Football World Cup Qualifiers: ÖFB Players Confident Despite 0:2 Against Serbia
"We are all 100 percent convinced that we will qualify," said Phillipp Mwene, and Marko Arnautovic added: "We have a big goal to qualify for the World Cup. There's no reason to hang our heads now." The ÖFB record team player insisted that there was no need to "worry" after the defeat. "We have an outstanding team, and what the staff has done is extraordinary." Arnautovic felt the missed promotion against the team from his father's homeland was unjust. "Actually, we should win both games, but sometimes football is not your friend."
After 0:2 Against Serbia: Arnautovic Does Not Blame Schlager
There were no accusations against Alexander Schlager, who couldn't control a not optimal back pass from Nicolas Seiwald, causing the 0:1. "In football, mistakes happen. We are not angry or upset at all, we win and lose together. We can also say that we didn't score the goals upfront," explained the 35-year-old. Schlager himself appeared contrite but also combative. "Something like that shouldn't happen in such a game, but it did. At the end of the day, I'm sorry, it's bitter that we lost, but life goes on. In June, we'll attack again," promised the Red Bull Salzburg goalkeeper. The exclusion of Gernot Trauner, about ten minutes after the 0:1, also significantly contributed to the defeat. "The red card was surprising from my point of view because the opponent wasn't alone in front of the goalkeeper," said the central defender. "Nevertheless, I have to behave more cleverly in the duel."
Failure of Austrian Team Against Serbia "Incredible" for Trauner
Actually, it should have been enough to jump to League A against the Serbs, said Trauner. "When you look at the two games, it's incredible that we didn't get promoted." However, one should not question everything because of this. "When you see how we performed, that was exactly the football that characterizes us. Maybe we lacked a bit of the final consequence, but overall it shouldn't unsettle us," said the Feyenoord professional. The Austrian team couldn't win any of the recent crucial matches - whether in the European Championship round of 16 against Turkey (1:2) or in the Nations League against Slovenia (1:1) and now against Serbia. Mwene still sees no reason for concern. "The more important the games are, the better we are. I'm not worried. The path we have taken with the coach is right. It's going in the right direction." Additionally, the full-back said: "The way we played can give us a reasonably good feeling with a few days' distance when analyzed without emotion." He felt "a bit powerless" given the course of the game, reported Mwene. "The Serbs exploited our mistakes. They stood back for two games and just waited because they knew they couldn't get through with technical means."
Austrian Team on the Right Path for Grillitsch
Florian Grillitsch did not want the defeat to be understood as a wake-up call. "We need to become more efficient and compelling in the final third, then it's going in the right direction. We would need to worry more if we were playing poorly. The path is right. We will really push again in June." Over both matches, they were the "clearly better team," emphasized Grillitsch. "But unfortunately, in football, the better team doesn't always win." The return to League A was mainly squandered in the 1:1 draw in the first match on Thursday in Vienna. "If we had come out with a win there, it would have been easier in Belgrade because the Serbs wouldn't have been able to play so defensively," speculated Grillitsch. Nevertheless, the midfielder's summary was positive. "Overall, there was more good than bad."
(APA/Red)
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