U.S. Eliminated in Loss to Austria

The U.S. national soccer team bowed out of the World Cup today when Austria recovered from losing a man ejected in the first half to battle to a 2-1 victory.

Speedy forwards Andreas Ogris and Gerhard Rodax, two of three strikers in the lineup, scored goals in the second half as Austria’s experience proved too much for a young American team in game marked by ferocious tackling and yellow cards.

Bruce Murray scored the second U.S. goal of the tournament when he converted a cross by Tab Ramos in the 82nd minute.

Eight players were cautioned by the referee in addition to the red card given to Austrian Peter Artner for a nasty tackle on Peter Vermes.

The result eliminated the United States which lost all three games in Group A, while Austria gave itself an outside chance of reaching the second round after losing its first two matches.

The first half was marked by rugged tackling by both teams that saw five players given yellow cards and an Austrian ejected.

The United States created several chances early on with John Harkes and Ramos controlling the midfield but failed to convert them into goals.

The Americans had a goal-coring chance as early as the third minute but Vermes fired over the bar from close range after a free kick.

Despite its need to score goals, Austria lacked urgency and midfielder Manfred Zsak received a yellow card in the 22nd minute for taking too long over a free kick.

Americans Paul Caligiuri and Jimmy Banks and Pecl were also shown yellow cards before the interval after some untidy challenges.

As the match became more heated, Artner was sent off by Syrian referee Jamal al-Sharif in the 34th minute for a vicious two-footed kick on Vermes’s leg that left the American writhing in agony.

However, instead taking charge of the game with a man advantage, the United States was forced to defend desperately as Austria stepped up the pressure and seized the initiative.

Ogris opened the scoring in the 51st minute when he outpaced Banks and sweeper Mike Windischmann in a solo run down the left and prodded the ball over Meola with his right foot.

Gerhard Rodax increased the score to 2-0 in the 63rd minute when he stroked home a cross by Michael Streiter who burst down the right and cut back a pass that split the U.S. defense.

The United States scored its second goal of the tournament after 82 minutes when Ramos ran the ball down the right into the penalty area and hooked the ball back for Murray to fire in a shot that struck Lindenberger’s legs and trickled over the line.

In the Colombia match, An 89th-minute goal by substitute Pierre Littbarski seemed to have sealed the game for West Germany, but Freddy Rincon charged into the penalty box three minutes into injury time and fired a shot underneath goalkeeper Bodo Illgner.

Four players--including three from Colombia--were carded in one of the worst-tempered games of the tournament. The Colombians displayed delightfully flamboyant soccer skills but ruined the effect with flagrant fouls and theatrical play-acting when they were tackled.