Some factors

World Cup ticket secured: these were the keys to success!

David Alaba jokes with Koni Laimer, team boss Ralf Rangnick is proud of his boys: Austria is back at the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998.(Bild: GEPA)

A team like a family and a coach who promotes strengths: These were the keys to success and Austria's first World Cup ticket since 1998 ...

The word "historic" may be overused in sports reporting, but in the context of Austria's national soccer team it is justified. For the first time in 28 years, the ÖFB team is taking part in a World Cup - most of the current squad members and many of the thousands of fans who celebrated with the players in the Happel Stadium on Tuesday after the 1:1 against Bosnia were not even born when they last took part in the World Cup.

  The return to the big stage is thanks to a selection whose quality is remarkably high. The core of the team has been established abroad for years, in some cases at top clubs, and has also been together for years. In addition, Ralf Rangnick is a coach who lets the team play what they like to do best - attacking soccer with high pressing and intensity.

  During his time at Red Bull, the German sowed what he is now reaping. Many ÖFB internationals have internalized Rangnick's principles for years, which in turn made it easier to implement a real playing idea in the Austrian team - a rarity at national team level.

Team manager Ralf Rangnick(Bild: GEPA)

Formula for success: Good team plus the right coach plus luck
However, the recipe for success is not just about finding the right coach for a talented team. Successful World Cup qualification also depends on seemingly small details. A year ago in the Nations League against Denmark, for example, Serbia obfuscated a number of chances and only drew 0-0, allowing Austria to secure a place in pot one of the World Cup qualifying draw. The draw was aided by the fact that Europe now has 16 starting places instead of the previous 13 as a result of the World Cup expansion. The result was probably the easiest World Cup qualifying group the ÖFB team has ever had on paper.

  David Alaba and Co. made the most of the opportunity, but it was not all utter bliss: apart from against San Marino and the 2-0 win in Cyprus, no game was won by more than one goal. The national team has problems with deep-lying opponents who evade the pressing with wide balls. After the 1-0 defeat in Bucharest, Romania's team manager Mircea Lucescu described the fact that the core of the ÖFB team has remained unchanged for years as both a blessing and a curse. The team is automatic and there is a blind understanding in good phases. However, the opponents now know exactly what to expect.

ÖFB team is getting on in years
This problem is compounded by a certain ageing. Alaba will be celebrating his 34th birthday during the World Cup, while Marko Arnautovic will be 37 at the tournament in North America. Other long-time mainstays such as Marcel Sabitzer, Michael Gregoritsch and Phillipp Mwene have passed their 30s, while Konrad Laimer (28), Xaver Schlager (28), Philipp Lienhart (29) and Stefan Posch (29) are not far behind. Rangnick's style of play is physically challenging, but has to be implemented by an ageing squad. With the exception of 19-year-old Nikolaus Wurmbrand, no really young kicker currently seems to be an issue for the first 15 or 16 players.

However, this does not change the current high performance of the national team. A successful World Cup appearance is certainly conceivable, especially as reaching the knockout phase at a World Cup is even easier than at a European Championship, if you take the world rankings as a yardstick. Austria cannot get a group like EURO 2024, with teams of the caliber of France, the Netherlands and Poland, when the draw is made in Washington on 5 December. And just one win could be enough to reach the round of 16 at the World Cup. The chances are good of winning a World Cup match for the first time since 1990 and advancing to the World Cup knockout phase for the first time since 1954. The team will therefore have another opportunity to achieve something historic next summer.