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Ralf Rangnick’s Austria dug deep to overcome a remarkably spirited Jordan side, sealing a hard-fought 3-1 victory in an absorbing Group J opening clash at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Whilst the final scoreline suggests a comfortable evening for the European outfit, the World Cup debutants pushed one of the tournament’s form teams to the absolute limit in a breathless encounter.
The match burst into life in the 20th minute when Romano Schmid manufactured a moment of pure quality. Fed by slick, one-touch interplay at the edge of the box, the Werder Bremen midfielder swivelled beautifully and curled a gorgeous effort into the top corner. It was Austria’s first World Cup goal since 1998, fittingly scored by a Bremen player, just as Andi Herzog did 28 years prior. Guided by inspirational captain David Alaba, back marshalling the defence after a long injury layoff, Austria controlled 63 per cent of the possession but remained constantly exposed to Jordan’s blistering pace on the counter-attack.
Jordan, backed by a vociferous and joyful travelling support, refused to be overawed by the grand stage. Five minutes after the interval, their counter-attacking menace yielded a historic reward. Striking with clinical precision, Ali Olwan was released down the flank, wove into the penalty area, and unleashed a sensational finish that pinged in off the far post. The equaliser sparked pandemonium in the stands. In a deeply moving gesture, Olwan celebrated Jordan’s first-ever World Cup goal by holding up the number 11 shirt of Yazan Al-Naimat, their star striker who tragically missed the tournament due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
The tactical chess match intensified when Rangnick introduced veteran forward Marko Arnautovic from the bench to shift the momentum. The 37-year-old immediately caused havoc in the Jordanian box. Austria thought they had restored their lead in the 68th minute through the veteran striker, but a lengthy VAR review cruelly disallowed the goal for an incidental handball by Stefan Posch in the build-up.
However, Austria’s relentless pressure finally told with 14 minutes remaining. A wicked, inswinging corner from the dynamic Marcel Sabitzer caused immense panic in the six-yard box, where the ball unluckily deflected off the forehead of Jordan’s otherwise immense defender, Yazan Al-Arab, into his own net.
Deep into a staggering 13 minutes of stoppage time, Austria finally put the game to bed. Arnautovic’s cross struck the arm of sliding defender Saleem Obaid, prompting the referee to point to the spot. The veteran forward stepped up and clinically dispatched the penalty to seal the three points.
With this victory, Austria join reigning champions Argentina at the summit of Group J. Whilst Jordan leave Santa Clara empty-handed, their statistically even performance—matching Austria with 11 shots—proves they will be a dangerous package when they face Algeria in a must-win clash on Monday.
