ponders from New Zealand. “Oh wait a minute isn’t it called an advert break or a momentum break or a tactical up date break.”
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13 min Jordan have little trouble playing out from the back and transitioning down the left and into the penalty area. The early cross leaves them outnumbered four-to-one as the Austria flood the penalty area to crowd Musa Al-Taamari.
11 min David Alaba has recovered from injury in time to lead Austria into their World Cup return. The 33-year-old is controlling the game from the back early but drifts into the midfield to take a speculative shot from outside the penalty area.
10 min Jordan enjoy their first sustained period of possession in their attacking half. With little else on offer, Musa Al-Taamari sends an early warning with a strike from well outside the penalty area.
9 min Austria take a quick throw-in to pick out Konrad Laimer charging into the penalty area. The versatile midfielder cuts back a pass before the ball quickly ends up back at his feet and pops up to brush his arm.
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7 min Austria arrived at their first World Cup for 28 years with a famed press under coach Ralf Rangnick. But Jordan are more than matching them as they set back and pick the right time to pounce on anything loose in their defensive half.
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5 min Jordan threaten to counterattack again but the long ball over midfield travels a touch too far and Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager has time to clear. Austria want to settle things down with some time on the ball but that proves easier said than done.
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3 min A blistering start from Jordan as the counterattack after Austria’s long throw into the penalty area. Musa Al-Taamari races across the halfway line before the Austria defence catches up. Jordan still have time to get the first shot away but it rockets into the side net for a goal kick.
1 min Austria in their red jersey and black shorts settle in with a couple of long balls out of defence and win an early throw on the right.
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Kick-off
Peeeeeep! Austria get us under way against Jordan in the World Cup Group J match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
While the match ball is quickly assessed and the pre-game formalities wrap up, here is a reminder of the starting XIs for each side.
Austria XI
1 Alexander Schlager (gk); 5 Stefan Posch, 15 Philipp Lienhart, 8 David Alaba (c), 16 Phillipp Mwene; 4 Xaver Schlager, 6 Nicolas Seiwald, 9 Marcel Sabitzer, 20 Konrad Laimer; 18 Romano Schmid, 14 Saša Kalajdžić.
Jordan XI
1 Yazeed Abulaila (gk); 5 Yazan Al-Arab, 3 Abdallah Nasib, 16 Mohammad Abualnadi; 23 Ehsan Haddad (c), 21 Nizar Al-Rashdan, 8 Noor Al-Rawabdeh, 20 Mohannad Abu Taha; 10 Musa Al-Taamari, 9 Ali Olwan, 11 Odeh Al-Fakhouri.
Referee: Dahane Beida
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The Austria national anthem – Land der Berge, Land am Strome – rings out at a World Cup for the first time in 28 years, before the Jordan players take an early win with a loud and proud version of their Long Live the King.
A quick reminder of the earlier matches today – each sprinkled with stardust:
Supporters on both sides have descended on San Francisco with Jordan making their World Cup debut and Austria returning to the stage for the first time in 28 years.
It’s a comfortable 15C in San Francisco which should suit Austria more than Jordan ahead of a 9pm kick-off. The players have finished warming up and should be out with their game faces on shortly.
Reigning World Cup champions Argentina rose to the occasion and got their campaign off to the ideal start with a 3-0 victory over Algeria. And so did Lionel Messi, who in his 200th cap took another step towards solidifying his place as the greatest footballer in the history of the sport, scoring three splendid goals and tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the all-time goal scoring mark in World Cup play (16), the performance coming just hours after France’s Kylian Mbappé leapfrogged him, with 14.
Pablo Iglesias Maurer was at Kansas City Stadium for Argentina’s victory that also reiterated that this Austria-Jordon clash is a must-win game for both sides with top spot in Group J looking like a tough one to claim.
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Jordan XI
1 Yazeed Abulaila (gk); 5 Yazan Al-Arab, 3 Abdallah Nasib, 16 Mohammad Abualnadi; 23 Ehsan Haddad (c), 21 Nizar Al-Rashdan, 8 Noor Al-Rawabdeh, 20 Mohannad Abu Taha; 10 Musa Al-Taamari, 9 Ali Olwan, 11 Odeh Al-Fakhouri.
Coach Jamal Sellami shows faith in his typical 3-4-3 formation with Ehsan Haddad and Mohannad Abu Taha offering width. Pacey attacker Musa Al-Taamari – known in some circles as the “Jordanian Messi” – and the star of the World Cup qualifying campaign, Ali Olwan and emerging talent Odeh Al-Fakhouri bring the goal threat in the heartbreaking absence of striker Yazan Al-Naimat.
Austria XI
1 Alexander Schlager (gk); 5 Stefan Posch, 15 Philipp Lienhart, 8 David Alaba (c), 16 Phillipp Mwene; 4 Xaver Schlager, 6 Nicolas Seiwald, 9 Marcel Sabitzer, 20 Konrad Laimer; 18 Romano Schmid, 14 Saša Kalajdžić.
