Nestory Irankunda Earns Triumph for Australia in Intense Friendly Match with the Canadian side
Promising talent Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net for the second fixture in a row, while goalkeeper Paul Izzo produced a outstanding performance to lead the Australian national team to a tight 1-0 victory over Canada.
Game Overview
Following a uneventful opening period controlled by the Canadian team, the Socceroos came to life with the arrival of second-half replacements Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. Ultimately, Irankunda who scored the decider in the second half.
Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, starting ahead of skipper Maty Ryan, produced several stops, featuring a world-class intervention to stop Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, securing Australia's seventh-straight victory.
NESTOR IRANKUNDA SCORES AUSTRALIA AHEAD IN MONTREAL! 🔥
🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺
Notable Moments
- During the early stages, Tajon Buchanan charged into the box, but defender Alessandro Circati executed a well-timed challenge to avert the danger.
- Eight minutes later, Irankunda beat two defenders and set up Max Balard, whose shot was blocked.
- During the first half, the Australians found it difficult to maintain the ball, with Buchanan causing problems on the right flank.
- Despite pressure from the hosts, the disciplined Socceroos backline held firm, restricting chances before the halftime.
Post-Interval Shift
Two minutes into the second period, Irankunda went on a wonderful run, evading Derek Cornelius and firing the ball toward the near post, where Mohamed Toure scuffed his shot.
Changes in the second half brought instant impact, with Irankunda pouncing on a poor clearance and finding Toure, who fired off target.
Soon after, Miller sent in a precise ball to Yazbek, who backheeled toward Circati, but the captain blasted over the bar.
During the 70th minute, after a pinball situation in the box, the Socceroos cleaned up the danger.
Decisive Goal
Soon after, Connor Metcalfe released Toure on the wing, and the forward pulled the ball back into a dangerous zone.
As a Canadian player dithered, Irankunda slid in from the blind side to score his third goal.
Late Drama
Although unable to add a another, the team were saved by Izzo's late saves.
Emotions boiled over in stoppage time, resulting in Irankunda getting a yellow card and taken off amid a scuffle.
In a spiteful final few minutes, the Socceroos defense and Izzo held firm to secure the result.
Looking Ahead
With already qualified for the upcoming global tournament, the Socceroos are ramping up their readiness with warm-up matches against North American opponents and the USA, with a game scheduled in Colorado next.
