Australia sent shockwaves through the World Cup with a performance that left egg all over the face of one man in particular.
Written off, ridiculed – but secretly the real deal.
The Socceroos dumped egg all over the faces of some outspoken critics and delivered one of their greatest ever performances at a World Cup with a 2-0 statement in Vancouver on Sunday.
Japan in 2006. Denmark in 2022. Now Turkey in 2026.
That’s how special this night in Canada was – and equally satisfying because of what preceded it.
Turkish captain Hakan Calhanoglu said in the build-up he expected to “dominate” Tony Popovic’s side.
We can probably forgive his unfortunate choice of words, but no such grace can be afforded American agitator Mike Grella.
Mike Grella has become public enemy number one in Australia.
The former player turned pundit had been prickling Aussie fans after we ended up in the same group as the US, but took it way too far as the tournament began.
“I look at their team and I don’t recognise any players in the team,” he said.
“I’m not kidding when I say this, what are they drinking over there? Because they have no shot of doing anything at the World Cup. They are the weakest team in the group.”
He even got some cheap laughs from a colleague when suggesting it was telling Nestory Irankunda was Australia’s “best player”.
“Irankunda … With all due respect – because I don’t like to talk bad about players … (but) Irankunda.”
What have you got to say about Irankunda now, Mike?
The 20-year-old pocket rocket showed he has world-class ability with a goal that’s equal to any scored so far in this tournament.
Connor Metcalfe’s second half strike that cemented the victory was just as impressive.
Yes, the Socceroos spent long periods camped in front of their own goal but suddenly this team of so-called no names seems brimming with the type of talent that can impact this – and future – tournaments.
Say his name – Nestory Irankunda. (AP Photo/Kaleb Tatum)
“This is going to be a night we never forget,” Socceroos legend Harry Kewell said on SBS. “Unbelievable performance. When people talk, the best way to silence them is on the pitch. Tonight, Australia silenced a lot of people.”
Irankunda added: “They can talk all they want, but at the end of the day we’re going to put the performance on the field and we did that today.”
The other major talking point that preceded the performance was Tony Popovic’s decision to bench captain Mat Ryan and midfielder Jackson Irvine.
Popovic insisted post-match the call was “the right one” regardless of what the result of the game was, but two moments, two minutes apart in the first half left the Socceroos coach looking like a genius.
Connor Metcalfe celebrates scoring the second goal. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Patrick Beach was impassable. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Irankunda did the absolute lion’s share of the work while scoring the goal that gave Australia a 1-0 advantage at halftime, but the lead would not have come without Irvine’s replacement Paul Okon-Engstler or new goalkeeper Patrick Beach.
It was Okon who delivered a delicious long ball that Irankunda controlled, dinked past a defender and then thundered into the net.
And then Beach, playing just his third match for his country, made a critical save.
Beach dived to his right to get fingertips on a long-range strike, doing just enough to push it on to the upright and watch it bounce safely back away from goal.
Irankunda was rightly named player of the match, but Popovic and his two young upstarts were critical too.
It’s a perfect start to this tournament for the Socceroos. A 2-0 win against a Turkey team many favoured to top the group.
Our largest victory in World Cup history – matching the 3-1 win against Tokyo in 2006.
And passage to the knockout phase a long way towards being secured.
Pre-tournament simulations showed just getting three points put you in the round of 32 about two-thirds of the time.
This week’s game against the USA will now likely decide who tops the group. What a position for Popovic and his men.