18 March 1904 - Austria The Great And Powerful

On 18 March 1904, the Austrian Football Association formed in Vienna and soon controlled one of Europe's most dominant teams.

The national side actually predated the creation of the association, playing a three-game series with Hungary between October 1902 and October 1903, but the establishment of the new governing body opened the door for them to join the newly-founded FIFA in 1905.

They chose not to participate in the first World Cup in 1930, despite being one of Europe's strongest teams. Under manager Hugo Meisl, they played an unbeaten streak of fourteen matches from 1931 to 1932, earning the nickname "Wunderteam," then finished fourth in the 1934 World Cup.

With Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, the Austrian team ceased to exist as a separate entity until the  end of World War II. During qualification for the 1950 World Cup, they withdrew, claiming that the re-formed team was too inexperienced to compete in the tournament. But four years later, they finished third, which remains their best finish in a World Cup.

 Since then, they have failed to recapture their past glory, participating in only four of fourteen World Cups from 1962 to 2014.

12 November 1939 - A Fitting Mark For The Occasion

On 12 November 1939, forward Josef Bican commemorated his appearance for a third national team by scoring a hat-trick.

Bican, who was born in Vienna in 1913, made his first national team appearance for Austria in 1933. He went on to play for them a total of nineteen times--and scoring a total of nineteen goals--through 1936. The following year, he left Austria to play for Slavia Prague where he spent the majority of his career, scoring 395 goals in 217 matches between 1937 and 1948.

After moving to Prague, he switched his national team allegiance to Czechoslovakia. But after only three games (and eight goals), Czechoslovakia fell to the Nazis, who disbanded the team. They attempted to persuade Bican to turn out for Germany, but he declined, choosing instead to play for the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia which, while Nazi-controlled, remained ethnically Czech.

In his lone appearance for the Protectorate, Bican provided three goals in what turned out to be a 4-4 draw with Germany.

He rejoined the Czechoslovakian national team when they resumed play in 1946, making another eleven appearances for them until retiring from international football in 1949.

23 January 1939 - The Mysterious Death Of Matthias Sindelar

On 23 January 1939, 35-year old Austrian star forward Matthias Sindelar was found dead, along with his girlfriend, Camilla Castagnola, at her Vienna apartment. Although the official records attribute their deaths to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, rumors persist of murder and suicide.

Nicknamed "the Paper Man" due to his height and slim build, Sindelar spent his entire professional career with FK Austria Vienna, joining them in 1924. He debuted for the Austrian national team in September 1926, scoring a goal in a 2-1 win over Czechoslovakia. He soon became an integral member of the Wunderteam, winning the 1932 Central European International Cup, taking silver in the 1936 Summer Olympics, and finishing fourth at the 1934 World Cup. In all, Sindelar made 43 official appearances for Austria, scoring 27 goals.

Following Austria's annexation by Germany in 1938, Sindelar declined to play for the new unified team despite repeated requests by German manager Sepp Herberger. Although he cited age as the basis for his refusal, others took it as a sign of protest against the Nazi regime. Thus, when he was found dead a few months later, conspiracy theories ran rampant. Some suggested that he committed suicide in order to avoid Nazi persecution, while others suggested that he and Castagnola had been murdered by the Nazis for harboring Jewish sympathies.

While one the two chimneys in Castagnola's apartment was known to be defective, making carbon monoxide poisoning the most likely explanation for their deaths, one of Sindelar's friends gave a 2005 interview suggesting otherwise. In 2005, a BBC documentary crew spoke with Egon Ulbrich, a longtime friend of Sindelar's, who claimed that a Vienna official had been bribed to record the deaths as accidental. According to Ulbrich, Nazi rules prevented state funerals for victims or murder or suicide, so the declaration of Sindelar's death as accidental ensured that he could be buried with full honors.

4 December 1933 - Arsenal Takes Down The Wunderteam

On 4 December 1933, Arsenal faced off against the Austrian Wunderteam and won, 4-2.

Guided by manager Hugo Meisl and captain Matthias Sidelar (pictured), Austria were one of Europe's most dominant teams of the 1930s, earning the nickname "Wunderteam." They rattled off a 14-game unbeaten streak in 1931-32, including routs of Scotland (5-0), Germany (6-0, 5-0), and Hungary (8-2). They also won the 1932 Central European International Cup with a 4-2 victory over Italy in the final.

Arsenal, meanwhile, were enjoying a successful period of their own, having recently won the 1930 FA Cup and the 1931 and 1933 league titles under manager Herbert Chapman.

