Key events
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.
41 mins: Çalhanoğlu and Kadioglu free Yilmaz on the left again but his cross fails to find a target and Australia have numbers near the ball to clear.
40 mins: Play is becoming a little more end-to-end, putting pressure on Australia’s defensive structure, but they do well to regroup after an initial raid, dealing with Yilmaz’s latest cross from the left.
38 mins: Waste for Australia! Irankunda gets the better of his duel on the left to run into space and bring teammates into play, but his pass is poor and the attack fizzles out. From the resulting throw-in the Socceroos work the ball from right to left to Bos in acres of space but his powerful shot is miles over the bar.
37 mins: Australia do well in midfield to link some passes together through Italiano, Metcalfe, and Bos, but Okon-Engstler overhits his cross and Turkey can walk the ball clear, towards the so-far unbreachable golden wall of Socceroos.
35 mins: Yilmaz looks the most likely to get in behind, down the left, and he manages to stab over a cross under duress that Kokcu slices well wide on the volley.
34 mins: The Socceroos enjoy a couple of minutes of respite with turnovers in midfield and some rare broken play. Irankunda is a little fortunate to escape a booking for tugging down Guler in one of those exchanges.
32 mins: Turkey continue to play at a higher tempo but there’s no magic to unlock the organised Australian defence.
31 mins: That was a fierce shot and a career-defining save. Tony Popovic must be chuckling to himself at his decisions so far.
30 mins: Beach tips a a rasping drive onto the post! Turkey try to up the tempo and Bardacki lets fly from range but the young keeper just gets his fingertips to the drive and tips it onto the post. Huge save.
28 mins: That goal is a huge feather in the cap of Popovic who backed Okon-Engstler over Irvine, and could easily not have risked Irankunda. It also came straight after his hydration break pep talk.
First proper effort of the night! Okon-Engstler picks up a second ball and shows good skill to recycle possession. But Australia continue to go backwards, tread water, then Metcalfe and Souttar tie themselves in knots. Eventually Turkey win the turnover then cross for Guler to clip a tasty first time volley at Beach.
The young keeper does well to make the save then feed Okon-Englstler who spots the run of Irankunda on the left channel in behind. He lofts an inch-perfect throughball for the Watford man to gather, cut inside, hold his balance, then pick his spot at the near post. Wonderful finish. Textbook counterattacking goal. Incredible from Australia!
GOAL! Australia 1-0 Turkey (Irankunda 27)
Pure counterattacking brilliance.
24 mins: Australia will be delighted with their opening quarter (yuk). Out of possession they have been nearly flawless, compact and hard working. There is little attacking threat going the other way but Bos has shown glimpses and Toure has run intelligent channels, especially on the right.
Hydration break time. Over to Martin Burley. “The commonsense solution to the hydration break issue is for Fifa to set up a table on the centre spot, with cups of water on it. Players can grab one while running past when needed, like marathon runners. It would also bring innovation to the game as central midfielders will need to add hurdling and/or crawling quickly to their skillsets.
Obviously, the main (and indeed only) flaw with this plan is it would be risky for goalkeepers to rehydrate (given their personal drinks bottles would be banned), but as this game is showing, a bit of added excitement would often be welcome.
If Fifa are concerned about the loss of advertising revenue they could compensate by charging the players, say, $10,000 per cup.”
22 mins: The Australian defensive web is blocking almost all Turkish passing lanes. Turkey are not getting frustrated just yet, but they’re going to need to rethink Plan A if they want to get in behind this compact structure. They are dominating possession but it is slow and methodical. They would benefit from someone taking the game on with a little more dynamism.
21 mins: Better from Australia, drawing Turkey onto them then Bos beats his man on the left to allow Okon-Engstler room to manoeuvre, but he can’t find Irankunda.
19 mins: For every Turkey attack there is an equal and opposite Australian counter. Toure again threatens down the right but he trips over his quick feet and doesn’t win the corner he expected.
18 mins: Kadioglu sidefoots over from just outside the box after more good work from Calhanoglu. The Inter veteran is running the game.
17 mins: Long and floaty again from Metcalfe, but this time Cakir can’t get all of it and Souttar is in the vicinity, but he can only nod well wide. There was a block on the Turkish keeper anyway so any goal would not have counted. I’m a little surprised Popovic didn’t select Hrustic or a dedicated left-footed specialist because Metcalfe’s set-piece delivery was poor against Mexico in their recent warm up.
16 mins: Australia try to play out from the back but Turkey’s press is full court and they are forced into a series of nervy one-twos. They show great bravery though and eventually find room to unlock Toure in the right channel. Unlike Bos earlier, he does buy his team a corner.
14 mins: Incredible speed from Bos to turn an overhit channel runner from Metcalfe into something useful – but he can’t buy the corner he was looking for and Turkey resume their walking-pace grind.
12 mins: Turkey force the turnover in midfield but there is more desire in Australia’s retreating defence than the European attack and the opportunity to counter comes to nothing. Yilmaz then hits his cross behind from the left after getting outside Italiano.
11 mins: The crowd is very pro-Turkey. There are loud whistles whenever Australia take possession, like when Bos does well to break the press and allow his side to build in midfield through O’Neill, his ball in the channel enables Italiano to get in behind but the wingback’s dinked cross can’t find a teammate.
10 mins: Australia get a rare spell of possession across their back three but Turkey press high and prompt a long diagonal which is easily intercepted. As expected, this is attack v defence. So far Turkey’s ball movement has been slow and conservative, and Australia’s defence has been disciplined and well organised.
9 mins: Turkey get the ball down again and pad their already dominant possession stats.
8 mins: Metcalfe’s delivery is poor. Too high and floaty and Cakir bosses his penalty area to claim the overhead mark. Australia must do better in those situations.
7 mins: Toure’s industry wins Australia corner on the right. They have to make the most of these opportunities.
6 mins: Guler has his first major involvement in the match, working a lovely one-two on the edge of the box then curling a left-footed effort over the bar.
5 mins: Turkey get back on the ball with Calhanoglu dictating terms at walking pace, liking with Kokcu and Celik on the right. Australia are defending with 11 men in their defensive third.
4 mins: Australia head the first corner over the bar. The second is headed out of danger, with the second ball smuggled out for a corner. It’s hard for the Socceroos to clear their lines though with so many bodies in defensive positions. Toure does well to rob Guler and eventually Beach can thump the ball downfield, although not enormously convincingly.
