Michorl applauds Austria application

Peter Michorl was thrilled with the fortitude Austria showed to overcome some early Hungary pressure and execute their team plan effectively en route to claiming three valuable Group A points.

"We started a little bit nervously and in the first 15 minutes we had some problems with them," the midfielder told UEFA.com after crowning the 3-1 victory with a fine free-kick. "It was a new situation for us, playing against 10,000 Hungarians, but after 15 minutes we came into the game. Also, after the first goal it became easier and the midfield saw that we were even with them, maybe a little bit better. Since that moment the game went for us."

In addition to his early second-half strike, Michorl went close on several other occasions and describes his side's ruthlessness in front of goal as a new – and crucial – part of their game. "It is an aim for every player to hit the target in every game and sometimes before we did not have this quality to do that. In the last two years, in most of the games we had four or five openings and we always find the target. In the last few months we have found the quality to finish our counterattacks."

Michorl's goal three minutes into the second was a well-worked routine and, having watched some hard work on the training ground pay off handsomely, the FK Austria Wien man was happy to talk UEFA.com through the move. "It's a free-kick variation which is in our repertoire and which we have scored from before. When the whistle went and I saw the wall and the position of the goalkeeper, which opened up the space for me, I was sure I would score."

Having taken a significant stride towards their initial target in Hungary – a top-three finish in their section and a place in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup – Michorl says Austria will not deviate from the strategy that has brought them this far in their second fixture. "We will do the same thing against Israel as we did [against Hungary]; we try, and we want, to win every game. The first aim is to go to New Zealand. We have done 50% [of that work]; now we want to do the other 50% and then go to the semi-finals."