Austria beats – Austria secured its first World Cup win in 36 years with a 3-1 victory over Jordan in a debut match, sealing the result after an own goal and a late penalty by Marko Arnautovic in Santa Clara.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Austria’s World Cup comeback didn’t start with celebration. It started with a wait that lasted 36 years.
Tuesday night at soccer’s biggest stage, the wait ended in dramatic fashion as Austria beat Jordan 3-1 in a match that Jordan approached on debut with clear intent—and Austria answered with moments that swung the momentum again and again.
Romano Schmid put Austria ahead early, striking in the 20th minute after an impressive buildup pushed Jordan’s defence on the back foot. Xaver Schlager fed the pass to Schmid, who finished with a perfectly struck right-foot shot from the edge of the area into the top corner of the net.
Jordan’s response came in the second half. Ali Olwan equalized in the 50th minute, driving a long run into the box off a counterattack and beating Alexander Schlager with a right-foot shot that sent a large contingent of Jordanian fans into rapturous noise.
But the game’s turning point arrived in a tight, chaotic stretch in the second half—an end-to-end sequence that included VAR checks and corner kicks that kept finding the same dangerous areas.
Austria looked to reclaim the lead when Marko Arnautovic converted from a corner kick after a misplay by Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila. The moment didn’t last. The decision went to VAR, and the referee ruled a hand ball on Stefan Posch after his arm touched the ball in the lead-up.
Jordan’s doubt didn’t last either, because Austria continued to press. After the second-half hydration break, Austria won another corner kick and made it count this time. In the 76th minute. an own goal was credited to Jordanian defender Yazan Al Arab. with the ball deflecting off him after the corner kick. giving Austria a 2-1 lead.
From there, Austria managed the game with control and ruthless finishing. Deep into stoppage time, Arnautovic added the third goal from the penalty spot, extending Austria’s margin after the late drama had already shifted the match.
With the final whistle, Austria earned its first World Cup win since beating the United States in a group-stage match in 1990. Jordan, meanwhile, fell short in its attempt to become the first country to win its World Cup debut game since Senegal did it in 2002 against defending-champion France.
The result also set up what’s next for both teams at the tournament. Jordan will return to Santa Clara for its second match next Monday against Algeria, which lost 3-0 to Argentina in the first Group J match. Austria will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the Dallas area that same day.
Austria Jordan World Cup Romano Schmid Marko Arnautovic Yazan Al Arab Alexander Schlager Yazeed Abulaila Stefan Posch Xaver Schlager Ali Olwan Lionel Messi Argentina Algeria Santa Clara