Chapman was friends with Meisl, prompting the friendly. But FA rules prohibited English clubs from playing international sides, so Austria arrived at Highbury for the match thinly disguised as FC Vienna. The Times called it a "thrilling match," with Arsenal taking a 3-1 lead before the teams swapped late goals to finish the day 4-2.

Austria went on to finish fourth in the 1934 World Cup, then went into decline after the death of Meisl in 1937. Arsenal proceeded to win the league title in 1934, but manager Herbert Chapman was not there to see it, as he died on 6 January 1934, just over a month after the win over Austria.

22 December 1912 - Meisl The Mastermind

On 22 December 1912, Hugo Meisl made his debut as manager of Austria with a 1-3 victory over Italy in Genoa. The win presaged a successful reign, as Meisl built Austria into one of the world's greatest teams.

Born in Bohemia in 1881, Meisl began his football career as an administrator with the Austrian Football Association, where he rose to the position of General Secretary before becoming manager of the national team. His first spell in charge lasted only two years, as he left to serve five years in World War I. But he resumed the position in 1919 after the war's end.

Austria's greatest period came during the early 1930s, when they enjoyed a 14-match unbeaten run. Christened the "Wunderteam," that Austrian side dominated European competition, led by their talismanic center forward Matthias Sindelar. They entered the 1934 World Cup as favorites, but lost to eventual winners Italy in the semifinals, 1-0.

Meisl remained with Austria until his death from a heart attack in 1937. In that time, he amassed a record of 71 wins, 30 draws, and 32 losses.

8 June 1958 - The Journey Of Five World Cup Trophies Starts With A Single Win

On 8 June 1958, Brazil started their World Cup campaign with a 3-0 win over Austria before a crowd of 17,778 at the Rimnersvallen in Uddevalla, Sweden. It was the first step toward securing the first of their record five World Cup trophies.

The Austrians were optimistic, having advanced to the semifinals in 1954, but were overwhelmed from the start by the Brazilians' free-flowing attack. Forward José Altafini, better known as "Mazzola," scored the first goal with blast from distance in the 37th minute, then defender Nílton Santos, playing in an advanced position, blew past an Austrian defender in the 50th minute and chipped the ball over the diving keeper to put Brazil up 2-0. Mazzola rifled the final shot in the 85th minute to complete the win.

It was a powerful performance, especially considering that Brazil left Pelé, Garrincha, and Vavá on the bench. All were instrumental throughout the remainder of the tournament, which ended with Brazil winning the Final 2-5 over hosts Sweden.

12 October 1902 - After The Match, Johann Dropped The "Nicka"

On 12 October 1902, Austria defeated Hungary 5-0 in a Vienna friendly. It was the first match for both national sides and the first international match in history to feature two non-British teams.

The match was played at the ground of Wiener A.C. and the Viennese club's players scored all five goals in the Austrian victory. Striker Josef Taurer put the Austrians ahead with a goal in the 5th minute, then striker Johann Studnicka (pictured) added a second in the 10th minute. Studnicka and Gustav Huber then extended the lead to 4-0 before Studnicka scored the final goal to complete his hat-trick.

Eventually, both sides went on to claim glory as two of Europe's most successful teams. Austria's "Wunderteam" rose to prominence in the 1930s, winning the 1932 Central European Cup (the predecessor of the European Championship), while Hungary's "Golden Team" went on a 50-match unbeaten run between 1950 and 1957 and won the gold medal in the 1952 Summer Olympics.

12 September 1990 - The Role of "David" Will Be Played Today By The Faroe Islands

On 12 September 1990, the Faroe Islands shocked the international football community by defeating Austria 1-0 in a qualifying match for the 1992 UEFA European Championship.

Located between Scotland and Iceland in the North Atlantic, the Faroes are an autonomous province of Denmark, with whom they have been affiliated politically since the year 1380. Their current population is estimated to be just under 50,000.

The Faroe Islands national team started in 1930, but only joined FIFA and UEFA in 1988. Thus the match against Austria was their first match in a competitive tournament.

Although it was a home match for the Faroes, it was played in Sweden because the Faroe Islands had no grass pitch. The teams were deadlocked until the 61st minute, when Faroese midfielder Torkil Nielsen eluded an attempted tackle and shot the ball past the Austrian keeper into the bottom of the net from 17 yards out. The Islanders defense held strong to preserve the 1-0 win.

Despite the auspicious start to the campaign, the Faroes failed to qualify, managing only one other point (a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland). They finished at the bottom of the group, behind Yugoslavia, Denmark, Northern Ireland and Austria.

The Faroe Islands continue to compete in FIFA and UEFA, but have yet to qualify for a major tournament.

