ÖFB Team Loses 0:2 to Argentina – Messi Decides the Match at Dallas Stadium

Rangnick's Assessment Before the Match

Coach Ralf Rangnick, who has been in charge of the ÖFB team for four years, had emphasized before the match that his team would need to deliver the best performance of his tenure against Argentina. "Wir spielen morgen 'against all odds'", the 67-year-old German had said beforehand, pointing to the depth of the Argentine squad: "Sie könnten mit zweieinhalb verschiedenen Mannschaften spielen." After the match, Rangnick once again paid tribute to the opponents: "Das war uns vorher schon klar, dass Lionel Messi der beste Spieler der Welt ist, den es je gab."

Even before kickoff, Rangnick had pointed to the climatic conditions in Texas. "Es war schon so, dass man das Gefühl hatte, es blasen einem 100 Föne entgegen", he described the temperature change after landing compared to Santa Barbara. The imposing venue was also a special feature: The stadium in Arlington has a closable roof and is air-conditioned, with around 70,000 spectators expected.

Lineup and Personnel Decisions

There were some notable decisions in the starting lineup. Michael Gregoritsch was preferred over Arnautović and Kalajdžić, celebrating his first World Cup appearance. Konrad Laimer, who had been experimented with at the No. 10 position against Jordan, returned to his regular position at left back. "Das notgedrungene Experiment gegen Algerien auf der 10 wurde beendet, spielte auf seiner bayrischen Position links hinten", the match report stated.

Captain David Alaba started despite his muscle problems from the opening match but was substituted in the 67th minute. Marco Friedl (from the 67th) replaced him in the match. Also in the 67th minute, Marko Arnautović, Stefan Posch, and Paul Wanner were brought on or taken off. Stefan Posch played despite a fractured jaw with a special mask and also received a yellow card when he left his shoulder in an opponent's face.

Marcel Sabitzer celebrated his 100th international match against Argentina. "Für sein 100. Länderspiel hätte er sich keine größere Bühne vorstellen können", the Austrian daily press commented. The 32-year-old, born in Wels, was on the field from the start and was one of the confirmed regulars alongside Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, and Philipp Liehart.

Sabitzer's Milestone and Alaba's Comeback

The ÖFB team had already been informed about the lineup on Saturday, as the reports indicate: "ÖFB-Teamchef Ralf Rangnick hat der Mannschaft bereits am Samstag die Aufstellung verraten." Christoph Baumgartner was unavailable, which made filling the No. 10 position difficult anyway. "dass es auch Gespräche mit Spielern gab, die nicht ganz zu Unrecht davon ausgegangen wären, dass sie von Beginn an gespielt hätten", Rangnick explained.

The match took a decisive turn early on. Xaver Schlager was fouled by Alexis MacAllister in the build-up to the first goal, remained on the ground after the challenge, and gestured toward the fourth official that his legs had been taken out from behind. "dass es ein klares Foul an Xaver Schlager war", Rangnick criticized afterward. It remained unclear whether the VAR center had reviewed the incident.

Schlager Incident and Controversial VAR Decision

The referee for the match was Amin Omar. Messi himself had previously missed a penalty but was able to convert his second attempt, giving Argentina the lead. "Seine Aura verhinderte Messis 1:0 beim Elfer", one report noted on the first failed attempt.

In the closing stages, Austria made further changes: Romano Schmid was substituted in the 78th minute, and Michael Gregoritsch made way for Chukwuemeka in the 87th minute. Messi's goal to make it 2:0 in the 95th minute sealed the final decision in Argentina's favor.

Messi's Record Chase and Argentina's Streak

Argentina is through to the knockout phase after two rounds and has won their last eight international matches in a row, conceding only one goal in the process. The South Americans had won their opening match against Algeria 3:0, with Messi scoring a hat-trick. For Lionel Scaloni, the Argentine head coach, the match against Austria was already his 98th in charge – narrowly missing the milestone of his Austrian counterpart. "Dieses Jubiläum verpasst Argentiniens Langzeit-Teamchef Lionel Scaloni knapp: Für ihn ist es bereits die 98. Partie im Amt."

Stefan Oesen, presented as the ÖFB chief tactician, had described the strengths of the Austrian game before the match: "Man hat schon bei der EM gegen Frankreich und die Niederlande gesehen, dass es uns liegt, wenn es Räume und Umschaltsituationen gibt. Darüber definieren wir uns ja auch." Against Argentina, however, the team found only few of these counter-attacking moments.

A curious scene also occurred in the Austrian defense: Alexander Schlager, who plays in goal and is not to be confused with Xaver Schlager, "verhinderte mit einem richtig starken Reflex das 0:1-Alaba-Eigentor". The Austrian goalkeeper parried a ball that was already on its way into his own net, sparing his team from falling behind at a critical juncture.

With the win, Messi further extended his personal tally at this World Cup. After two group matches, the Argentine captain has five goals to his name and leads the scoring chart by a clear margin. Overall, Messi has been named World Footballer of the Year eight times and is nearly 39 years old. On Wednesday, two days after the match against Austria, he will celebrate his 39th birthday.

Outlook on the Algeria Match

After the match, Messi himself appeared reflective: "Ich denke nicht so viel darüber nach. Ich bin müde, völlig erschöpft. Ich genieße einfach den Moment." Rangnick acknowledged the opponent's quality without envy: "Deswegen ist er Messi, dass er nicht so viele Situationen braucht, um so sein Spiel trotzdem zu entscheiden."

Earlier in the city of Cutral Có in Argentina, a 26-meter-tall statue of Lionel Messi had been unveiled at the start of the current World Cup. The location is reminiscent of the birthplace of Diego Maradona, whose famous "Hand of God" from the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Maradona had described the goal at the time as: "Es war ein bisschen Maradonas Kopf und ein bisschen die Hand Gottes."

For the Austrian team, the task now is to collect the necessary points in the final group match against Algeria. "Es ist sicherlich von Vorteil, dass wir das allerletzte Spiel haben, weil wir dann schon ganz genau wissen, was für ein Ergebnis wir brauchen", Rangnick had explained before the Argentina match. The chances of reaching the Round of 16 remain intact – the performance against the world champions is nevertheless regarded as a clear setback.

Historically, Austria has long been waiting for a win against a reigning world champion in a competitive match. The last such success dates back to June 3, 1978, when the ÖFB team beat Germany 3:2 at the World Cup in Córdoba. Since then, the Austrian team has not managed to win a competitive match against a titleholder.