Austria beat Jordan 2-1 in an electrifying World Cup debut

By Terrance Silva

When the clock marked minute 76 at the Santa Clara stadium, the fate of the match seemed written between the frustration of a disallowed goal and the push of a Jordanian team that, far from being intimidated, stood up to the European favorite. It was in that moment of uncertainty, with the score tied, when a poisoned cross from Marcel Sabitzer sought an uncertain fate. The ball hit Yazan Al-Arab on the back and ended up scoring the final 2-1 in favor of Austria. An outcome that, more than a blackboard play, was the relief of a team that felt the rigor of the debut.

The match had that frenetic pace that only World Cup premieres manage to achieve. Barely two minutes had passed when the hearts of the Austrian fans stopped for a moment: a powerful shot from the Asians shook the outside of the net. It was the warning signal. Jordan did not come to participate; came to complicate.

Romano Schmid: the man who broke the ice

Until 20 minutes, the game was a tense chess. It was then that Romano Schmid decided that his patience had run out. With a definition that could well hang in a museum, he took a right foot from outside the area that hit the upper corner of the goal defended by Yazeed Abu laila. The stadium exploded. It was 1-0 that, in theory, should have opened the match for a comfortable Austria.

But football has this habit of challenging logic. Jordan, far from falling apart, became strong. Ali Alowan, the great figure of the Asian team, commanded a counterattack in the 49th minute—just after the start of the second half—that left the Austrian defense unsettled. With a precise and powerful right cross, he made it 1-1 that lit up the stands again.

The VAR, unexpected protagonist

The match became a constant back and forth. At 67 minutes, Marko Arnautovic, who had entered the field to give weight to the attack, took advantage of a gross error in the start of the Jordanian goalkeeper to make it 2-1. The celebration did not last long. Referee Dahane Beida, after being called by the VAR booth, decided to annul the action due to a previous handball by Stefan Posch. The tension in Santa Clara was palpable; The VAR, which is often an ally, had become the judge most hated by the Austrians.

However, that same fate that took a goal away from Austria restored the lead shortly after. Al-Arab's misfortune in putting the ball into his own goal after Sabitzer's center sealed the fate of the match. The last minutes were an ordeal for the Europeans, who saw how Schlager and his defense had to exert extreme resources in the face of each desperate advance by Jordan.

A start that leaves homework for

If this clash in California demonstrated anything, it is that, in this World Cup, the name on the shirt does not win games. Austria takes the three points, yes, but it also leaves with the certainty that its defensive structure suffered against the Jordanian speed. Arnautovic, in the end, had the chance to close the fight, but his shot collided with Abu Laila's safety, in a response that prevented a looser score.

Those led by the European coaching staff celebrate the victory and are already looking ahead to the next challenge. Jordan, for its part, leaves with its head held high. They managed to make each other uncomfortable, tie and fight until their last breath. In the end, it was misfortune that determined the balance, but the message was clear: no one has a smooth path in this Group J.