For Austria’s U19 national soccer team, the dream of a ticket for the EM 2023 in Malta burst after the first qualifying phase. Team manager Hermann Stadler’s selection lost 2-0 to Romania in the last Group 6 game in Voluntari on Tuesday and had to let both the hosts and Latvia (1-0 against Lithuania in Buftea) pass them in the table. The chance of progressing as the best third in the group no longer exists.
“Right now there is just an infinite void. So soon after the game, I don’t want to make any big predictions as to why we were eliminated. The fact is that we have not achieved our goal. Despite the failures, it was our aim to climb up in this group. We didn’t make it and that’s a major disappointment,” said Stadler. His team did not show the desired football in the first half. “We were very nervous and just acted a little too uninspired. We lacked self-confidence,” the 61-year-old summed up.
Lack of exploitation of chances
Rare’s Burnete (41st) and “Joker” Eduard Radaslavescu (75th) ensured the home win. There would have been more for the ÖFB selection, but a big problem was the lack of exploitation of chances. “Like the entire tournament, we didn’t make enough of our chances,” Stadler knew. In the end, four points after a 2-0 win against Lithuania and 0-0 against Latvia were not enough for promotion. Romania and Latvia advance to the elite round, where the EM tickets will be played out in the spring. The final round then takes place between July 3rd and 16th.