AUSTRIA:
DIE ROT-WEISS-ROTEN
First World Cup win since 1990 the other night. They played Jordan, the debutants, so it was a bit of a mismatch on paper, but these are the matches that can lull you into a false sense of security. A match that you may feel some entitlement to win. That wasn’t the case here. It was a battle and a well-deserved win on the Austrians’ return to the tournament.
That beauty from outside the box, off Schmid’s right foot, and resilience to fight through setbacks took Austria over the line. Also, the penalty in stoppage time from Arnautović was fitting.
What makes this return feel a bit different is the man in the dugout. Ralf Rangnick implements a high-pressure game plan that pushes Austrian football into a sharper, hungrier identity.
For the fans, that loyalty matters as much as the results. With Captain David Alaba holding down the back line and the eternal Marko Arnautović (37 years old) still leading the line as the nation's record scorer, finally getting his World Cup, and his World Cup goal.
This is a group of men chasing something they were told had passed them by. It's about belonging on this stage again, and “Das Team” are here to let everyone know they’ve arrived for real this time.
🇦🇹 ⚔️
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Austria feel like one of those teams that understand exactly who they are.
There’s very little romance to them and very little waste. They press hard, run relentlessly, attack space quickly, and make matches feel uncomfortable for opponents. Against Jordan, the 3-1 scoreline wasn’t spectacular so much as professional.
If Argentina are one of the tournament’s artists, Austria look like one of its engineers. Not necessarily the team everyone is talking about, but very much the kind of team nobody wants to play once the tournament starts narrowing.