Before a ball was kicked, this match already had nicknames. Some deemed it a telltale biscotto – an Italian classic implying something that has to be baked twice; one cooperating with the other. Or maybe you preferred the “Disgrace of Kansas City”, a new spin on the “Disgrace of Gijón”, the 1982 World Cup match in which West Germany settled for a 1-0 win over Austria in a result that qualified both teams for the knockout round while eliminating Algeria.
But what unfolded here was something else altogether. A new classic of the genre. Call it the “Missouri Compromise” if you must, but even that somehow underplays the drama and wild swings of momentum that exhausted the players and coaches who took part, delighting the fans who were lucky enough to witness it. On a steamy night in the American midwest, Algeria and Austria battled gamely, showing heart and desire for most if not all 90-plus minutes en route to a back-and-forth 3-3 draw that qualified both teams for the knockout round.