17 February 1937 - The Passing Of Hugo Meisl

On 17 February 1937, Hugo Meisl, who built Austria into one of the dominant sides of the 1930s, died of a heart attack. He was 55.

The son of a successful banker, Meisl was training to follow in his father's footsteps when he opted instead to pursue a career in football, working as a referee and taking a position with the Austrian Football Association. In 1912, at the age of 31, he became the manager of the national team, starting his tenure with a 1-3 victory over Italy that December. 

Apart from a break for service during World War I, he remained in charge of Austria for the next twenty-five years. Their greatest period came during the early 1930s, when they enjoyed a 14-match unbeaten run. Christened the "Wunderteam," that Austrian side dominated European competition, led by their talismanic center forward Matthias Sindelar. They entered the 1934 World Cup as favorites, but lost to eventual winners Italy in the semifinals, 1-0. They also lost to Italy in the gold-medal match of the 1936 Olympics, denying Meisl the silverware to match his team's potential. 

His last game in charge was a 2-1 win over France in January 1937. Just over three weeks later, while preparing to face Italy in the Central European International Cup, he suffered a heart attack and died. During his time in charge of Austria, the team compiled a record of 71 wins, 30 draws, and 32 losses.

7 December 1932 - England Wows The Wunderteam

On 7 December 1932, England ended the Austrian Wunderteam's 14-game unbeaten streak with a 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge.

Led by manager Hugo Meisl and assisted by Jimmy Hogan, the Austrian side used a fast-moving flowing attack built on quick passing that saw them become one of the most prominent and successful teams in Europe. Starting in April 1931, they rattled off a string of fourteen unbeaten matches, including dominant wins over Germany (6-0, 5-0), Scotland (5-0), and Hungary (8-1).

England were on a seven-game unbeaten streak of their own, including a 7-1 win over Spain at Highbury in December 1931.

They met for a friendly at Stamford Bridge, drawing a crowd of 42,000. There, England took a 2-0 lead with goals from Samuel Crooks (5') and Jimmy Hampson (pictured) (27'), but Austria's Karl Zischek halved the deficit with a 58th-minute strike. Unfazed, England restored the margin to 3-1 with a goal from Eric Houghton (77'), giving the appearance that the game was all but over.

The scoring was not done, however. Austrian star Matthias Sindelar scored in the 80th minute, followed by another England goal from Hampson two minutes later. Zischek found the net again in the 87th minute to set up a wild finish, but the hosts weathered the storm and held on for the 4-3 win.

20 November 1949 - The Most Pointless World Cup Qualification Campaign Ever

On 20 November 1949, Turkey got their record win, beating Syria 7-0 in a World Cup qualifier that also happened to be Syria's first match.

It was the opening qualifying match for the three-team Group 2, which had one qualifying spot up for grabs. Turkey and Syria were scheduled to play a home-and-away series, with the winner advancing to play a similar series against the group's other member, Austria.

Turkey hosted the first leg in Ankara against the newly-formed Syrian team and quickly established their dominance, going up 2-0 in the first sixteen minutes with a brace from Fahreddin Cansever. They then got goals from Bülent Eken (44'), Lefter Küçükandonyadis (66'), Erol Keskin (67'), and Gündüz Kılıç (72') before Cansever completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute.

The teams never played the second leg, as Syria withdrew after the first one. Turkey then advanced to play Austria, but the Austrians also withdrew. That meant that Turkey received the group's qualification spot, but they eventually withdrew as well. FIFA then offered the group's spot to Group 6 runners-up Portugal, but they declined and the spot went unfilled.

The 7-0 scoreline against Syria remains a record for Turkey, though they matched it against South Korea in 1954 and against San Marino in 1996.

1 June 1909 - The Three Lions Take Ten

On 1 June 1909, England won their record 10th consecutive match, beating Austria 1-8 in Vienna. Even more impressively, it came just one day after their ninth win.

Coincidentally, their winning streak started with a victory over Austria almost one year earlier. After beating them 1-6 on 6 June 1908, they went on to defeat them again two days later, 1-11, then followed that with wins over Hungary, Bohemia, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. They returned to Hungary in 1909 to record two more wins, with the second coming on 31 June, then traveled to Vienna to play Austria the following day.

Captain Vivian Woodward (pictured), who had scored four against Hungary the day before, continued his run of form, putting England up against Austria in the third minute. He went on to score twice more to complete his hat-trick and bring his two-day total to seven. He was joined on the scoresheet by Harold Halse and George Holley, who got two each, and Ben Warren, with one.

Austria's lone goal was a second-half penalty scored by Leopold Neubauer.

The winning streak stopped there, as England drew 1-1 with Ireland in their next match, played on 12 February 1910.

