Turkey’s dominance counts for little in shocking defeat to Australia

Turkey’s dominance counts for little in shocking defeat to Australia

Turkey dominated — 72% possession, 30 shots, 55 Australian clearances — and still lost.

That’s the story of Australia’s stunning 2-0 Group D win in Vancouver. Nestory Irankunda, 20, became the Socceroos’ youngest-ever World Cup scorer with a cool counter-attack finish, before Connor Metcalfe’s low drive put the game to bed.

The real hero, though? Goalkeeper Patrick Beach. The 22-year-old, starting ahead of veteran Mat Ryan, made eight saves on his competitive debut — the most by any keeper in the tournament so far — including a crucial tip onto the post from Bardakci.

Turkey’s first World Cup since 2002 got off to a nightmare start.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top