[European Regional Final Qualifiers - Group A]
8 Matches 4 Wins 2 Ties 2 Losses (14 Points)
| 8/31/96 | Vs. Scotland | Draw | 0-0 |
| 10/9/96 | Vs. Sweden | Win | 0-1 |
| 1/19/97 | Vs. Latvia | Win | 2-1 |
| 4/2/97 | Vs. Scotland | Lose | 0-2 |
| 4/30/97 | Vs. Estonia | Win | 2-0 |
| 6/8/97 | Vs. Latvia | Win | 1-3 |
| 8/20/97 | Vs. Estonia | Win | 0-3 |
| 9/6/97 | Vs. Sweden | Win | 1-0 |
| 9/10/97 | Vs. Belarus | Win | 0-1 |
| 10/11/97 | Vs. Belarus | Win | 4-0 |
| Offense |
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Defense |
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| Organization |
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Experience |
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| Talent |
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Capacity to surprise |
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With so many of its players in the Bundesliga and having been so strongly influenced historically and culturally by Germany, Austrian soccer continues its "Germany Junior" style. With the main strength of the Austrian team being its wealth of experience, it wants to utilize its solid defense to prevent the opposition from scoring and add in the ability to read the flow of the match to win through the preliminaries.
Its trademark defense is pretty much complete. The regular goalkeeper Konsel is a veteran who played in Rome and the substitute Wohlfahrt also enjoys a top reputation in Germany. For Libero who holds the key to the 3-5-2 system, there is Feiersinger who fills various holes with Dortmund. The double stoppers of Pfeffer and Schottel are also strong against the air game. Their only possible weakness is that they may have a slightly hard time against attackers with both speed and technique. At midfield, Mahlich is in a defensive position. At wing back, there is young prospect Cerny on the right and the veteran Wetl on the left. In the command tower is the genius Herzog, whose main weapons are lethal through passes and free kicks. For his sweeper role, Kubauer is strong.
For the attackers, Polster, the symbol of Austrian soccer, is on the top. There is no denying the signs of age, but his goal sense is as strong as ever and he gives nothing up to younger players. At a position somewhat back from Polster is Vastic, who was born in Croatia, providing assistance to Polster.
*Osterreichischer
FussballBund
[Address]
- Ernst Happel Stadion,
- Sektor A/F,
- Meiereistrasse 7
- Postfach 340, A-1021 Wien
*7th World Cup
(1934, 1954, 1958, 1978,
1982, 1990, 1998)
No championships |
Anton POLSTER
* Forward
As an immovable striker, Polster is a seasoned veteran who pulls along the team and much is expected from him.
This Austrian idol, whose role transcends the world of soccer, is a key player for this Austrian team too, on which he participates as a seasoned veteran. He made his debut on the national team at the age of 18 and since then has scored countless goals. In his career, he has played for Austria Wien, Torino (Italy), Seville, Logronez, and Vajieka (all in Spain), and now for Cologne in the Bundesliga. On every club, he has attained the position of striker and his experience is beyond challenge. However, age has its limits and excess expectations could be a problem. It bears watching to see whether or not he can perform to the level he has set as a striker.
Herbert PROHASKA
Prohaska was a member of the team that delivered the stunning blow to defeat West Germany in the 1978 World Cup and was a player whose name will live on in the history of Austrian soccer. He started his coaching career at Austria Wien, built up a fine track record and after the death of the legendary Happel became the coach of the national team. He thoroughly pursues defensive techniques and is the constant target of criticism, but he has the backing of the Chair of the Austrian Soccer Association. Speaking precisely, his system is more a 1-2-5-1-1 than a 3-5-2. His goal is to win through the preliminary round somehow.
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