SANTA CLARA, Calif. — When you’re in the group stage of the World Cup, it’s usually wise to play it safe.
The goal is to make it out of your group and get to the knockout phase of the tournament. So when Jordan came out in a 5-4-1 formation in its Group J opening match Tuesday at Levi’s Stadium against Austria, no one should have been surprised. If you’re not scored upon, your chances of advancing improve, even if you fail to dent the scoreboard yourself.
And so it was on a cool late spring evening in the South Bay. The Jordanians packing it in in the back, waiting for that one break to perhaps counter and get lucky enough to send their thousands of supporters in the stands into a frenzy.
Unfortunately, it was a strategy that didn’t pay off. Austria scored in the 20th minute, again in the 76th and in the waning seconds of stoppage time on a penalty kick by Marko Arnautovic to post a 3-1 win in front of 68,527 giving the nation its first World Cup win in 36 years..
If you’re Yazeed Abulaila, Jordan’s 33-year-old goalkeeper who earned his 76th cap representing his country, it meant a night of anxiousness and being under duress against an Austria side which was looking to attack and pressure him and his white-clad mates.
Surprisingly, the shots were even four apiece. And Jordan’s goal was a beauty as Ali Olwan made a nice rambling run down the left side, cut across the middle of the field, then ripped a shot that Alexander Schlager was unable to stop.
The goal, which came in the 50th minute, tied the game 1-1. And with plenty of time left, the Jordanians were very much in it. But An own goal in the 76th minute following a corner kick and then the late penalty awarded to Austria sealed Jordan’s fate.
“No, we knew Jordan had a good team, talented players,” Schlager said. “We weren’t surprised they could mount an attack. But we were able to pressure them and we were able to win the game.”
For Austria, which has to deal with Lionel Messi and Argentina in its next match on Monday in Arlington, Texas, they know they’re going to have to raise their level of play. So the three points it picked up Tuesday here were critical in the team’s hopes of advancing out of the group.
“Messi, he is the best player in the world,” said Austria’s David Alaba of the man who registered a hat trick in the 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City Tuesday. “We will have to be prepared to play against him and Argentina.”
But any nerves the Austrians may have had should be out of their collective system by now. They got a good test from Jordan, passed it, and now they move on to Texas and a date with Messi.
