Big gun cameos seal Socceroos’ World Cup send-off win

A scintillating goalscoring blitz, headlined by Nestory Irankunda’s showstopping brace, successful a 5-1 win implicit Curacao was conscionable reward for the Socceroos successful their World Cup send-off, says manager Tony Popovic.

The Socceroos learned connected Wednesday greeting they will look Turkey, who bushed Kosovo 1-0 successful their qualifying playoff, successful their World Cup opener connected June 14, earlier subsequent radical games against the United States and Paraguay.

After Awer Mabil opened the scoring successful the 23rd minute, Australia’s send-off looked acceptable to fizzle into a nighttime of disappointment when Curacao equalised successful the 50th, while Ajdin Hrustic (hamstring) had limped disconnected conscionable earlier halftime.

But Popovic turned to his large guns successful Jordy Bos, Riley McGree, Irankunda and Cameron Burgess successful the 66th infinitesimal and it instantly paid disconnected – with 4 goals successful 17 minutes turning a stalemate into a rout.

“It’s a reward due to the fact that I thought against Cameroon (a 1-0 victory), we could adhd some much rewards successful the last third with a fewer decisions and movements,” Popovic said.

“Today, they look a small spot much natural. And then when you get evidently a effect of a goal, it confirms what you’ve been doing, and that should springiness them a batch of confidence.”

After heading 1 accidental implicit the bar, Irankunda scored a five-minute brace – pulling disconnected a terrific dribble and near-post decorativeness successful the 80th minute, then latching onto a Nishan Velupillay shot 4 minutes later.

After the substitutions, Irankunda and McGree combined earlier the latter’s wicked shot was emphatically headed location by Alessandro Circati – for the defender’s archetypal planetary extremity – to reconstruct Australia’s lead.

McGree then worked the shot to Bos, who danced done the country and unleashed a superb close ft strike.

Bos then recovered Irankunda, who bushed a defender then fired location astatine the adjacent station successful the 80th infinitesimal and backflipped successful solemnisation – then caught a mitt thrown to him from the assemblage and pulled disconnected Michael Jackson’s crotch-grabbing celebration.

Nishan Velupillay slipped done Irankunda to seal his treble 4 minutes aboriginal successful beforehand of 16,764 fans astatine AAMI Park, with Popovic hailing the much mature 20-year-old.

“The archetypal one, helium dribbles one-on-one, which is great, and the 2nd one, helium makes a bully small tally successful the box,” Popovic said.

“So we want that to continue, and that’s why I’m delighted for him.”

After the 1-0 win implicit Cameroon, Popovic swung 5 changes, starting Aziz Behich, Kye Rowles, Kai Trewin, Mabil and Hrustic – while sticking with 18-year-old cardinal defender Lucas Herrington.

It marked Mabil’s archetypal start successful two years while Trewin was tested successful the close wing-back relation for the archetypal time.

For the opening goal, Hrustic brilliantly pressed Curacao skipper Leandro Bacuna into a free pass, with Trewin cutting the shot off, bursting guardant then squaring it for Juric.

The striker’s flick-on took a deflection into the way of Mabil, who toe-poked home.

In first-half stoppage time, Mabil spurned a aureate accidental to snag a treble when helium met a terrific left-footed transverse from Hrustic astatine the backmost station but volleyed against the woodwork.

Hrustic grabbed astatine his near hamstring aft his transverse and was instantly substituted – though Popovic said the playmaker “doesn’t think it’s thing serious”.

Velupillay replaced Hrustic astatine halftime while Paul Okon-Engstler and Jason Geria took implicit from Connor Metcalfe and Herrington respectively.

But 4 minutes later, Arjany Martha was played onside by Geria arsenic helium latched onto a shot from Gervane Kastaneer, then burst distant from Rowles and scored.

Aiden O’Neill and Mabil spurned bully chances earlier Popovic turned to his seat – and the Socceroos turned the tide.

Once Circati headed Australia backmost successful front, the Socceroos surged to a broad victory.

Australia instrumentality to enactment against Mexico astatine the Rose Bowl successful Los Angeles connected May 30.

Source: AAP