Game Turned Around

Algeria Wins: Now Austria Faces a “Final”

Amine Gouiri: The match-winner who secured the 2–1 victory for Algeria.(Bild: AP/Eakin Howard)

Austria’s group opponent, Algeria, earned its first points early Tuesday morning at the World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The “Desert Foxes” celebrated a lackluster 2-1 (0-1) victory over Jordan in Santa Clara, California, and now sit on three points, just like the Austrian national team. Nadhir Benbouali (69') and Amine Gouiri (82') turned the game around for the favorites after Jordan’s goal by Nizar Al Rashdan (36').

“We deserved the win. It gives us more confidence and belief in ourselves ahead of the next game,” said Algeria’s head coach Vladimir Petkovic. In the battle for second place in Group J, Austria will face the North Africans in Kansas City in the early hours of Sunday morning (4:00 a.m. CEST/live on the Sportkrone.at live ticker). A draw would be enough for the Red-White-Reds, and Algeria would also have a good chance of advancing with a draw. “We’ll fight even harder than we did today,” announced midfielder Ibrahim Maza. For debutant Jordan, the knockout round is out of reach after two losses.

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In front of 68,371 spectators, Algeria was the dominant team, though it failed to pose a real threat. There were almost no openings; Jordan once again played with a compact, massed defense and repeatedly launched counterattacks—much like in their match against Austria, which they had lost 1–3 six days earlier. Nizar Al Rashdan promptly capitalized on one of these counterattacks—following a somewhat fortunate assist—to give his team the lead.

Two corner kicks sealed the deal
Algeria fought back with great determination right after halftime but continued to lack offensive highlights. The equalizer ultimately came from a set piece: Benbouali, who had come on as a substitute at halftime, held his ground after a corner kick and brought his team back into the game. The favorites pressed on and were rewarded with the winning goal by Gouiri following another corner kick.

“I don’t know if we showed our true colors, but we played better than we did against Argentina,” said the Olympique Marseille forward. “We conceded a goal, but we showed mental resilience and are getting stronger step by step. This game will do us a lot of good.”

Jordan’s coach didn’t see much of a difference
Jordan still has a match against Lionel Messi’s Argentina on the schedule to close out the World Cup. Coach Jamal Sellami thought his team put in a good performance against Algeria. “We didn’t fall far short, with the exception of the corner kicks and free kicks,” the Moroccan acknowledged. “Of course, we would have hoped for better results. But I’m proud of the players.” Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah also stopped by the locker room after the game to offer his congratulations. “His words did the players a world of good,” Sellami reported.

Jordan – Algeria 1–2 (1–0)
Santa Clara, 68,371, Referee Vincic (SLO)

Goals: 1 –0 (38') Al Rashdan, 1–1 (69') Benbouali, 1–2 (82') Gouiri

Jordan: Abulaila – Nasib, Al Arab, Abu Dahab (91. Obaid) – Haddad, Al Rashdan, Al Rawabdeh, Abu Taha (84. Abu Hasheesh) – Olwan (91. Abuzraiq), Al Mardi (76. Fakhoury) – Al-Tamari (84. Azaizeh)

Algeria: Zidane – Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini, Ait-Nouri (85. Hadjam) – Boudaoui (46. Benbouali), Zerrouki (46. Bentaleb), Maza – Mahrez (76. Hadj Moussa), Gouiri (85. Belaid), Chaibi

Yellow cards: Abu Dahab and Zerrouki