Why Austria's pressing against Israel was still too slow
When Austria beat Israel 3-1 on Wednesday, the team showed more energy, but the numbers show that the pressing was still too slow: after each loss of possession the side needed on average about 21 seconds to win the ball back – a rank of 43 out of 48 participants.
Core competency Pressing and Gegenpressing
The Austrian FA team is supposed to count Pressing and Gegenpressing among its strengths against Israel. However, this style of play was not sufficiently evident at the World Cup. The analysis shows that the team, despite the victory, did not reach the desired level.
Rangnick's time window and real numbers
Ralf Rangnick explained that the biggest chances lie in the first eight seconds after a loss of possession and that a shot should follow within the next ten seconds. In the match against Israel, however, it succeeded only three times to win the ball back within this period. Overall, Austria needed an average of 27 seconds to regain control of the ball in 15 measurable situations.
After the 3-1 win, Rangnick summed up the game positively: “Against the ball we clearly played better, not at the highest level, but I was satisfied with the energy level.” With this, he confirmed that the team showed more effort, but the technical level still fell short of expectations.
Why the pressing is not enough yet
Dominik Thalhammer, former women's team coach and head of the Austrian FA coach education, analyzed the situation for the KURIER and emphasized that a quick ball recovery alone is not enough. Jürgen Klopp had already described Gegenpressing as the “best playmaker”, yet in the 13 situations where Israel’s ball carrier was immediately pressed, a second pass or a shot rarely followed. Only three times the Austrian players consistently closed the spaces, allowing Israel often to find a free passing option.
Overall the team recorded 18 losses of possession against Israel. Of those, Israel escaped the first wave of pressure twelve times, while Austria reclaimed the ball within eight seconds only three times. Rangnick nevertheless stuck to his comment about the energy level, even though the numbers show that the collective implementation of the pressing was lacking.
The analysis makes clear that Austria’s pressing has not yet reached the level required at international tournaments. Without more consistent closing of spaces and quicker shots, the team remains behind the European elite, as Spain’s eleven seconds compared to Austria’s 21 seconds demonstrate.