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Austria Team Page

Squad

Coach: Paul Gludovatz

Roster

Goalkeepers: Bartolomej Kuru, Andreas Lukse, Michael Zaglmair

Defenders: Daniel Gramann, Michael Madl, Thomas Panny, Thomas Pirker, Sebastian Proedl, Markus Suttner

Midfielders: Peter Hackmair, Martin Harnik, Thomas Hinum, Zlatko Junuzovic, Veli Kavlak, Bernhard Morgenthaler, Siegfried Rasswalder, Tomas Simkovic, Michael Stanlislaw

Forwards: Ingo Enzenberger, Erwin Hoffer, Robin Okotie

Scouting Report

Strengths: Austria is riding a wave of momentum into the tournament. The Austrians surprised the field by reaching the semifinals of last year's UEFA European U-19 Championship to qualify for the U-20 World Cup. The bulk of that team will make the trip to Canada, so team chemistry won't be an issue. Austria is also strong at the back with a solid goalkeeping and a miserly and well-organized defence able to shut down dangerous forwards.

Weaknesses: History is not on Austria's side. It's been 24 years since the Austrians last competed at the U-20 World Cup and they're still looking for their first victory in the competition. Critics also point to Austria's lack of mental toughness – in last year's U-19 semifinals, the team fell behind to Spain and appeared to throw in the towel en route to suffering a 5-0 loss. Fitness could also be an issue, as Austria was bedevilled by serious injury problems at last year's U-19 tournament.

Player to watch: Erwin Hoffer is widely regarded as one of the most talented and potent forwards in Austria, known for his speed and hard tackling. He made his top-flight debut for SK Rapid Wien against Mattersburg just a few days after his 18th birthday, and scored four goals in 17 appearances last season.

Prognosis: This is tough to call. It would be foolish to bet against the Austrians making it out of the first round, especially after its marvellous run at last year's UEFA European U-19 Championship. Austria is a hard-working side that will be tough to break down at the back, but aside from Erwin Hoffer, it lacks a creative player who can put the team on his shoulders. It's hard to see them winning their group ahead of Chile or Canada; more than likely, the Austrians will be battling Congo for third place. Do they have enough quality and firepower to earn a spot in the second round as one of the four third-place teams? Maybe, but chances are they'll be heading home early after another first-round disappointment.

ROAD TO THE U-20 WORLD CUP

2007 qualification route: Austria finished fourth in the 2006 UEFA European U-19 Championship.

Qualifying record: 10 games played, 6 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws

Goals for: 18 Goals against: 10

Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Erwin Hoffer (4)

Qualifying results:

UEFA European U-19 Championship 2006 qualifying round (group 7)

Oct. 24, 2005 – Austria 8, San Marino 0 in Limoges, France

Oct. 26, 2005 – Wales 0, Austria 0 in Limoges, France

Oct. 28, 2005 – Austria 0, France 0 in Limoges, France

Elite qualifying round (group 1)

May 27, 2006 – Slovenia 1, Austria 2 in St. Veit an der Glan, Austria

May 29, 2006 – Russia 0, Austria 1 in St. Veit an der Glan, Austria

May 31, 2006 – Austria 1, Hungary 0 in St. Veit an der Glan, Austria

Group finals (group A) – all games in Poland

July 18, 2006 – Poland 0, Austria 1

July 20, 2006 – Austria 1, Czech Republic 3

July 23, 2006 – Austria 4, Belgium 1

Championship semifinals

July 26, 2006 – Spain 5, Austria 0

U-20 World Cup 1st round matches (all times local)

July 2 vs. Congo in Edmonton (Commonwealth Stadium) at 17:45

July 5 vs. Canada in Edmonton (Commonwealth Stadium) at 17:45

July 8 vs. Chile in Toronto (BMO Field) at 20:00

U-20 WORLD CUP HISTORY

Austria has not appeared at the FIFA U-20 World Cup since 1983 in Mexico when it lost all three of its first-round games. Austria participated in its only other tournament in 1977 in Tunisia (1 draw, 2 losses) as it failed to advance past the group stage.

Number of Previous U-20 World Cup Appearances: 2

All-time record: 6 games played, 0 wins, 1 draw, 5 losses

Goals for: 1 Goals against: 16

Biggest defeat: 1-5 vs. Iraq in 1977, 0-4 vs. Czech in 1983

Hosted the U-20 World Cup: Never

1977 – First round

1979 – Did not qualify

1981 – Did not qualify

1983 – First round

1985 to 2005 – Did not qualify

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