Coach Ralf Rangnick loads up the midfield with Seiwald and Schlager looking to take command while Sabitzer and Laimer likely have a licence to roam. But the biggest call is in attack with veteran Marko Arnautović left out of the starting XI along with emerging talent Paul Wanner.
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Meanwhile in Kansas City…. it may come as no surprise that Lionel Messi has taken just 76 minutes to stamp his mark on the tournament with a hat-trick for reigning champions Argentina in their opener against Algeria. With that, he equals the all-time World Cup scoring record. Austria and Jordan must be quaking in their boots. Join Jonathan Howcroft for what remains of that Group J game.
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The streets and cafes of Amman will be heaving this morning as Jordan make their World Cup debut. John Duerden looks at how Al-Nashama booked their ticket – and what to expect against Austria at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
Jordan v Austria has been used as an example of a game that will challenge Fifa’s dynamic pricing system but regardless of how full the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium is, the cafes in Amman’s Prince Muhammad Street and all around the country will be packed. They were a year ago, as fans watched Portugal beat Spain in the Uefa Nations League final, three days after the World Cup spot had been secured with the city still buzzing with the thought of Al-Nashama (The Chivalrous Ones) taking on the superstars of the world and … here they are.
But while Jordan may be more about team spirit, organisation and counterattacking, they have stars of their own. In the days after qualification, the faces of the big three forwards featured on billboards everywhere you looked, though they have had differing fortunes since.
Read more …
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Team guide: Jordan
By Ayman Hijleh
Jordan make their first World Cup appearance after nine previous unsuccessful qualifying attempts. The closest the national team came before was during the qualifiers for 2014, when they reached the intercontinental playoff but lost 5-0 on aggregate to Uruguay.
But this time the story was different. Jordan topped the group in the second round of the Asian qualifiers, collecting 13 points with four wins, one draw and one defeat. They then progressed to the third round, finishing second in Group B behind South Korea to secure direct qualification with a match to spare after a 3-0 victory over Oman. The forward Ali Olwan was the team’s top scorer in the qualifiers with nine goals.
The head coach, Jamal Sellami of Morocco, uses a 3-4-3 formation. Goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila anchors the side, while Yazan Al-Arab leads the back line alongside Abdallah Nasib and Mohammad Abualnadi. In midfield, Nizar Al-Rashdan and Noor Al-Rawabdeh provide stability, supported by the dynamic wing-backs Issam Al-Samiri on the right and Mohannad Abu Taha on the left. Sellami’s approach focuses on quick transitions to exploit the pace of star winger Mousa Al-Tamari.
Find out more about World Cup debutants Jordan in the full team guide …
Team guide: Austria
By Andreas Hagenauer
Austria’s plan has been remarkably stable for years. Personnel have shifted here and there, but the spine has barely changed: Marcel Sabitzer in an attacking role, Nicolas Seiwald and Xaver Schlager in central midfield, and a defence built around Philipp Lienhart, Konrad Laimer and Stefan Posch. Continuity is one of their strengths.
The core principles remain press and stress. Austria want to stress opponents, force the pace of the game, win the ball back quickly and turn mistakes into chances. A few years ago that felt fresh and modern; now, high pressing and aggressive counterpressing are hardly revolutionary, and if the structure slips even slightly, the approach can expose a team badly. Austria, however, almost never lose that balance. They have absorbed coach Ralf Rangnick’s ideas to the point of reflex.
Learn more about Austria in our full team guide …
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup match between Austria and Jordan at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Kick-off in this Group J game is 9pm local/12am EDT/5am BST/2pm AEST – or 6am CEST/7am EEST for those watching from the homelands of the competing teams.
Reigning world champions Argentina are widely expected to top the group that also includes Algeria but the remaining spot – or two – to progress to the knockouts is very much up for grabs.
The two sides meeting today in Santa Clara are perhaps among the first beneficiaries of the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams. Austria return to the grand stage for the first time since 1998 and for their eighth visit overall, while Jordan make their World Cup debut.
Austria’s 28-year absence from the showpiece event ended when they topped their Uefa qualifying group ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina and avoided the drama of the playoffs. Veteran striker Marko Arnautović was critical to the No 24-ranked side’s qualification with eight goals, while Marcel Sabitzer remains their main creative outlet. The high-intensity, manic press that has come to define coach Ralf Rangnick’s various reigns across clubs and country will be a feature as Austria seek to control possession and territory against the lowest-ranked side in Group J.
Jordan, on the other hand, have booked their spot at the World Cup for the first time with a gameplan centred around a solid defence and counterattacks. The No 65-ranked side began their march towards a global tournament debut when reaching the Asian Cup final for the first time in 2023 with a shock win over South Korea in the semis. Jordan paid the price for giving away three penalties in a 3-1 defeat by Qatar in the decider but carried their momentum into the World Cup qualifiers. Al-Nashama (The Chivalrous Ones) were especially impressive playing away from home as they booked their World Cup ticket with an automatic qualification spot when second in the group behind South Korea.
I’ll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news – and the latest from the World Cup. In the meantime, get in touch with any questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!
