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Salzburg youngsters weather the storm against Pachuca
- Salzburg kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign with a 2-1 win over Pachuca
- Coach Thomas Letsch was delighted with the performance of his young squad
- Goalkeeping starlet Christian Zawieschitzky impressed on his professional debut
FC Salzburg probably could not have imagined a better start to the tournament. Thomas Letsch’s young charges put in a highly promising performance in tricky conditions in Cincinnati (high humidity and a lengthy suspension of play due to thunderstorms) and walked away with three points under their belt following a 2-1 win over CF Pachuca.
The Mexicans pushed hard after the resumption of play, but the Austrians held firm and weathered the storm. “The match could so easily have swung the other way after their equaliser,” said Letsch. “That was a tricky situation. So, in the end, I’m all the more pleased that we scored one more goal than our opponents.”
The Austrians played with a new-look back four, with Jacob Rasmussen handed his debut at centre-back and Frans Kratzig, a recent recruit from FC Bayern München, making his bow on the left. They were joined on the right by returnee Stefan Lainer, who had last donned a Salzburg shirt back in 2019.
“The defence did exactly what we asked of them,” said Letsch. “Jacob coached and organised, and there are advantages to having a left-footer in his position. I’m delighted with our new additions.”
Christian Zawieschitzky’s debut in goal was even more remarkable. Speculation had been rife in the days leading up to the match as to which of the three young keepers in the Salzburg squad would stand in for the injured Alexander Schlager. In the end, the youngest of the three was given the nod.
“I was really happy when I heard that I’d be playing,” said Zawieschitzky after the game. “I only found out at breakfast this morning. The coach pulled me to one side and then I rejoined the group. They must’ve known something was up because I couldn’t stop smiling. I was over the moon!”
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The 18-year-old certainly impressed. He pulled off a stunning save to deny Alexei Dominguez shortly after the break, and a little later he was also on hand to thwart Salomon Rondon. He was caught out for the Mexicans’ equaliser, but he held his hands up and took it in his stride: “I definitely should’ve saved it,” he said. “But I’m still young and I don’t think I’ve hit my full potential yet, and I’m very ambitious.”
The same can be said about the entire Salzburg team, who will no doubt learn a lot from this tournament due to their young age. “We’ll be up against it when we take on Al Hilal, but we have nothing to lose,” explained Letsch. The foundations are now firmly in place, and it will be fascinating to see just what this young squad is capable of.
