3 hours ago
14
Key events
90+2 mins: Yengi does his job, holding up play and winding down the clock on the right.
90+1 mins: Six minutes of added time to be played.
90 mins: Guler on the left now, digging deep into his box of tricks, but Circati is immovable. Now Yildiz has a go, but he can’t beat Geria. Over to Calhanoglu who crosses deep and it’s glanced behind for a goal kick. What an astonishing defensive performance this has been. Faultless.
89 mins: Guler is everywhere, popping up right and left, dropping to take possession and darting in behind. He slips, recovers, then shoots first-time following a Calhanoglu stepover – but it’s weak and straight at Beach.
88 mins: Kadioglu, Yildiz and Guler work the ball nicely to allow the latter in behind on the left but his cutback is too high for any teammates to attack. Australia then smash it clear and Yengi makes Turkey’s defence earn possession.
87 mins: A frustrated Akgun is the first name to be taken this evening by the referee, hacking down Metcalfe in transition.
86 mins: Save from Beach! Calhanoglu drills the free-kick low around the wall – again to the keeper’s side – and Beach is there to parry it clear.
85 mins: Gul enters the fray up front.
84 mins: Turkey go back to the well, recycling the ball from one side to the other in front of Australia’s defence, then as soon as they try to go vertically a boot with white socks attached intervenes. However, Irvine is penalised this time for his tackle and Turkey have a dangerous free-kick.
83 mins: The experience of Irvine and Behich replaces the youth of Bos and Okon-Engstler.
82 mins: Guler is trying to get things moving but there is nothing on ahead of him as Turkey run out of imagination. Australia have defended their opponents to distraction. Kadioglu tries to get around the outside on the left but Geria is there to head clear.
81 mins: Back to the red wave lapping against the golden shore. Back to a Turkish forward – Guler this time – shooting harmlessly from long range. Turkey are now starting to look a little forlorn.
80 mins: Ozcan and Muldur are now on for Turkey.
79 mins: Metcalfe’s delivery to the near post is headed clear. Still work to be done on set-pieces.
78 mins: Turkey are camped in Australia’s half. Calhanoglu tries to scheme but there are gold jerseys everywhere flinging themselves in harm’s way. Then when they finally clear Yengi does brilliantly to battle his way through a couple of challenges and the Socceroos get a releiving corner.
77 mins: Akturkoglu volleys straight at Beach on the six yard line! That was the clearest chance of the night for Turkey. The long ball over the top was headed across goal and the striker got a yard of space to hook an effort on goal. Either side of Beach and that was in.
76 mins: For bravery, discipline, industry, and the quality of strikes, this is on tracj to be Australia’s greatest ever World Cup performance. Absolutely unbelievable scenes in Vancouver.
Out of nothing, Australia double their lead. The Socceroos clear to midfield and benefit from some poor Turkish control. Metcalfe picks the ball up with nothing on, drives a few metres forward and infield, approaches the D, then lets fly with a low left-footed effort that scuds along the BC Place turf, beyond Cakir’s despairing dive, and inside the post. Australia are in dreamland.
GOAL! Australia 2-0 Turkey (Metcalfe 75)
Wow! Connor Metcalfe, take a bow.
74 mins: Yengi and Geria do come on. The former for the injured Toure, the latter for the overworked Italiano. Geria will have the dangerous Yildiz to deal with.
73 mins: The corner isn’t great, the second ball is slow, and Guler eventually shoots over from distance.
72 mins: Yildiz shows his dancing feet on the left to get a yard free of Italiano but Circati defends the cross at stretch superbly. Turkey keep coming and Celik finds himself in space on the right, he can get into the box and do something decisive – he shoots at the tiny space between Beach and his left-hand post and the ball goes behind for a corner. A very very rare look at open space in Australia’s box there.
70 mins: The crowd sing Mr Brightside as the drinks break ends. A tune I think would have been a belting terrace anthem at Old Trafford in the 80s when Norman Whiteside was running around.
69 mins: Geria and Yengi look like they are being readied to come on.
