Austria marked their much-anticipated return to the World Cup with a solid 3-1 victory against the determined debutants from Jordan. The match showcased the impact of substitute Marko Arnautovic, who played a pivotal role in securing the win in a thrilling Group J encounter.
On a brisk evening in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austria took the lead early in the game with a stunning strike from Romano Schmid in the 21st minute. However, Jordan responded fiercely after halftime, equalizing with a brilliant shot from Ali Olwan that struck the post and went in.
Arnautovic’s entrance at the start of the second half proved crucial for Austria. The 37-year-old forward had a goal disallowed in the 69th minute before he forced defender Yazan Al-Arab into an own goal just seven minutes later. He capped off the scoring by converting a penalty deep into stoppage time.
Austrian midfielder Konrad Laimer acknowledged the difficulty of the match, stating, “We knew that this was going to be a difficult match… there were situations where we did a good job, there were phases where we underperformed,”
Laimer emphasized the importance of team mentality, adding, “What’s important is the mentality of the entire team – we never gave up, we kept going until the end and finally we came out on top.”
The Jordanian side defended resolutely and posed a threat on the counterattack, with forwards Olwan and Musa al-Taamari consistently challenging Austria’s defense, who were competing in their first World Cup in 28 years.
The match began at a frantic pace, with Jordan nearly scoring just two minutes in through a counterattack that saw captain Ehsan Haddad shoot low into the side netting.
Austria soon found their rhythm, with Marcel Sabitzer central to a series of attacks. The breakthrough came when Schmid found the top corner from outside the area in the 21st minute.
Jordan equalized just five minutes after the interval, as Olwan surged down the left flank before unleashing a spectacular strike off the far post.
Austrian hopes of regaining the lead were dashed when Arnautovic’s close-range effort was disallowed following a VAR check that ruled a handball by Stefan Posch.
The decisive moment came when Sabitzer’s corner deflected off Al-Arab, putting Austria ahead again, followed by Arnautovic’s penalty that solidified their victory in stoppage time.
“We didn’t deserve to lose in our first-ever World Cup appearance – a historic participation for us,” Jordan’s Olwan remarked. “We still have two matches ahead, and based on what I saw from our team today, we are capable of qualifying.”
