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Emerging talent Nestory Irankunda scored for the second fixture in a row, as shot-stopper Paul Izzo put in a superb performance to lead the Australian national team to a hard-fought 1-0 result over Canada.

Game Summary

Following a uneventful opening period controlled by the hosts, the Australian side came to life with the arrival of late replacements Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. Ultimately, Irankunda who scored the decider in the second half.

Keeper Paul Izzo, starting ahead of captain Maty Ryan, produced several saves, featuring a spectacular effort to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, securing Australia's seventh-straight win.

NESTOR IRANKUNDA PUTS AUSTRALIA IN FRONT IN MONTREAL! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Key Actions

• In the third minute, Tajon Buchanan charged into the penalty area, but captain Alessandro Circati made a well-timed tackle to avert the danger.
• Shortly later, Irankunda dribbled past multiple defenders and set up Max Balard, whose attempt was blocked.
• Throughout the opening 45 minutes, the Australians found it difficult to maintain possession, with Buchanan creating issues on the wing.
• Despite dominance from Canada, the disciplined Socceroos defense stood strong, limiting opportunities before the halftime.

Post-Interval Turnaround

Early into the second half, Irankunda embarked on a impressive dribble, beating Derek Cornelius and firing the ball toward the goal, where Mohamed Toure missed his shot.

Changes in the second half injected immediate impact, with Irankunda capitalizing on a deflected pass and setting up Toure, who shot off target.

Soon after, Miller delivered a lovely ball to Yazbek, who flicked toward Circati, but the skipper blasted high.

In the closing stages, after a pinball situation in the defensive area, the Socceroos cleared the situation.

Winning Moment

Moments later, Connor Metcalfe sent Toure on the wing, and the forward pulled the ball back into a promising zone.

As a Canadian defender dithered, Irankunda slid in from the blind side to tap in his third strike.

Final Action

Although unable to score a second goal, the team were saved by Izzo's last-minute heroics.

Emotions boiled over in stoppage time, resulting in Irankunda receiving a booking and taken off amid a fracas.

During a heated final few minutes, the Australian backline and Izzo stood their ground to secure the win.

Looking Ahead

Having now secured a spot for the upcoming World Cup, the Socceroos are intensifying their readiness with warm-up matches against North American opponents and the USA, with a fixture set in Colorado on Wednesday.