'FC Seoul' Yazan, vows comeback after own goal: "Focus on remaining two matches"... Jordan suffers 1-3 defeat to Austria

*This content was translated by AI.

Yazan Al-Arab (30), a Jordanian national team defender who plays for K League 1 club FC Seoul, promised a turnaround in the next match after a disappointing World Cup debut defeat.

Jordan lost 1-3 to Austria in the first match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup Group J, held on the 17th (Korean time) at the Bay Area Stadium in San Francisco, California, USA.

Under head coach Jamal Selami, Jordan reached the World Cup finals for the first time in its history through this tournament. Earlier, in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, Jordan was placed in Group B alongside South Korea, managed by Hong Myung-bo, and secured a spot in the finals with a thrilling second-place finish in the group behind South Korea. In this tournament, Jordan was drawn into Group J along with Austria, Algeria, and Argentina.

On the same day, "defending champion" Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0, led by Lionel Messi's hat-trick. As a result, Argentina and Austria finished first and second in the group, respectively, while Algeria took third place and Jordan finished fourth.

Yazan, a familiar name to domestic soccer fans, started the match and played in a meaningful World Cup debut. He played as a central center-back in Jordan's 5-4-1 formation.

The match was not easy. Jordan suffered a difficult start by conceding the opening goal in the 20th minute of the first half to opposing winger Romano Schmidt (Werder Bremen). However, Jordan launched a counterattack in the second half. In the 5th minute of the second half, Ali Al-Owais (Al-Sailiya SC) scored an equalizer. In a sudden counterattack, the Austrian defense failed to organize properly, and Al-Owais did not miss the opportunity, shaking the net with a precise shot from the left side of the penalty box.

Austria's Marco Arnautovic (Crvena Zvezda) scored in the 22nd minute of the second half, but the goal was disallowed due to a handball foul committed earlier.

While the match remained tied at 1-1, an unfortunate moment occurred for Yazan. He scored an own goal in the 31st minute of the second half. During an Austrian corner kick, while trying to block the opponent's attack, the ball headed toward his own goal. Jordan also conceded a penalty kick goal to Arnautovic in stoppage time of the second half, ultimately losing 1-3.

Despite the disappointing defeat and the unfortunate own goal, Yazan did not hang his head. According to Jordanian news channel Al-Mamraqa TV, Yazan said after the match, "Jordanian fans provided tremendous support throughout the game. Thanks to the fans who filled the stands, I did not feel far from my homeland," expressing his gratitude.

The media reported that "Yazan stated that the Jordanian national team poured everything onto the field. However, he expressed a desire to show better performance in the next match." It further explained that "Yazan emphasized that the coaching staff and players will work to correct the mistakes revealed in this match and learn from them."

On this day, Jordan recorded 11 total shots and 4 on-target shots. They attempted more attacks than Austria, which recorded 9 total shots. Although the result was disappointing, it means the performance itself was not bad. Jordan will face Algeria in their second match on the 23rd and will meet Argentina on the 28th. In this tournament, up to three teams from each group can advance to the Round of 32 based on group stage results. Jordan cannot give up hope until the end.

Yazan also emphasized, "With the first match behind us, we will now focus on the remaining two group stage matches." On this day, excluding the own goal scene, Yazan recorded 12 clearances, 3 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 5 header clearings, leading Jordan's defense.

Meanwhile, Austria, led by head coach Ralf Rangnick, qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, 28 years later. After competing with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, and others in the European qualifiers for the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup Group H, Austria secured a spot in the finals by finishing first in the group.

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*This content was translated by AI.