ÖFB women disappoint

Wind as spoilsport: “We messed it up”

Barbara Dunst (right)

(Bild: GEPA)

"Huge" disappointment for the ÖFB women after the 1:2 in Iceland. The wind spoiled the game. "We messed up, it just wasn't good. It's very, very bitter," said midfielder Barbara Dunst in self-criticism. 

On paper, everything was nicely mapped out, but the reality was very different: Instead of a preliminary decision in the two duels with Iceland, the direct ticket for the European Championship 2025 in Switzerland has moved into the far distance for Austria's women's national soccer team on Tuesday. After the 2:1 defeat in Reykjavik, they are three points behind the Icelanders, who have also won the direct comparison with the ÖFB team.

Direct European Championship ticket now a long way off
Austria will therefore have to hope that Germany, who have already qualified for the European Championship, can help them on July 12 in Reykjavik if they are to have any chance of finishing second in the final round on July 16 in Hanover. Before that, they will have to fulfill their duty against Poland in Altach by winning at home. Iceland have to play in Poland at the end. The top two teams in each group are guaranteed a ticket to the European Championship, while the third and fourth-placed teams will have to try their luck in a multi-stage play-off in the fall. The ÖFB squad wants to escape this somehow, even if the starting position is poor.

"The first step now is to accept the situation as it is. We have set ourselves completely different goals for the two Iceland duels. Now it's time to look ahead as quickly as possible, there are still six points up for grabs and that's what we should be aiming for," said ÖFB team manager Irene Fuhrmann.

Irene Fuhrmann

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Goalscorer Eileen Campbell has not given up hope either. "We want to score in every game, that has to be the goal. I'm confident that if we bring what we can to the pitch, a direct ticket to the European Championship is still possible," said the Freiburg striker. She scored for the fourth time in the current qualifying campaign, but was unable to shine like she did against Germany due to a cold. She also lacked good passes in the dangerous zone for long stretches.

"Iceland were simply better in the conditions"
In the second half in particular, the visitors were almost unable to make any headway in attack, in stark contrast to the highly dangerous Icelanders, who were also very unlucky with two penalty corners. "In terms of play, nothing came off in the second half. Iceland were simply better in the conditions," summed up midfielder Sarah Zadrazil.

Sarah Zadrazil

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/EXPA/UWE WINTER)

However, it would be too easy to blame the defeat on the strong wind. Even the 1:1 in Ried was rather flattering, even if the penalty whistle that led to the equalizer was very questionable. Although the ÖFB players were full of optimism afterwards, the increased pressure probably hampered them. The absence of goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger, who plays an important role as a leader, certainly didn't help either, even if Jasmin Pal put in an appealing performance in her fifth international match.

"I think we saw a clear improvement in our team at times, but in the end we didn't make enough use of the wind conditions in the first half. In the second half, it was really difficult against the wind and it was a tough game in the end," said Fuhrmann. The 43-year-old was "hugely disappointed" that they only managed one point instead of the "four to six" they had aimed for. It was the same in the players' camp. "It's mega-disappointing, that was also the 1:1 at home. We messed up, it just wasn't good. It's very, very bitter," said midfielder Barbara Dunst.

Zadrazil also mourned a better result in the first game. "The game in Austria hurts all the more because more could have been possible there," said the Bayern mainstay. Zadrazil and Co. will now also be on vacation until the July training course after an exhausting season. This is also an unusual situation ahead of the important summer international double. "It's not easy to think about July right now," admitted Dunst. Since Tuesday, it is no longer to be expected that Austria will secure their third consecutive European Championship participation ahead of time.