Austria and Algeria played to an exciting 3-3 draw on Saturday night, a result that allowed both teams to advance from their group in the World Cup and ultimately eliminated Iran.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the final minutes and Algeria seemingly content to let the clock run down, captain Riyad Mahrez found the net for his second goal just before stoppage time, putting Austria on the verge of elimination. However, Sasa Kalajdzic quickly equalized for Austria with a header, keeping Das Team’s World Cup aspirations alive.
Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer also scored for Austria, who finished second in Group J behind Argentina, marking their first advancement beyond the group stage since 1982. They will face European champions Spain on Thursday in the Los Angeles area.
– Messi scores again as Argentina completes perfect group stage
– Iran coach comments on VAR decision: ‘We’re an unlucky team’
– Enter the knockout bracket challenge
Rafik Belghali also scored for Algeria, which became the ninth of ten African teams to progress. They finished third in their group and will face Switzerland in a potentially favorable round-of-32 match on Thursday night in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Had either Austria or Algeria won, Iran could have advanced as one of the best third-place teams. Instead, Kalajdzic’s late goal meant Iran was heartbreakingly eliminated.
This elimination caps a challenging World Cup for Iran, marked by significant off-field turmoil.
While competing, Iranian officials have been in negotiations with the U.S. to resolve conflict issues ongoing since earlier this year.
During the tournament, Coach Amir Ghalenoei and his players raised concerns about various complications, such as travel issues, visa rejections for team staff, and hasty departures from the U.S. following matches.
U.S. officials stated that all restrictions were communicated prior to the tournament.
In March, Iran requested to relocate its group stage matches to Mexico due to diplomatic ties, which was approved shortly before the team’s arrival.
Following their elimination, the Iranian team expressed gratitude towards the people of Mexico, specifically the city of Tijuana, stating, “Leaving Tijuana is truly difficult for all of us.”
The first three World Cup matches in Arrowhead Stadium had been dominated by the blue of Argentina, yellow of Ecuador, and bold orange of the Netherlands. However, the final group match saw thousands of local fans, delighted to purchase more affordable tickets, turning out to support both Algeria and Austria.
Many local fans may have just started following Algeria, who trained in nearby Lawrence, Kansas, forming a unique bond with the college town.
Longtime Algeria fans, however, had been seeking redemption for decades since the infamous “Disgrace of Gijón” at the 1982 World Cup, when Austria and West Germany seemed to halt competitive play to ensure both advanced at the cost of Algeria, who protested but were denied by FIFA.
A curious tension surrounded whether the expanded 48-team format would lead to a “Disgrace of Kansas City,” considering both teams were aware that a draw was sufficient for advancement. Ultimately, the crowd of 69,045 witnessed a thrilling match unfold over 90-plus minutes.
Austria opened the scoring as Arnautovic expertly slipped between the two Algerian defenders, found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Oussama Benbot, and despite a stumble, scored his impressive 49th international goal.
Algeria equalized just before halftime with a well-placed left-footed shot from Belghali, which slipped past Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
Second-half action continued at a frenetic pace during the warm Kansas City night.
Determined to take the lead, Austria responded as Konrad Laimer made an incisive pass to Sabitzer, who restored Austria’s edge. But Algeria quickly answered, with Mahrez scoring from a brilliant cross by Houssem Aouar.
As the match drew to a close, Algeria controlled the tempo, attempting to run down the clock. But just when it appeared that both teams might settle for a draw, Mahrez and Kalajdzic delivered spectacular late goals in stoppage time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.