Resignations, chances, Nations League: How things are going for the ÖFB team

Two days before their match against Spain, the Austrian national football team trained in full strength. The squad left its base in Santa Barbara and traveled to Los Angeles. Their camp had been booked only until Tuesday, marking the final training session within the team's quarters. This would be the last time they would stay there, as should Austria advance past Spain, they would immediately head to Dallas, where their quarterfinal match against either Portugal or Croatia would take place on Monday at 21:00 CET.

Before their final training session, the players took group photos with staff members from the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), who had supported them during their training sessions on campus. As the team bus arrived, the song "I am from Austria" played over the loudspeakers. Earlier that week, on Monday evening, team manager Ralf Rangnick received a birthday cake from captain David Alaba, who turned 68. Ersatzcaptain Marko Arnautovic gave him a warm embrace. Rangnick, who recently extended his contract for the upcoming European Championship qualification campaign in 2028, also received a commemorative photo from ÖFB director general Bernhard Neuhold and sports director Peter Schöttel.

The Austrian team had occupied their quarters along the Pacific coast of California since June 4th and had always returned there between previous World Cup matches. Before starting their final training session at the Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, they took a group photo with all 26 players and support staff. After lunch, the team will travel by bus to Los Angeles, about two hours away.

Austria’s World Cup journey came to an end with a 0-3 defeat against Spain in the Round of 16. Despite putting up a valiant effort, the Austrian team was clearly one class below the European champions. The result was seen as fair given their performance. Spain scored goals from Mikel Oyarzabal (36') and Pedro Porro (66'), with Oyarzabal adding a late goal in the 89th minute. Austria failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.

Rangnick fielded the same starting XI that had faced Argentina, with Konrad Laimer deployed as a left-back to counter Spain's star winger Lamine Yamal. The defensive line consisted of Kevin Danso and David Alaba, while Stefan Posch defended on the right. The midfield trio of Nicolas Seiwald and Xaver Schlager supported Marcel Sabitzer, Paul Wanner, and Romano Schmid. Michael Gregoritsch led the attack, with Alexander Schlager in goal.

There were very few Austrian fans present, with the supporters limited to a section of around 1,000 people in the fourth tier of the stadium and some smaller pockets among the total of 70,492 spectators. The sun broke through shortly after the kickoff, which added a romantic touch to the atmosphere. However, the match began rather unromantically when Seiwald slipped, allowing Yamal to start a counterattack, but his shot was easily saved by Schlager.

The game was initially balanced, with Austria creating chances. Gregoritsch missed a chance early on, and then found himself completely free in the middle but failed to connect with a pass from Schmid. After this initial phase of high intensity, the match settled into a one-way street in favor of Spain. Spain combined frequently inside and around the penalty area, with Danso providing reliable cover. The same could be said for the Spanish defender, who saw a shot from Dani Olmo blocked by Schlager. Yamal was as sharp as expected, and Laimer tackled him cleanly.

Despite having more possession, Austria played confidently but made numerous mistakes with the ball. In the 18th minute, Schlager defended a loose ball in midfield, Sabitzer crossed to the center, but Gregoritsch stretched too far for the header. Yamal dribbled into the box, and Sabitzer helped clear the danger. In the 29th minute, Olmo took a beautiful first touch, and Posch cleared the resulting corner just in time. Schlager barely touched the ball, and Cucurella appeared to score, but the referee ruled it offside after the goalkeeper was fouled.

Spain continued to dominate, and Oyarzabal forced Schlager into a spectacular save in the 32nd minute. In the 36th minute, Cucurella delivered a precise cross from the left, finding Alaba slightly out of position. Oyarzabal struck the ball with precision, scoring the opening goal. Spain continued their relentless pressure, and Schlager saved another shot from Yamal in the 38th minute.

Austria had a brief glimmer of hope when Spain lost the ball in transition, and Sabitzer launched a counterattack. Schmid crossed the ball, but Posch misjudged the timing and allowed the ball to go out of play. The underdog briefly gained momentum, but Laimer struggled to contain Yamal's dribble inside the penalty area. In stoppage time, Álex Baena...