Austria marked their first FIFA World Cup match in 28 years with a 3-1 victory over debutants Jordan in Group J, surviving a spirited second-half response before sealing the points with a late penalty on Tuesday 16 June.
Romano Schmid’s first-half strike put Austria in front, but Jordan levelled early after the break through Ali Olwan’s solo effort. Austria regained the lead via a Yazan Al Arab own goal, and Marko Arnautovic added a decisive third from the spot deep into time added on at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
The result gives Austria three points from their opening group match, while Jordan were left to reflect on a performance that threatened to deliver a debut upset.
How Austria edged Jordan in a hard-fought opener
Jordan began with intent and created the first opening almost immediately. In the second minute, captain Ehsan Haddad found space for an effort but fired into the side-netting, a bright start that underlined the debutants’ willingness to take the game to Austria.
Austria were then forced into another early moment of alert defending when Odeh Fakhouri tried his luck from distance around the quarter-hour mark. Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager reacted sharply to tip the strike over the bar, keeping the match level as Jordan continued to probe.
Despite Jordan’s early initiative, Austria struck first in the 20th minute. Schmid collected the ball on the edge of the area and whipped a drive into the net, an “unstoppable” finish that gave Austria the lead and shifted the pressure onto Jordan.
After the interval, Jordan found their response quickly. Five minutes into the second half, Ali Olwan produced a standout individual moment to bring the game level. Played into Austria’s half by Noor Al Rawabdeh, Olwan carried the ball forward, broke into the penalty area, jinked inside and bent a precise shot home. The goal was historic, making Olwan the first Jordanian to score at the World Cup.
The equaliser set up a tense final phase, and Austria thought they had gone back in front in the 67th minute when Arnautovic stabbed in from close range after the ball broke to him inside the six-yard box. The chance came after Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila failed to get enough on a punch clear at a corner. However, following a VAR on-field review, the goal was ruled out for a handball in the build-up by Stefan Posch.
Austria’s persistence paid off soon afterwards. Jordan defender Al Arab headed into his own net, an unfortunate moment that restored Austria’s lead at 2-1 and left Jordan chasing the game once more.
In the closing stages, Austria added the finishing touch from the penalty spot. Arnautovic converted in the 12th minute of time added on to make it 3-1 and ensure Austria’s World Cup return began with all three points.
After the match, Schlager described it as a “hard-fought win” and said Austria were “simply delighted to have started the tournament with a victory,” adding that the result provided momentum ahead of the next game. Austria captain David Alaba echoed the sense of relief, saying the team’s objective was to start with a win and that achieving it was “a huge relief.”
For Jordan, Al Rawabdeh pointed to missed opportunities, saying the team were lacking in “scoring our chances” and stressing the importance of taking chances in big games, while also noting the pride of making their World Cup debut.
Key notes: Group J table, awards and a notable stat
Following the opening round of Group J matches, Austria sit second with three points, behind Argentina on goal difference. Jordan are third with no points, alongside Algeria.
Jordan’s Olwan was named Superior Player of the Match after his landmark goal and influential display.
One notable tournament stat also continued: Austria have now played 30 FIFA World Cup matches, and none of them has finished goalless.