30 April 1977 - Austria Cranks Up The Heat

On 30 April 1977, six goals from striker Hans Krankl helped Austria to their record win, a 9-0 victory over Malta in a World Cup qualifier.

After finishing third in the 1954 World Cup, Austria had struggled, advancing only to the group stage in 1958, withdrawing in 1962, then failing to qualify for the 1966, 1970, and 1974 tournaments. But they started off their campaign for the 1978 World Cup by winning their first two games against Malta and Turkey by identical 1-0 scores.

For their third match, they hosted the return fixture against Malta in Salzburg. There, Krankl, who had scored the winner against Malta in the previous game, struck again with a goal in the 9th minute. He scored three more in the span of just over ten minutes (12', 18', 20') before Josef Stering added another in the 30th minute to give Austria a 5-0 lead at the break.

Things were little better for Malta in the second half, as both Krankl (53', 66') and Stering (69') again found the back of the net, along with Hans Pirkner (65'). The final margin of 9-0 remains Austria's biggest win.

They ultimately won their qualification group to reach the tournament, then won their first-round group, but were eliminated in the second group stage.

18 March 1904 - Austria The Great And Powerful

On 18 March 1904, the Austrian Football Association formed in Vienna and soon controlled one of Europe's most dominant teams.

The national side actually predated the creation of the association, playing a three-game series with Hungary between October 1902 and October 1903, but the establishment of the new governing body opened the door for them to join the newly-founded FIFA in 1905.

They chose not to participate in the first World Cup in 1930, despite being one of Europe's strongest teams. Under manager Hugo Meisl, they played an unbeaten streak of fourteen matches from 1931 to 1932, earning the nickname "Wunderteam," then finished fourth in the 1934 World Cup.

With Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, the Austrian team ceased to exist as a separate entity until the  end of World War II. During qualification for the 1950 World Cup, they withdrew, claiming that the re-formed team was too inexperienced to compete in the tournament. But four years later, they finished third, which remains their best finish in a World Cup.

 Since then, they have failed to recapture their past glory, participating in only four of thirteen World Cups from 1962 to 2010.

12 November 1939 - A Fitting Mark For The Occasion

On 12 November 1939, forward Josef Bican commemorated his appearance for a third national team by scoring a hat-trick.

Bican, who was born in Vienna in 1913, made his first national team appearance for Austria in 1933. He went on to play for them a total of nineteen times--and scoring a total of nineteen goals--through 1936. The following year, he left Austria to play for Slavia Prague where he spent the majority of his career, scoring 395 goals in 217 matches between 1937 and 1948.

After moving to Prague, he switched his national team allegiance to Czechoslovakia. But after only three games (and eight goals), Czechoslovakia fell to the Nazis, who disbanded the team. They attempted to persuade Bican to turn out for Germany, but he declined, choosing instead to play for the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia which, while Nazi-controlled, remained ethnically Czech.

In his lone appearance for the Protectorate, Bican provided three goals in what turned out to be a 4-4 draw with Germany.

He rejoined the Czechoslovakian national team when they resumed play in 1946, making another eleven appearances for them until retiring from international football in 1949.

23 January 1939 - The Mysterious Death Of Matthias Sindelar

On 23 January 1939, 35-year old Austrian star forward Matthias Sindelar was found dead, along with his girlfriend, Camilla Castagnola, at her Vienna apartment. Although the official records attribute their deaths to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, rumors persist of murder and suicide.

Nicknamed "the Paper Man" due to his height and slim build, Sindelar spent his entire professional career with FK Austria Vienna, joining them in 1924. He debuted for the Austrian national team in September 1926, scoring a goal in a 2-1 win over Czechoslovakia. He soon became an integral member of the Wunderteam, winning the 1932 Central European International Cup, taking silver in the 1936 Summer Olympics, and finishing fourth at the 1934 World Cup. In all, Sindelar made 43 official appearances for Austria, scoring 27 goals.

Following Austria's annexation by Germany in 1938, Sindelar declined to play for the new unified team despite repeated requests by German manager Sepp Herberger. Although he cited age as the basis for his refusal, others took it as a sign of protest against the Nazi regime. Thus, when he was found dead a few months later, conspiracy theories ran rampant. Some suggested that he committed suicide in order to avoid Nazi persecution, while others suggested that he and Castagnola had been murdered by the Nazis for harboring Jewish sympathies.

