The Socceroos have pulled off one of their greatest World Cup performances, beating Turkey 2-0 in Vancouver to claim their first opening-match win at the tournament in 20 years.
Coach Tony Popovic rolled the dice with his team selection — and every gamble paid off. He dropped captain Mat Ryan for unproven goalkeeper Patrick Beach, left vice-captain Jackson Irvine on the bench, and handed 21-year-old Paul Okon jnr a start. All three delivered in a performance that had the 10,000 Australian fans inside BC Place Stadium roaring.
It took just 27 minutes for Popovic's masterstroke to come good. Beach saved a rocket from Turkey's star midfielder Arda Guler, fed the ball to Okon, who threaded it to Irankunda. The Watford attacker cut inside and slammed a near-post finish past Turkey's keeper. The goal was a classic counter-attack after Turkey had dominated possession in Australia's half.
Popovic said he was "proud" of his team — 10 of the starting eleven were playing their first World Cup match. Only captain Harry Souttar had previous World Cup experience.
"Proud to be here as head coach. To experience this, put a smile on these people's faces that have travelled so far to support us. And just happy for a wonderful young group of men," he told SBS.
Connor Metcalfe sealed the win in the 75th minute with a stunner. He picked the ball up just inside Turkey's half, took a settling touch, and fired a low left-footed shot into the net. The goal sent the Australian supporters into delirium.
Beach was the hero at the other end. The 23-year-old, playing only his third international, made a fingertip save to deny Abdulkerim Bardakci immediately after Australia's first goal. He also stopped Guler's free-kick and blocked Kerem Akturkoglu at point-blank range in the 78th minute.
Popovic praised Beach, who was widely considered Australia's third-choice goalkeeper. Ryan has 104 caps for Australia.
"It's something that we've always seen, and I've got a lot of belief in the young man. He stood up today, so very happy for him," Popovic said.
The win puts Australia in a strong position in Group D. Next up is the United States, who beat Paraguay 3-1 in their opening match. A win against the US would all but guarantee the Socceroos a spot in the knockout stages for the first time since 2006.
"Emotionally, it will take a lot out of the players, this game, so we've got to get back and recover well and focus on the US," Popovic said.