The country’s Under-20 squad of players have triggered new football enthusiasm in Austria, 11 months prior to the UEFA European Football Championship™ in Austria and Switzerland. The young team surprisingly finished fourth at the FIFA-U-20 World Cup in Canada. The team representing the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) lost the bronze medal match 1-0 (1-0) to Chile in Toronto on Sunday (July 22). The resulting fourth position must be considered a great success.

The Austrians had hopes of reaching the quarter-finals, but deep down they would have been happy to make the last 16. “My players did fantastically well throughout the tournament. I am hoping they will take on board the full impetus of this event and allow them to leave their mark in the Austrian league, and the national team”, said Paul Gludovatz, the U20 coach. The matches by the juniors triggered great enthusiasm in Austria. There was even a proposal that this team might represent Austria at the UEFA EURO 2008™ to be hosted by Austria and Switzerland, so replacing the national A team which is battling to find form. This idea was ventured in political circles and taken up by some media.

Argentina defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 (0-0) in the final in Toronto. The South Americans thus retained their title, their sixth in the Under-20 age group.

“The youngsters created a EURO atmosphere”, the daily newspaper “Die Presse” wrote when the team reached the semi-finals. “Our U20 team reaching the semi-finals is invaluable in promoting EURO 2008”, added the renowned Vienna daily. However, the team’s run of success came to an end here when the Austrian juniors lost 2-0 (2-0) to the Czech Republic, who had previously eliminated Spain, the reigning UEFA-U-20 European champions.

The team captained by Sebastian Proedl, one of the best defenders of the tournament, began their Austrian football fairy tale in the preliminary round of Group A, with a 1-1 (0-1) draw against Congo out west in Edmonton on July 2. Their first major coup came in the second match with a 1-0 (0-0) win over hosts Canada, again in Edmonton on July 5. With a goalless draw against Chile, eventual semi-finalists, the team qualified as group runners-up for the round of 16. Austria went on to beat Gambia 2-1 (1-0), again in Edmonton, in their first match of the knock-out stage.

They had reached the quarter-finals, but once again the juniors had to travel the long distance to Toronto, to meet the USA, who had hoped they could fight for a medal at this North American tournament. Austria’s juniors giant killing continued on July 14 when they defeated the US 2-1 (1-1, 1-1) after extra time. They were in the semi-finals, but it meant the young Austrian would play the maximum seven matches at this FIFA-U-20 World Cup. At home in Vienna, Salzburg, Klagenfurt and Innsbruck, all host cities for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship™, plus many other towns and villages in the Alpine nation, football fever took hold with the on-going success.

A political party, the FPÖ of the Steiermark, made additional headlines with its idea of prospects for the strong football juniors. This U20 team should be given the opportunity to represent Austriaat the UEFA EURO 2008™. A deciding match should take place between the junior team and the national A team in Graz. The winning team should then represent Austriaat the upcoming championships, was the crux of the FPÖ proposal. “Two, maybe three players could make it into the A selection”, coach Gludovatz said. Despite promising talents such as Okotie, Junuzovic, Kavlak and Hoffer, his squad would thrive by keeping together as long as possible. It would be too much to put the youngsters up against the older, experienced veterans at the UEFA European Football Championship™, Gludovatz suggested.

The juniors finally suffered their first defeat in their sixth match of the tournament when they lost 2-0 (2-0) to the Czech Republic in Edmonton on July 18. After travelling again to Toronto, they then succumbed unluckily to Chile 1-0 in the bronze medal match. The South Americans scored their “bronze” goal at a tricky point in the match -- in injury time at the end of the first half. Although defender Madl was sent off for two yellow cards in the 68^th minute, Austria had several opportunities to equalise. But the excellent Chilean goalkeeper Toselli kept them at bay with some exceptional saves. On the occasions he was beaten, the Austrian attackers hit the posts.

The euphoria around the U20 team had a positive effect on the UEFA European Under 19 Championship that took place in Upper Austria at almost the same time. The interest among spectators increased greatly. The Austrian juniors showed promise, but lost their first group match 2-0 against the strong Spaniards. After a 1-1 draw against Greece, the hosts were eliminated 2-0 by Portugal in the group stage, with Germany playing Greece, and Spain meeting France in the semi-finals.