These Socceroos are impressive! For its entry into the 2026 World Cup, Australia, over-motivated, gave a lesson in realism to Turkey from whom we had the right to expect better and was logically beaten (2-0) on Saturday in Vancouver.
The Australians, who had given Lionel Messi’s Argentina a hard time, victorious (2-1) in the round of 16 four years ago on their way to a third coronation, scored two very good goals.
The first by Nestory Irankuda, launched in depth and who, with control, made a big bridge over his defender before deceiving the goalkeeper with an unstoppable shot (27th).
The second was the work of Connor Metcalfe, who calmly approached the surface without being worried, before unleashing a tense shot at the near post (75th).
In the meantime? For its return to the World Cup, 24 years later, Turkey monopolized the ball but often played backwards and too rarely put its attempts on target.
Only flash: Abdülkerim Bardakci thought he had scored an exceptional goal, but his half-volley smashed against the post, the ball having been touched – sufficiently – by the fingers of goalkeeper Patrick Beach.
And here are the Australians who join at the head of Group D the United States, main co-organizer of the tournament, also authors of a convincing entry into the competition by crushing Paraguay the day before in Los Angeles (4-1).
