Patzer puts Austria under pressure: Alaba’s nightmare in Amsterdam


Patzer puts Austria under pressure
Alaba’s nightmare in Amsterdam

David Alaba, of all people, made a fatal mistake for Austria: The team’s big star initiated the defeat against the Netherlands in the second EM preliminary round match. Alaba accepts the bankruptcy and gives courage. And the media are (still) gracious too.

The morning after the nightmare in Amsterdam, David Alaba was gripped by fighting spirit. It was “very bitter” and “a bit stupid”, this 0: 2 (0: 1) against the Netherlands, the foul penalty against him anyway. “It’s on my head.” But, he wrote on Twitter on Friday: “We have to leave it behind, recharge and then be ready for Monday! For a tough and important match.” The third group game against the tied Ukraine in Bucharest is Austria’s European Championship final for the little man. “Now we have our final and we will be there – with Marko Arnautovic,” said coach Franco Foda. The “enfant terrible” in the storm was suspended for insulting an opponent in the first game against North Macedonia.

The mood at the sausage stand and in the tobacconist’s home has not yet changed. “Cheer up” was the headline of the daily newspaper “Krone”. After all, nothing is lost! “This is how we make it to the last sixteen,” calculated the Austrian newspaper. Alaba assured: “We can do better.” With a kick on Denzel Dumfries’ foot in the penalty area, the star of an otherwise staid team initiated the “beginning of the end” (Kurier). Nevertheless, in the end he was “really proud of the team”, after all they were not overrun.

Little tablecloth for too much table

But the one-sided game in the Johan Cruyff Arena also revealed how much Austria is always Austria. Somehow there is not enough tablecloth for too much table – Team Austria is only really strong where Alaba plays. Occasional dropouts are the exception to the rule. If Alaba arranges in defense, there is a well-kept structure towards midfield, where the balls then silt up. If he is allowed to go further ahead, like after falling behind, he gives the missing cord-puller and is dangerous for the goal – then there is a huge problem at the back.

“It’s unusual for him to make such a technical mistake,” said the inevitable Herbert Prohaska of Alaba. “Schneckerl” was overtaken by Alaba on Thursday evening, both now have 83 international matches. Lothar Matthäus saw Alaba, who is moving to Real Madrid, as “overambitious”: “He was the one who initiated the defeat. He was also a little involved in the 2-0 win.” Then he had lost an important duel. But the enemy was strong and beyond Austria’s limited reach. “We have to acknowledge that the Dutch were better. This is a team that is on its way to play in the concert of the greats,” analyzed Prohaska. “We have to pull ourselves together.”

The discussion about where to use Alaba will continue to be a loyal companion to Foda. The Viennese himself pointed out the deficits to his coach: “We didn’t find the solutions in the last third of the attack that we had hoped for.” Also because Alaba (and Arnautovic) were missing there.

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