“We are getting too deep,” warns James Paraskevas. “The counter attacking threat is disappearing. Great chance to get fresh legs on. Mabil, Volpato, Hrustic, could be used.” Agreed.
The teams regroup at the three quarter time break. Can Australia cling on? Can Montella find a moment of magic from someone?
66 mins: Toure wastes a rare counterattacking opportunity and looks hurt in the process. Turkey try to exploiut the opportunity but Burgess – who has been magnificent (along with Souttar and Circati) – settles any nerves by shielding the ball out for a goal kick.
65 mins: Yildiz has two further efforts from outside the box charged down. The game is now being played in about a fifth of the surface area of the BC Place pitch.
64 mins: Pressure is building now from Turkey. Calhanoglu looks set to shoot in the D but Okon-Engstler gets a toe in – atoning for his earlier concession of possession after good work from Bos. Australia are now trapped in their defensive third and look incapable of forcing their way out at the moment.
63 mins: Just like his teammates in the opening half Yildiz resorts to just putting his laces through the ball outside the box, but his hopeful effort is closed down. Turkey regather possession and try to work it in front of the Australian defence but there is no way though the massed ranks of gold jerseys.
62 mins: Yildiz again looks threatening down the left but as he reaches the byline he’s crowded out and isolated and Australia smuggle clear.
Turkey make their second change with Kokcu replaced by Akgun.
61 mins: Nishan Velupilay is on to give goalscorer Nestory Irankuna a breather.
60 mins: Guler picks up a clearing header but his cute pass inside can’t find a teammate. Then it’s over to the other young superstar Yildiz who dances past Italiano one-on-one and into the box, but the Australian wingback doesn’t give up and gets a toe to a challenge that does just enough to disrupt the shooting opportunity. The Juve flyer could have gone down under that challenge but kept his feet.
59 mins: Lovely interplay from Australia through midfield and down the right buys them some time and territory. Turkey clear but that only allows more composed possession across the Socceroos defence.
57 mins: Great save from Beach! Guler curled it low with his left foot around the wall, but to the keeper’s side and the youngster got down low to parry the shot away. It leads to a corner that Turkey do well to keep alive but Kokcu can’t capitalise on the crumbs, hooking an effort high and wide.
56 mins: Poor turnover coming out of the back from Irankunda. It puts Okon-Engstler under pressure and he is compelled to haul down Guler 25m from goal in a central area. Big chance for Turkey.
55 mins: A few passages of broken play and transitional football suit Australia but when Toure thinks he has a corner it’s called as a goal kick. Nonetheless, any impetus Turkey began the half with has dissipated.
54 mins: Souttar wins the corner with a free header, about 14 yards from goal and Toure almost gets a toe to divert it past Cakir but the Turkey keeper gets down low to make a strong save. The giant Leicester man is undefendable in the air if the delivery is good enough.
53 mins: Bos has a cross deflected behind on the left after another unselfish channel run from Toure.
52 mins: O’Neill does well to break up play in midfield but he has nobody to go to as Montella marches around his technical area waving and urging his players to press.
51 mins: A dangerous set piece is glanced behind for another corner by Souttar. Turkey try to work the second around the edge of the box but Souttar is there again when it’s finally thrown into the mixer.
50 mins: Yildiz is much more dangerous on the left that Yilmaz. his close control brings Turkey’s possession play into the penalty area. Kadioglu gets involved, then the drive is deflected wide for a corner.
49 mins: It’s another poor corner, after which Italiano needlessly larrups a second effort miles wide. In the age of mega-data analysis, which do fullbacks still insist on thumping clearing headers from corners instead of recycling play?
48 mins: Australia’s first counter of the half is full of menace. The Socceroos win the ball in dispute in midfield and the threat of Irankunda’s pace has Turkey’s defence retreating instead of trying to win back possession. The ball is fed left to Bos who cuts in and curls a deflected right-footed effort wide.
47 mins: Turkey immediately on the front foot, trying to get Yildiz involved down the left. The ball comes back to Calhanoglu, who lets fly from the corner of the box, but straight at Beach.
