Australia go level with USMNT in Group D after surprise win against Turkey
They began the World Cup as outsiders in Group D but Australia now have — per The Athletic’s projections — an 85 percent chance of reaching the knockout rounds after beating Turkey 2-0 in Vancouver on Saturday night.
Tony Popovic’s industrious side took the lead midway through the first half thanks to a wonderfully-composed finish from 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda, one of The Athletic’s Stars of Soccer. The Watford player sped onto a long ball, nudged it past a defender and produced a tidy near-post finish to put his side in front.
Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella looked to his stacked bench, bringing on Juventus star Kenan Yildiz at half-time, but his side continued to toil when trying to break down Australia’s stubborn defence and beat the impressive Patrick Beach in goal — the 22-year old ‘keeper making only his third appearance for his country.
And an entertaining game was sealed with 15 minutes remaining when Connor Metcalfe struck from outside the box to make it two and send the travelling Australia fans wild.
Here The Athletic’s Simon Hughes and Joshua Kloke break down the key talking points.
How significant a result was this?
Australian supporters in Vancouver ahead of this game made it clear they really want to beat the United States because an impression has formed in the host country that the Socceroos were the easiest opponent in the group.
The US clearly has more talent in its team but Australia will be a tough nut to crack. Ahead of Turkey’s surprise defeat, head coach Vincenzo Montella warned that his team needed to be careful not to get sucked into Australia’s way of playing but they did.
If the US underestimate them on Friday, they’ll be in trouble.
It was a terrible result for Turkey but they had enough chances to get a more positive outcome. Australia’s inexperienced goalkeeper Patrick Beach was outstanding.
Metcalfe makes it two (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
It is probably more convenient, however, that they face Australia next because Turkey will be burned by what happened in Vancouver and this surely will make them even more focused and determined to get their World Cup campaign back on track against Paraguay. Their chances of reaching the knockouts now stands at 52 percent — the perennial dark horses have work to do to get back on track.
Simon Hughes
Introducing: Nestory Irankunda
For most of the first half especially, Turkey went around the houses to cross the road. Their approach to goal involved lots of touches from their technical players and when it clicked, some of their stuff was rather nice.
Australia approached this game very differently. They know Turkey is better on the ball and they let them have it, waiting for their opportunity to break. It helps when you have Nestory Irankuda, a winger who should not be left alone in space.
His goal was beautifully straightforward. Paul Okon-Engstler saw that he was free and chipped it forward. A slow Turkish defence could not compete but Irankuda opener was not just about speed because he sent Ugurcan Cakır the wrong way with the finish.
Now with Watford, Irankuda’s story is remarkable. A Burundian refugee born in Tanzania, he arrived in Australia when he was three months old and the family set-up in Adelaide. Still only 20-years old, he has already had a spell at Bayern Munich but decided to move on because he wanted to play first team football.
In Vancouver, he gave a thrilling performance, to which Turkey, with all of their experience, had no answer.
Simon Hughes
How was Vancouver’s World Cup bow?
There has been a growing sense that Vancouver could end up being one of the best host cities of the World Cup. And man oh man, did the city, BC Place and those in attendance come through for Vancouver’s first men’s World Cup game.
Getting inside the venue could be a little more challenging than others: nearby Skytrain stations don’t offer direct access into the stadium. Instead, fans were directed through a lengthy walk around False Creek to get into BC Place. It’s a stunning walk (Like every stroll through Vancouver) and in the hours leading up to kick-off, fans maintained high energy as they paced through pre-game nerves. The numerous beer gardens along the walk likely didn’t hurt the atmosphere.
(Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Inside the stadium itself, two things stuck out.
First, the freshly-laid grass surface, courtesy of a nearby farm (Keep it Canadian!) looked sublime. This is the same stadium that usually has an eyesore of a turf surface. For their first men’s World Cup game, BC Place looked night and day.
Full credit, finally, to the Turkish fans in particular. If the first game hosted in Canada yesterday (Canada v Bosnia) will be remembered for an uplifting crowd, the crowd in the second game in Canada will be remembered for being piercing. Deafening roars, booing Australia when they hit the Turkish box; Australian fans had their moments but those in red made their presence known. Put them down as one of the more spirited fan groups of the tournament.
Joshua Kloke