Image: from ꜱᴘᴏʀᴛꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ X @_mkverma
By Open Chronicle with agencies
Austria celebrated its return to the FIFA World Cup after a 28-year absence with a 3-1 victory over tournament debutants Jordan in their opening Group J match at Levi’s Stadium in California.
Despite entering the contest as favorites, Ralf Rangnick’s side faced a determined Jordanian team that made life difficult throughout much of the encounter. Austria controlled possession for long stretches but struggled to convert their dominance into clear opportunities against a disciplined opponent.
The breakthrough arrived in the 21st minute through a moment of brilliance from Romano Schmid. After receiving a short pass from Konrad Laimer near the edge of the penalty area, Schmid shifted the ball onto his right foot and unleashed a spectacular strike into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila with no chance.
Jordan refused to be intimidated and produced several dangerous moments before halftime. Ali Olwan and Ehsan Haddad both tested the Austrian defense, while Olwan struck the crossbar with a glancing effort that nearly brought the newcomers level.
The Asian side’s persistence was rewarded five minutes after the restart. Following a defensive recovery, Ali Olwan launched a rapid counterattack from near the halfway line. Racing forward with confidence, he cut inside before curling a superb effort beyond Alexander Schlager and in off the post to make it 1-1.
Austria thought they had regained the lead midway through the second half when Marko Arnautovic found the net, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review identified a handball in the build-up.
As the match entered its closing stages, Austria finally found a way through once again. In the 76th minute, Marcel Sabitzer delivered a dangerous corner that created confusion inside the Jordanian penalty area. Defender Yazan Al-Arab inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net, restoring Austria’s advantage.
Jordan pushed forward in search of another equalizer and created pressure late on, but the European side remained dangerous on the counterattack. Deep into stoppage time, a VAR review awarded Austria a penalty. Veteran striker Marko Arnautovic stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, sealing a 3-1 victory and ensuring Austria’s long-awaited World Cup return began with three points.
The result places Austria in a strong position in Group J, alongside defending world champions Argentina, who earlier defeated Algeria 3-0 thanks to a historic hat-trick from Lionel Messi.
Arnautovic was named Player of the Match, capping an influential performance that included a late goal and a constant attacking presence throughout the contest. For Jordan, despite the defeat, the performance offered plenty of encouragement as the World Cup newcomers demonstrated resilience, ambition, and moments of real quality on football’s biggest stage.