While one the two chimneys in Castagnola's apartment was known to be defective, making carbon monoxide poisoning the most likely explanation for their deaths, one of Sindelar's friends gave a 2005 interview suggesting otherwise. In 2005, a BBC documentary crew spoke with Egon Ulbrich, a longtime friend of Sindelar's, who claimed that a Vienna official had been bribed to record the deaths as accidental. According to Ulbrich, Nazi rules prevented state funerals for victims or murder or suicide, so the declaration of Sindelar's death as accidental ensured that he could be buried with full honors.

[For more on the deaths of Sindelar and Castagnola, see the excellent Soccernet story by Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger here.]

4 December 1933 - Arsenal Guns Down The Wunderteam

On 4 December 1933, Arsenal faced off against the Austrian Wunderteam and won, 4-2.

Guided by manager Hugo Meisl and captain Matthias Sidelar (pictured), Austria were one of Europe's most dominant teams of the 1930s, earning the nickname "Wunderteam." They rattled off a 14-game unbeaten streak in 1931-32, including routs of Scotland (5-0), Germany (6-0, 5-0), and Hungary (8-2). They also won the 1932 Central European International Cup with a 4-2 victory over Italy in the final.

Arsenal, meanwhile, were enjoying a successful period of their own, having recently won the 1930 FA Cup and the 1931 and 1933 league titles under manager Herbert Chapman.

Chapman was friends with Meisl, prompting the friendly. But FA rules prohibited English clubs from playing international sides, so Austria arrived at Highbury for the match thinly disguised as FC Vienna. The Times called it a "thrilling match," with Arsenal taking a 3-1 lead before the teams swapped late goals to finish the day 4-2.

Austria went on to finish fourth in the 1934 World Cup, then went into decline after the death of Meisl in 1937. Arsenal proceeded to win the league title in 1934, but manager Herbert Chapman was not there to see it, as he died on 6 January 1934, just over a month after the win over Austria.

22 December 1912 - Meisl The Mastermind

On 22 December 1912, Hugo Meisl made his debut as manager of Austria with a 1-3 victory over Italy in Genoa. The win presaged a successful reign, as Meisl built Austra into one of the world's greatest teams.

Born in Bohemia in 1881, Meisl began his football career as an administrator with the Austrian Football Association, where he rose to the position of General Secretary before becoming manager of the national team. His first spell in charge lasted only two years, as he left to serve five years in World War I. But he resumed the position in 1919 after the war's end.

Austria's greatest period came during the early 1930s, when they enjoyed a 14-match unbeaten run. Christened the "Wunderteam," that Austrian side dominated European competition, led by their talismanic center forward Matthias Sindelar. They entered the 1934 World Cup as favorites, but lost to eventual winners Italy in the semifinals, 1-0.

Meisl remained with Austria until his death from a heart attack in 1937. In that time, he ammassed a record of 71 wins, 30 draws, and 32 losses.

8 June 1958 - The Journey Of Five World Cup Trophies Starts With A Single Win

On 8 June 1958, Brazil started their World Cup campaign with a 3-0 win over Austria before a crowd of 17,778 at the Rimnersvallen in Uddevalla, Sweden. It was the first step toward securing the first of their record five World Cup trophies.

The Austrians were optimistic, having advanced to the semifinals in 1954, but were overwhelmed from the start by the Brazilians' free-flowing attack. Forward José Altafini, better known as "Mazzola," scored the first goal with blast from distance in the 37th minute, then defender Nílton Santos, playing in an advanced position, blew past an Austrian defender in the 50th minute and chipped the ball over the diving keeper to put Brazil up 2-0. Mazzola rifled the final shot in the 85th minute to complete the win.

It was a powerful performance, especially considering that Brazil left Pelé, Garrincha, and Vavá on the bench. All were instrumental throughout the remainder of the tournament, which ended with Brazil winning the Final 2-5 over hosts Sweden.

12 October 1902 - After The Match, Johann Dropped The "Nicka"

On 12 October 1902, Austria defeated Hungary 5-0 in a Vienna friendly. It was the first match for both national sides and the first international match in history to feature two non-British teams.

The match was played at the ground of Wiener A.C. and the Viennese club's players scored all five goals in the Austrian victory. Striker Josef Taurer put the Austrians ahead with a goal in the 5th minute, then striker Johann Studnicka (pictured) added a second in the 10th minute. Studnicka and Gustav Huber then extended the lead to 4-0 before Studnicka scored the final goal to complete his hat-trick.

Eventually, both sides went on to claim glory as two of Europe's most successful teams. Austria's "Wunderteam" rose to prominence in the 1930s, winning the 1932 Central European Cup (the predecessor of the European Championship), while Hungary's "Golden Team" went on a 50-match unbeaten run between 1950 and 1957 and won the gold medal in the 1952 Summer Olympics.