Wunderteam
Dream Team is a name for the Austrian national team of the years 1931 to 1933, which provided especially with high wins over top European teams for attention. The miracle team remained unbeaten in 12 games in a row; if you " birth " of the miracle team against Czechoslovakia and Hungary still expects the two games before this, the Austrian National Team remained even 14 games unbeaten. The name first appears in the headlines in the German press in 1931, which reported on the 0:6 defeat of the German team in Berlin against Austria.
- 2.1 Victories over Germany
- 2.2 duel with the " arch-rival " Hungary
- 2.3 European Champion
- 2.4 match against England
The birth of the miracle team
Against Scotland
As birth of the miracle team the game against Scotland is called. The country was Scotland together with England as the mother country of football and was unbeaten on the European mainland. Already the fact that Austria was allowed to play against Scotland, was regarded as an honor, especially since in particular the Scottish Football in Austria had many followers. It took over the Scottish 2-3 5 system for their own team and tried to practice the Scottish way of playing with short flat passes. The Austrian team has been completely reshuffled before the game and played some with debutants. The first game of the newly formed national team won the Austrians completely surprising 5-0 against the favored Scots on the high waiting in front of 60,000 spectators. This was the beginning of the most successful triumphant in the history of the Austrian national team.
Prehistory
About the origin of the miracle team with its lineup, which still know most interested in football Austrians, there are numerous stories. The association Captain Hugo Meisl was under pressure from the fans, journalists and sports professionals who vehemently demanded a reshuffle of the national team, in particular the use of Matthias Sindelar. Matthias Sindelar flew on January 7, 1929 after a 0-5 defeat in a friendly match against a South German selection of the team. The Austrian team then tried her " Scheiberlspiel " ( fast, short fancy combinations with " Viennese humor " ) to carry out on the snow- covered ground, but verdribbelte in to make the other time. Sindelar said to know the reason for the defeat: "Mia hätt'n no more scheiberln müssn ", a response that the raging Hugo Meisl very displeased.
The Schmieranskiteam
In a verbal confrontation at the Vienna Ring - Café on Stubenring Meisl finally the sports journalists present relented and gave to them, saying, " There you have it your Schmieranskiteam " a slip of paper with the desired of them lineup for the upcoming Scotland game out. Sindelar returned to the position of center forward, Friedrich Gschweidl played as a right connector. He served as a right wing partner was Charles Zischek, who had never been in the national team. The left pair of wings made Anton sound and Adi Vogl. Both played together at the Admiralty, with the very young Vogl made his first team effort and was only occasionally come so far in the Admira formers used. In goal, Rudi Hiden was allowed to play instead of the more experienced Friedrich Franzl. In the match against Scotland, the goalie could be distinguished by several parades and shine the forward line by numerous combinations.
Association Captain: Hugo Meisl Coach: Jimmy Hogan
The games of the miracle team
Victories over Germany
Just one week after the sensational victory over the Scots, who saw in the international sports press for much attention, the team traveled to Berlin, where she was to meet on the German national team. The Germans considered themselves with their hard match against the "soft Austrians " good chances. Just two minutes after the opening whistle met Matthias Sindelar to make it 1-0, the final score was 6-0. In Berlin, spoke for the first time by the " Dream Team ", the aufspielte. The German media also reported the " embarrassing end of Germany " and the "greatest disgrace of the DFB ."
To revenge the Austrians invited in September 1931 to Vienna. Before the miracle team still won about Switzerland, but came only with a B- team, since Austria's stars were needed by their clubs in Mitropacup. The return match against Germany in Vienna should be given an additional meaning, for it had at the first international match at the newly built stadium in Vienna, now known as Ernst Happel Stadium. Again, it was a disgrace for Germany. In the 5-0 win in Vienna Matthias Sindelar met three times and also places for its connector Gschweidl and sound on. Such successes of the national team were in the then politically difficult time more than just a welcome distraction for the Austrians.
Duel with the " arch-rival " Hungary
Another highlight in the era of the miracle team, the game was against the " arch-rival " from Hungary, a country that had part of the Austrian monarchy over a decade ago. Hungary was still, like Austria, one of the best teams in the world - the duel of the two teams were known especially for their hardness. In Budapest, the miracle team reached "only" a 2-2, but had to play with only 10 men, as the Austrian Karl Gall was seriously injured by a Hungarian and could not play on. In Vienna, there was a huge number of spectators. Before the second leg against the Magyars, the team had yet to hit the captain Sindelar Switzerland 8-1 in Basel and Italy. The game against Hungary in 1932 is now considered one of the best Matthias Sindelars. The center forward scored three goals in the 8:2 and even prepared all five other gates before.
European champion
During the era of the miracle team and the European Cup was played. It is the forerunner of today's European Championships, with the former European champions have not been established in a tournament, but has been played in a league system for several years. Several games of the 2nd European Cup, which was held from 1930 to 1932, fell into the time of the miracle team. After 1932 Austria against Switzerland had remained again victorious, was the team's Hugo Meisl fixed as the new European Champion. This was the only title win, ever achieved by an Austrian national football team.
England match
The only downfall of the miracle team brought the then national nevertheless a the greatest international recognition. The team captained by Sindelar traveled to victories against Hungary in Budapest and Sweden in Stockholm by train to London to compete on December 7, 1932 against the English national team. England was home unbeaten and should remain so for another 20 years. Still, it had been done, no team from the continent to achieve more than a consolation goal against the English at home.
The RAVAG broadcast the game live on Vienna's Heldenplatz. However, in Stamford Bridge Stadium, the Austrians were already at the break 0-2 back, played nervously before she teased her famous passing game in the second half. Hugo Meisl sent his team with the words " Spüts your Spüü " ( " Play your game " ) back onto the field. The national team made three times the first goal, but in the end lost 3:4, although Adolf Vogl just before the end still missed the chance to equalize. The technically superior game of the Austrians was praised especially by the British journalist. Even today, a memorial plaque and the painting The Miracle team of Paul Meissner showing the team at the entry to the stadium of the famous game. Before arriving in Vienna the miracle team still halted in Brussels, where Belgium was defeated by 6-1.
End and the disintegration of the miracle team
The last game of the miracle team the match against France in Paris is generally seen that Austria could still win 4-0. The Austrian team made the French goals by Sindelar, Zischek and Weselik from, in return Rudolf Hiden made the few attacks of the French, with spectacular parades destroyed and thus attracted the attention of the president of Racing Club de Paris, Jean -Bernard Lévy. This presented to the Austrian goalie an offer that took Hiden immediately. He finished with this game, his career in the Austrian national team and joined in 1933 for a transfer fee of 80,000 francs from the Wiener AC to Paris. This is an important pillar of the miracle team fell away, also followed by several national player Hidens example and went abroad, what significant losses in the technical game of the Austrians resulted, although there was only one defeat against Czechoslovakia (1-2) in the following 13 games.