Marko Arnautovic turned a nervy Austria return into a 3-1 World Cup win, forcing the late break that finally broke Jordan’s resistance in Santa Clara. The scoreline ended with gloss, but the Group Stage opener was far tighter than Austria wanted against determined World Cup debutants.
Schmid ignites Austria before Olwan answers
Austria struck first in the 21st minute, when Romano Schmid found the top corner from outside the box after Marcel Sabitzer had become the central figure in their attacks. It gave Ralf Rangnick’s side, shaped by the coach since he took over in June 2022, the platform their long-awaited World Cup return demanded.
Jordan refused to fade. After captain Ehsan Haddad had caused an early scare by firing into the side netting, Ali Olwan levelled five minutes after half-time with a shot in off the far post, underlining why he was later named Man of the Match despite the defeat.
Arnautovic decides Austria’s gritty comeback
Arnautovic’s half-time introduction changed the pressure around Austria’s attack. He had a close-range finish ruled out in the 69th minute after a VAR review for handball by Stefan Posch, but Austria kept pushing rather than shrinking from the setback.
