Unfortunately it was a repeat of the position of past months, even years. “The performance was right, the result was not”, said team manager Josef Hickersberger, and with this conclusion he stated in a nutshell the story of Austria’s opening match at the UEFA European Football Championship™ 2008. The first group match at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna ended in bitter defeat in front of 51,428 spectators. Austria, co-hosts of the UEFA European Football Championship™, lost 1-0 (1-0) to Croatia. The result was particularly painful because the Austrian team were throughout an even match for their opponents, and dominated the final stages when great opportunities to score the equaliser were missed.

The disappointment was particularly great because the winning goal came after just four minutes from a heavily disputed penalty. Luka Modric scored confidently from the spot. Many Austrian fans found the decision incomprehensible and reacted angrily to Dutch referee Pieter Vink awarding a penalty for Rene Aufhauser’s blocking tackle on Ivica Olic. “Fatal blow after three minutes. Our EURO dream was finished after 180 seconds”, read the headline in the tabloid “Österreich”. Immediately after the final whistle Hickersberger said: “If the referee awards a penalty after three minutes, it must be a clear-cut situation”.

However, the hopes of reaching their goal, the quarter-finals, did not die within the Austrian camp. But they cannot afford a defeat against Poland, who lost 2-0 to Germany, on Thursday, June 12. It would mean elimination, even if they won the match against Germany on Monday, June 20. Hickersberger underlined the danger that such a defeat by Croatia can have in the short term. “Such defeats are the most dangerous, I’m very conscious of that. To play well and lose is the worst thing that can happen to you in football”, said the 60-year-old.

Hickersberger had started with Juergen Macho in goal, a three-man defence of Sebastian Proedl, Martin Stranzl and Emanuel Pogatetz, and ordered the nominal midfield players Joachim Standfest and Ronald Gercaliu to fall back to cover the outside defensive positions. Captain Andreas Ivanschitz, Martin Harnik and Roland Linz formed the attack. After the early goal, the Austrians had to regroup and regain confidence. They fought themselves back into the match and dominated in the second half.

The hosts really piled on the pressure when Juergen Saeumel was substituted by Ivica Vastic, Gercaliu by Uemit Korkmaz and Roman Kienast by Roland Linz between the 61st and the 73rd minute. All opportunities, however, were missed in the end, with the ball simply refusing to find the net. “Croatia unnecessarily let the Austrians take over the initiative, but they defended skilfully and defeated the late awakened Austrians with luck. Austria’s team played for too long in character -- too plain”, analysed the German football magazine “Kicker”. “If Hickersberger’s team want to assert themselves against Poland, personal improvements are obligatory. Gercaliu proved a mistake, as did Saeumel. In Switzerland, the newspaper “Blick” commiserated: “Our neighbours Austria did no better than we did against the Czech Republic: they lost 1-0 to Croatia”.

Austrian captain Ivanschitz injected his team-mates with fresh moral courage on the day after the match, when injured Linz and Pogatetz were missing at training. “I think we are on an excellent road, and the UEFA EURO is not over for us yet. Every match in a group is a final when you have just three games”. Aufhauser felt very down as he had caused the penalty. “That was a bitter moment. We had imagined our opening match to be very different, of course”.

Hickersberger said that not all the substitutes would make the starting line-up against Poland, but hinted he would possibly make some changes. Vastic might be in the starting side. The 38-year-old, who comes from Croatia, had been called late into the squad for the UEFA EURO 2008™. Vastic can be very dangerous in front of the opposing goal, a capability most of his team-mates lack. “Unfortunately I failed to score”, Vastic said: “If I get the opportunity I would like to put that right against Poland”.