Austria survived a spirited challenge from World Cup debutants Jordan to claim a 3-1 victory on Tuesday, with veteran striker Marko Arnautović sealing the result from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time.
At Levi’s Stadium near San Francisco, Austria took an early lead through Romano Schmid, who produced a moment of brilliance by rifling a long-range effort into the net.
Jordan, however, refused to be overawed on their World Cup debut and continued to press for an equaliser. Ali Olwan came close with a glancing header before making history by scoring his country’s first-ever World Cup goal.
The forward cut inside and unleashed a superb right-footed strike that beat Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager via the post, sparking celebrations among the Jordanian supporters.
With the game finely balanced, Austria regained control in the 76th minute when defender Yazan Al-Arab inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Arnautović then put the result beyond doubt in added time, calmly converting a penalty to complete a hard-earned victory and ensure Austria opened their World Cup campaign with all three points.
AFP
