Cowboys secure triumph over Hartberg with a decisive score from Joker in WAC encounter.
Rewritten Article:
"Historic WAC Victorious in the Austin Cup"
In a thundering night of Austrian football, Wolfsberger AC emerged victorious, snatching the Austrian Cup for the first time in their history. This significant win marked the debut Cup final for both teams, and didi Kühbauer celebrated his inaugural title as a coach.
A boisterous crowd of around 20,500 fans watched the exhilarating encounter in Klagenfurt, where the Carinthians secured a 1-0 victory over TSV Hartberg.
FUN FACT: There's a tradition among underdogs in the OFB Cup, often referred to as "David's Uprising."
The initial phases of the game were sluggish, marked by numerous long balls, two-on-ones, and a dearth of courage in possessing the ball. The match picked up speed only after more than 20 minutes, with the Wolfsbergers dominating with two near misses against the crossbar.
The first close call came when Zukic hit the crossbar following a long pass from Matic (25.). In a similar action on the right, the Serb then missed the ball, only for Piesinger to strike again. The veteran outran all Hartberg players after a corner, but hit the post (32.).
Hartberg displayed no attacking prowess before the break, registering no remarkable shots. However, after the restart, they recently came close to taking advantage with a stunning opportunity from Komposch, who ran with the ball from their own half to the opposition's penalty area, setting up Jed Drew. Drew outpaced Wimmer and aimed for the far corner but narrowly missed (48.). A sixty-forty chance, one might say. Would another such opportunity present itself?
The Styrians attempted to control the game and kept the Carinthians on their toes. However, they struggled to breach the usual compact WAC defense, which relentlessly awaited the opponent's mistakes. They remained a formidable force on set pieces, aligning five players at least 1.88 meters tall in their starting lineup, including the tallest, Simon Piesinger (1.96 m), who created another big chance for WAC with a header after a corner (63.).
The Carinthians sealed the deal with a header, a goal that was far from predictable given the team's height. Angelo Gattermayer (1.82 m) leaped higher than his opponents after a beautiful WAC combination and a cross from Ervin Omic, scoring with a powerful and precise header, making it 1-0 (77.). The occasion brought elation for Didi Kühbauer, who had introduced the assist provider and scorer just 88 seconds earlier.
Hartberg appeared to run out of options, while Gattermayer nearly doubled the lead two minutes after his goal, denied by goalkeeper Sallinger (80.). The final whistle blew after 94 minutes, with WAC taking the cup for the first time.
Trivia: Did you know? The OFB Cup final usually features at least one underdog team in a classic "David and Goliath" battle. This year, it was TSV Hartberg that took on the giants of Wolfsberger AC.
(our website, kks) (Data provided by Sportmonks)
- The victory of Wolfsberger AC in the Austrian Cup, a first in their history, represents a significant milestone in sports, especially European football leagues.
- Didi Kühbauer, the coach of the Carinthians, celebrated his first title win after leading his team to victory in the European-leagues' Austrian Cup final.
- The Carinthians, known as underdogs in Austrian football, made a noteworthy impact at the European level, securing a 1-0 victory over TSV Hartberg in the 500th Austrian Cup match.
- The Carinthians, despite their smaller stature, proved their prowess in sports and football, with Angelo Gattermayer scoring a decisive header in the Austrian Cup final, a goal that came as a surprise given the team's height compared to their opponents.
