Hot prospect Irankunda scores as Australia defeat Turkey in shock World Cup win

[p]Chances were hard to come by early in this one, with the best one falling the way of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guler-arda/CUU9qDpb/"]Arda Güler[/a], who linked up well with captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kokcu-orkun/KYsUHUd0/"]Orkun Kökçü[/a] only to fire over the bar. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kadioglu-ferdi/CtCaHRd7/"]Ferdi Kadıoğlu[/a]’s effort had a similar outcome before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yilmaz-baris/8dwASoxi/"]Baris Yilmaz[/a] picked out Guler with a ball from the left, which was met with a first-time volley that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beach-patrick/d6MmYtl5/"]Beach[/a] did well to hold.[/p][p]Australia had offered precious little, but they caught [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/turkey/QeijuHo5/"]Turkey[/a] out against the run of play just before the half-hour mark.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okon-engstler-paul/2TYezBuo/"]Paul Okon-Engstler[/a] sent a long ball for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/irankunda-nestor/OdWRR5EU/"]Nestory Irankunda[/a] to chase, and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/watford/UmMRoGzp/"]Watford[/a] forward showed superb footwork to beat the Turkish defence and rifle a low shot past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cakir-ugurcan/p858Jtvs/"]Ugurcan Cakır[/a], becoming the Socceroos’ youngest WC goal-scorer in the process. [/b][/p][embed guid="577c7eb4-bf04-4a3b-821b-247bfb9e1415" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2066037418063507638" social-type="twitter" /][p]Turkey’s best response was a wild effort from Kokcu, shortly before Cakır repelled another Irankunda effort on the stroke of half-time.[/p][p]Talismanic winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yildiz-kenan/0EgOZVie/"]Kenan Yıldız[/a] was not deemed fit enough to start, but the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juventus[/a] man was introduced at half-time by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/montella-vincenzo/vcAWhGM6/"]Vincenzo Montella[/a] as the Crescent Stars looked to get back into their first WC finals match since finishing third in 2002.[/p][p]Some early second-half pressure towards the Australia goal saw a deflected effort from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yuksek-ismail/2gB80hOu/"]Ismail Yuksek[/a] wrong-foot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/melbourne-city/OKfoGJBe/"]Melbourne City[/a] stopper Beach, but ultimately land on the other side of the post. At the other end, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/souttar-harry/Aw73uj0d/"]Harry Souttar[/a] was left dangerously free at a corner, yet his resulting header was parried away by Çakır.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popovic-tony/ttgVDVCA/"]Tony Popovic[/a]’s men were under the cosh but almost repeated the trick of the first half by scoring against the run of play as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bos-jordan/fZFBMyjl/"]Jordan Bos[/a]’ effort from a narrow angle whistled over the top.[/p][p][b]At the other end, Beach was at it again, denying [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/celik-zeki/KG2a47J4/"]Zeki Celik[/a] from a narrow angle, which proved critical as his nation doubled their lead in the 75th minute through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/metcalfe-connor/zqXaHPUa/"]Connor Metcalfe[/a], who strode forward and hammered a low, hard shot into the bottom corner from outside the area.[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="ce35cd95-ed03-457c-8a46-e40cc93ca440" credit-line="StatsPerform via Opta" guid="5219fa1f-737a-4194-ad57-acdc51dc0907" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Beach must have felt like he had magnets in his gloves as everything Turkey threw at him stuck, and he held on to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akturkoglu-muhammed-kerem/UDQZylXj/"]Kerem Akturkoglu[/a]’s point-blank volley shortly after Metcalfe’s strike, ultimately helping his side see out the win with a tournament-high eight saves.[/p][p]Australia will now take this momentum into their clash with co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]USA[/a] in Seattle on Friday, while Turkey will be aiming to bounce back against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/paraguay/YaNlqp6j/"]Paraguay[/a] in Santa Clara later that evening.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beach-patrick/d6MmYtl5/"]Patrick Beach[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/australia-xSrf6qMM/turkey-7s-QeijuHo5/summary/stats/?mid=nLNXPs35"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]