WORLD CUP ’90 : Czechs Roll On, Beat Austria, 1-0; Polster Is Bottled Up Again

It’s getting dangerous to be a favorite in this World Cup soccer tournament. Day after day the big guys are falling here, their high hopes thudding to earth.

It happened again here Friday night at Municipal Stadium, to the delight of red-clad, flag-waving Czechoslovakians among the 38,963 spectators. Highly regarded Austria fell hard, losing to the little-noticed Czech team, 1-0.

Even among the World Cup’s surprises, this was a shocker.

“It’s going to be hard to live with this defeat,” Austrian Coach Josef Hickersberger said. “Our team slept through the first half as we did against Italy. We are going to have to start thinking in terms of the fact that the World Cup is beyond our reach.”

Austria can advance out of Group A by beating the United States here on Tuesday, but that would give it only two points--probably not enough to qualify for the second round.

Czechoslovakia, which beat the United States, 5-1, will be in the second round, but will know only after playing Italy Tuesday in Rome where it will be based. If the Czechs win or tie, they will win the group title and play in Rome, the Italians in Bari.

The Czechs will not be at their strongest against Italy, having lost their best midfielder to injury and their best forward to expulsion Friday. Both players are key to the Czech attack.

Midfielder Jozef Chovanec sacrificed his body for Czechoslovakia’s goal. Characteristic of Austria’s play, the goal opportunity was provided by a glaring error.

Deep in his own box, Austrian defender Anton Pfeffer made a dangerous back pass to goalkeeper Klaus Lindenberger. Chovanec rushed forward and intercepted the pass and, briefly, was alone in front of the goal.

Lindenberger charged out and crashed into Chovanec, who fell to the turf, writhing in pain. Chovanec had been a doubtful starter because of an injury to his right thigh, suffered against the United States. In the collision, the muscle was reinjured.

After Chovanec was taken off the field, Michal Bilek took the penalty kick for Czechoslovakia. His right-footed shot found the left corner of the net in the 31st minute.

After the shot, Bilek immediately ran to where Chovanec lay, and with the rest of the Czech team, celebrated with their fallen comrade.

Moments later Chovanec was taken away on a stretcher.

The injury was typical of the match’s roughness. The teams combined for 48 fouls, and there were seven caution cards handed out. One went to Czech forward Lubos Kubik, his second of the tournament, and means he must sit out Czechoslovakia’s next game.

Hickersberger took responsibility for Austria’s collapse but also seemed bewildered by it.

Asked by a reporter to comment on the loss, Hickersberger hesitated. “It doesn’t matter what I think,” he said. “I’m paid for what I do. I’m sorry for my team. I’m sorry for my young players. They had such high hopes.”

Austria, meanwhile, is bracing itself to be one of the eight teams that will not advance.

Austrian forward Toni Polster had been considered a top scorer--he had 33 goals in the Italian league this season--who would emerge on a level with Argentina’s Diego Maradona.

But against defenses keying on him, Polster has had only one shot in each of Austria’s two games. And although it is true that he was often double-covered, Polster seemed to expend much of his energy complaining to the referee and hectoring his teammates.

“I’m sorely disappointed, all of us on the team are disappointed,” Polster said. “What can I say? I expected more of myself.”