46 mins: One change for Turkey at the break with Yilmaz making way for … Kenan Yildiz. Turkey now at full strength with all their big guns on.
The teams are out for the second half. Only just noticed Tony Popovic has gone full Simeone with his outfit today. Lovely stuff.
Turkey lead possession 70-30. Australia lead xG 0.59-0.44. Styles make fights.
Half-time mailbag II
Onder Susam shares the frustrations of Turkish supporters. “We are having the same problem we’ve had the last two years. Our strikerless formation serves us well against balanced opposition but when opponents defend and give us possession, it’s tough for us to get anyone in the box. Uzun or Gül might work out for us. We’ve had no luck on the right wing.”
“Great half from Australia,” writes James Paraskevas. “We are looking good for a win! Irakunda should have had a double. We look more dangerous on the counter than Turkey do in possession. But we need one more to be safe. Keep pumping it up to Irakunda and Toure on the break, and don’t ball watch in defence. Could play Mabil or Volpato here off the bench for Metcalfe.”
“Hrjustic would definitely improve the scandalous set piece deliveries, which have cost us another goal,” offers Chris Paraskevas. “Irankunda and Toure are encouraging and frustrating in equal measure - they both have picked up the ball in great positions and too often don’t do anything with it. Okon ver.2 has grown into it well and the midfield are working extremely hard, but will need Irvine’s calming presence later on (his legs are gone but there is a role for him). Cam Burgess my player of the first half - reading the game superbly and in full colossus mode.”
Half-time mailbag I
“With the vile hatred being stirred up by Pauline Hanson at the moment, how truly wonderful that our first goal of this world cup was scored by a superb man, born in a refugee camp in Tanzania and who came to Australia as a baby,” emails Karris Evans. “A true Australian hero we can all be proud of. Plus he’s a Perth lad so I may be biased.”
“Is it just me,” asks Paul Cockburn, “or has the quality of crosses been larhely really poor so far in this World Cup. Turkiye seem determined to make a mess of theirs.” It’s not just you Paul, and Australia (Metcalfe especially) are also guilty.
I’m off for a sponsor’s beverage. Here’s some half-time reading to keep you going.
That could hardly have gone better for Australia. All of Tony Popovic’s big calls have paid off so far. The Socceroos are 45 minutes away from a result that will guarantee them knockout football.
Turkey have looked tidy and the more technical of the two sides but they need much more ambition in attack. If Australia remain disciplined in defence it’s hard to see how Turkey, set up in this way, will fashion clear goalscoring opportunities.
Half-time: Australia 1-0 Turkey
Counterattack leads possession-based attack 1-0 at the break.
45+4 mins: Yilmaz remains the outlet for Turkey on the left. He works the ball inside to Çalhanoğlu but his cross is poor. Turkey come again and this time Guler does almost unpick the Australian defence but Akturkoglu can’t get the ball out of his feet under pressure from swarming golden defenders.
45+3 mins: Four minutes of added time in total at the end of this half, by the way. It’s been pretty of stoppages, apart from the obvious massive sponsored one.
45+1 min: Yilmaz, Kadioglu, Guler, all get neat touches of the ball around the Australian box but there’s no room for them to find the required vertical pass to get in behind. Australia’s numbers smuggle the ball clear, then Beach double fists Yilmaz’s latest cross from the left. Eventually the defensive industry forces an error and Beach can settle the tempo with a goal kick.
45 mins: Irankunda close again! Lovely triangular passing on the left by Australia, unpicking the Turkey midfield and defence, freeing Irankunda in the channel. He cuts inside, just like his goal, but this time his shot is straight at Cakir.
43 mins: Okon-Engstler gets robbed in midfield and Turkey have a five on three! It’s so slow and lacking in urgency though that by the time Kokcu tries to square the ball the Socceroos have numbers to clear. That must be so frustrating for Vincenco Montella. That was a golden opportunity and didn’t even lead to a shot.
42 mins: Guler, desperate to insert himself in this contest, lashes a shot high and wide from outside the D, cutting in from the eight on his left. Again Australia had plenty of defenders around the action denying Turkey’s attackers any time and space.
