00:00The warning comes amid a series of major surprises during this World Cup tournament,
00:05which included the Czech Republic losing 2-1 to South Korea,
00:08and Australia spoiling Turkey's long-awaited return with a 2-0 victory.
00:14Asian sides have consistently disrupted European favorites recently,
00:18with Japan fighting back twice to secure a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on Sunday,
00:24while Group B favorites Switzerland were held to a 1-0 or 1-1 draw by Qatar.
00:31Rangnick highlighted the highly unpredictable nature of the current global showpiece,
00:36noting to reporters on Monday that the tournament has already produced 12 draws and only 6 victories,
00:43with no South American team securing a win.
00:46The Austrian squad enters the Group J opener facing a defensive challenge,
00:51with Rangnick expecting Jordan to play as an uncomfortable opponent
00:55that will look to absorb pressure and use open spaces for rapid counterattacks.
01:00The high-stakes opening match marks the end of a 28-year World Cup absence for Austria,
01:06coming two years after an encouraging run at Euro 2024,
01:10where they successfully topped their group before falling to Turkey in the last 16.
01:16Securing a positive result against Jordan could prove critical for advancing further,
01:21as the team finds itself placed in an incredibly tough group that also features Algeria,
01:27alongside reigning world champions Argentina.
01:30Austria suffered a significant pre-tournament blow with a key squad absence,
01:35losing central midfielder Christoph Baumgartner to a thigh injury,
01:39a player who typically embodies the team's aggressive, pressing game style on the pitch.
01:44Despite the injury blow, Rangnick confirmed his entire remaining squad has a clean bill of health,
01:51having already settled on his final starting 11 last week,
01:55though he gave no clues to reporters regarding the exact lineup.
01:59The tournament match is scheduled to kick off at 9 p.m. in the crisp evening air
02:04at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium,
02:07where a passionate and noisy crowd of approximately 65,000 people
02:11is fully expected to fill the stands.
02:14Rangnick expressed support for the tournament's contentious hydration breaks,
02:19noting they offer a major advantage to coaches
02:22by providing a rare opportunity to give tactical advice
02:25and regroup the team inside a noisy stadium environment.
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