Against Poland

Austria wants to show a “clear reaction”!

Verena Hanshaw

(Bild: APA/AFP/DAMIEN MEYER)

The train for a direct ticket to the European Championship has almost departed for the women's national soccer team in qualifying group A4. However, they have not given up hope of a "small soccer miracle", which according to team boss Irene Fuhrmann is necessary. After the bitter double against Iceland, the ÖFB team will be looking to make amends against Poland in Altach on Friday (6pm). "It's important for us to show a very clear reaction," said ÖFB ace Barbara Dunst.

Instead of the targeted six points from the duels with Iceland, it was only one after a 1-1 draw in Ried on May 31, as nothing tangible came out of the 1-2 away draw on June 4. As a result, the group runners-up are three points clear and have also won the direct comparison with Austria. Captain Sarah Puntigam and Co. therefore need to score four points more than Iceland in their remaining two games to finish second.

Just completing their own task will be a mammoth task, especially as they have to face the unblemished leaders Germany, who play Iceland the Friday before, in Hanover on Tuesday. "We have to perform at or above our limit to pick up four to six points. But there are soccer fairytales and that's why we should do everything we can to make it happen," said Fuhrmann. However, this would require a clear improvement in performance.

"Personally, I'm still extremely upset!"
Especially in comparison to the points split in Ried. "In my opinion, we gambled it away, didn't play freely with the ball and didn't play well from set-pieces. And I also felt we lacked intensity against the ball and compactness," said the 43-year-old. She wanted to "leave out the game in Iceland a bit" due to the extremely difficult weather conditions. Not everyone has yet recovered from the "slap in the face", as left-back Verena Hanshaw described it. "Personally, I'm still extremely upset," said Hanshaw.

But the motivation to do better now is just as great. "Our personal expectations were very high, but everyone didn't reach their maximum against Iceland, it just wasn't right. We are all very self-critical. The starting position is no longer as good as it was before, but I don't want to dwell on it too much. We want to get the best out of the games and three points against Poland is the first goal," said Dunst.

Manuela Zinsberger "hugely important" as a leading player
Katharina Naschenweng and Sarah Zadrazil, two of Bayern Munich's mainstays, are unavailable due to injury. There are also "minor injuries", but Fuhrmann did not give any details. What is certain is that Manuela Zinsberger will return in goal after missing Iceland for personal reasons. The Arsenal international is "hugely important" not only as a number 1, but also as a leading player in general.

Ewa Pajor is the big figurehead for the Poles. The striker was kept well in check in the ÖFB 3:1 in Poland. "It's important to have few dangerous ball losses because Poland clearly have strengths in switching play," said Fuhrmann. The Germans also felt this to some extent, as they had to chase a 4:1 and 3:1 deficit.

"I'm very optimistic that we'll win!"
Offensive player Marie-Therese Höbinger expected a "similar game". "We know that they'll put us under extreme physical pressure. But we want to get off to a great start, dominate and play soccer. I am very optimistic that we are the better team and will therefore win." Just one point would at least secure third place in the group and prevent relegation to League B for the next phase. Altach could be a good ground; the last time they visited the Cashpoint Arena in October 2023, they beat Portugal 2-1 in the Nations League.