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Young prodigy Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net for the second game in a row, as shot-stopper Paul Izzo put in a stellar display to help the Socceroos to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Canada.

Fixture Summary

Following a dull opening period controlled by the Canadian team, the Socceroos came to life with the arrival of late substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. Ultimately, Irankunda who scored the decider in the second half.

Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, starting ahead of captain Maty Ryan, produced several stops, featuring a brilliant intervention to stop Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, ensuring Australia's seventh consecutive victory.

NESTOR IRANKUNDA PUTS AUSTRALIA AHEAD IN MONTREAL! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Key Actions

• In the early stages, Tajon Buchanan burst into the penalty area, but captain Alessandro Circati made a perfectly timed challenge to avert the threat.
• Eight minutes later, Irankunda beat two opponents and passed to Max Balard, whose attempt was deflected.
• During the opening 45 minutes, the Socceroos struggled to keep the ball, with Buchanan causing issues on the right flank.
• Even with dominance from Canada, the organized Socceroos backline stood strong, restricting chances before the halftime.

Second Half Turnaround

Two minutes into the second period, Irankunda embarked on a wonderful run, evading Derek Cornelius and firing the ball toward the goal, where Mohamed Toure missed his shot.

Substitutions in the 57th minute brought immediate impact, with Irankunda capitalizing on a deflected pass and finding Toure, who fired off target.

Soon after, Miller delivered a lovely cross to Yazbek, who backheeled toward Circati, but the skipper shot over the bar.

During the closing stages, after a pinball situation in the box, the Australians cleaned up the danger.

Decisive Moment

Soon after, Connor Metcalfe released Toure on the wing, and the forward cut the ball back into a promising zone.

As a Canadian defender hesitated, Irankunda sneaked in from the blind side to score his third strike.

Final Drama

Although failing to score a another, the team were rescued by Izzo's late heroics.

Tempers boiled over in stoppage time, resulting in Irankunda getting a yellow card and taken off amid a scuffle.

In a spiteful conclusion, the Socceroos defense and Izzo stood their ground to secure the win.

Next Steps

Having now secured a spot for the upcoming global tournament, the Australian squad are ramping up their readiness with friendlies against North American opponents and the United States, with a fixture set in Colorado on Wednesday.