News Focus
- Austria claim first World Cup win since 1990 with 3-1 triumph
- Jordan score maiden World Cup goal through Ali Olwan on tournament debut
- Late own goal and stoppage-time penalty from Marko Arnautovic settle the match
- Ralf Rangnick’s side make winning start in Group J at Levi’s Stadium
The Austria national team has ended a 36-year wait for victory at the FIFA World Cup. They defeated Jordan 3-1 in their opening Group J fixture in San Francisco.
Ralf Rangnick’s squad last tasted success at this level in 1990. Their return to the global finals after missing the 2022 edition saw them face tournament newcomers Jordan at Levi’s Stadium.
The Asian side began the match with positive intent. Odeh al-Fakhouri forced an excellent save from Austria’s goalkeeper Alexander Schlager during the early stages. However, the European side broke the deadlock in the 21st minute.
Romano Schmid received possession near the edge of the box. He moved past defenders and fired a powerful strike into the top corner of the net.
Jordan nearly responded straight away. Olwan directed a header against the crossbar from a corner kick. Shortly after, Schlager denied the same player once again with another important stop.
The forward refused to give up. Five minutes into the second half, Olwan found space down the left flank. He advanced into the penalty area and placed his shot past Schlager to make it 1-1. This marked Jordan’s first-ever goal at a World Cup finals.
The Austrians believed they had retaken the lead in the 67th minute. Jordan’s goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila failed to deal with a corner kick, allowing Marko Arnautovic to score. However, a lengthy Video Assistant Referee review spotted a handball by Stefan Posch, and the goal was disallowed.
The Middle Eastern side failed to defend set-pieces properly. In the 76th minute, Yazan Al-Arab accidentally headed the ball into his own goal from another corner. Then, during stoppage time, a second VAR review spotted a handball by Mohammad Abu Zrayq. Arnautovic stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to seal the three points.