ARSENAL TRIUMPH OVER VIENNA
— W. Cupel Kirby | 05/12/1933 —

It happened as Austria feared.

Arsenal beat them by 4—2, but neither Herr Meisl, his splendid young players, nor the Austrian football public need to worry on that account.

The fact is that Austria were far better in defeat than had they won by a dozen goals.

For fighting back and yet adhering to pure football policy and scientific methods I have yet to see anything better than that which the Viennese players displayed before a sympathetic crowd of 35,000 spectators at Highbury yesterday.

It was bitterly cold but I doubt whether many noticed this in the excitement of the second half, when Arsenal, with a two-goal lead, had it reduced and then staved off disaster to finish with a quick finishing blow after reeling from most deadly Austrian attacks, which failed for want of a marksman.

AUSTRIA'S 'M' ATTACK.

Would type we could see more football of the type produced by our Central European visitors.

Did you ever see a forward get the ball clear down the middle against Arsenal's highly scientific and concentrated defence?

It has been seldom accomplished by any League side, but these Austrians, doubtless through the master mind of Herr Meisl, so maneouvred the ball by perfect positioning that all three Arsenal full-backs were marked absent when Sindelar pushed the ball forward.

And in case it should interest players who have been thinking hard how best to beat the "all in" defence, with the the centre half-back posting himself against the centre-forward, this is how it was achieved by Vienna.

It was by a most exaggerated form "M" formation. In other words, the centre-forward played behind his inside forwards, who in turn, were lying farther back than their colleagues on the wings.

Vienna did not lose this much-boosted match through any inferiority of football genius. They lost because of two old failings — being slow to settle down to their game and through trying to walk the ball into the net instead of shooting when opportunities were presented, as did the Arsenal.

On the other hand, there was a big thrill every time the forwards tapped the ball from one to the other within a few yards of goal.

ZISCHEK'S MISSED CHANCES.

I should say that in the course of the game Zischek, who does not as a rule miss anything in the nature of a scoring chance, must have had half a dozen shots go astray, and each at a most critical period.

At the same time, although the visitors lacked the finishing touch, it must be recorded that they did not have a great deal of luck with the shots they made.

Viertl strick the upright with Moss guarding the opposite corner of the goal, and first Sindelar and then Sesta struck the underside of the bar.

It may well be asked what Sesta was doing near the Arsenal goal. Let me explain that though the acrobatic left full-back is the shortest man in the side, he came up three times for corner kicks and connected with his head on each occasion. I have never seen a player with such a leap and judgment for heading.

Arsenal, with David Jack back in place of the injured Dunne, were all out from start to finish, and although individually they were as good as ever and played their normal League game, the Austrians were far and away the more interesting to watch.

There was nothing to compare with the beautiful through passes which never left the ground and found the men there ready to receive and pass on. At times it was bewildering, and for the first time for many a long day we saw some signs of panic in the Arsenal defence.

While Sidey was shadowing Sindelar either Bican or Schall were slipping through behind him.

Of course, there are quite a number of things the Austrians have yet to learn. Chiefly it is to keep their arms and elbows down.

Obstruction and elementary ideas of charging brought about their undoings. At any rate, it was through Sesta and Cisar setting themselves out to bowl Bastin over that Arsenal got their first goal from a penalty kick taken by the injured party.

Hulme produced a second goal — a typical Hulme effort — and Arsenal led by two goals at the interval.

Sindelar reduced the lead in the second half after eluding the otherwise ever-present Sidey, but again the Austrians found themselves faced with a two goals deficit when Jack headed through from Hulme's pass.

Back the Austrians went and Schall scrambled the ball through. Some said Male put through his own goal, but I thought it was over the line before Male got to it.

Following this the Austrians set up terrific pressure, but their hopes of snatching what would have been a well-earned draw faded when Bastin scored a fourth goal for Arsenal.

Vienna. — Platzer; Cisar, Sesta; Braun, Mock, Nausch; Zischek, Bican, Sindelar, Schall, Viertl.

Arsenal. — Moss; Male, Hapgood; Jones, Sidey, John; Hulme, Jack, Coleman, James, Bastin.