They call my home country Australia ‘the lucky country’, and one not so discerning could have applied that label to Australia’s fantastic win against Turkey two days ago. Turkey had a whopping 72% possession and 30 shots on goal, but it was Australian coach Tony Popovic’s game plan of compact defence and counter-attacking football, along with its near-faultless execution by his players, that proved to be the trump card of the encounter. At the end of this post is a very short highlights video.
Turkey were heavy favourites against the Aussies, with opening odds of 1.69 for a Turkey win and 5.17 for an Australia win. But as former Australian coach Ange Postecoglou put it in an interview just prior to the match (or words to that effect), if there’s one thing about Australia in any sport, it’s that you discount them at your own peril. As an aside, Australia is often described as a secular country, but I like to think our religion is fundamentally of the sporting variety.
Anyhow, Ange’s words appeared prophetic as Australia pulled off a massive upset. It wasn’t just that we won by a commanding 2-0 scoreline; it was the way it was achieved. The analogy that comes to mind is that Turkey were like a soaked sponge at the start of the match, and as each minute wore on Australia wrung that sponge ever so deftly, its liquid content diminishing incrementally throughout the game. By the end, the sponge had been exhausted and left dry. The Turks had no answers and looked depleted and dishevelled.
It was such a masterclass technical display, but of a highly unusual nature. The counter-attacking football playing using pace down the widths and the long ball were exceptional. The speed of our dual attacking forwards, namely Mohamed Toure and Nestory Irankunda was unlike anything I can recall and the through balls to them were sublime culminating in Nestory Irankunda’s first goal. It was truly was one for the ages as far as Australian football-lore is concerned – At 20 years-old he was the youngest Australian to score a goal at the world cup.
Now to herald and rejoice in the clear man of the match. You see that young lad at the top of this article? Well, his name is Patrick Beach. He was Australia’s goalkeeper on that unforgettable night. Not only does he possess one of the coolest names I’ve heard, but he also produced one of the greatest debut performances you are ever likely to see.
He remarkably made his Australian debut in this opening World Cup match. Coach Tony Popovic put his faith in the 22-year-old Patrick Beach ahead of Australia’s captain and long-time goalkeeper, Mat Ryan. Yes, you read that correctly. And the proof was in the pudding: Beach made an incredible eight saves, and some of them were nothing short of spectacular.
As my son Jesus Mateo (a football nut like his old man) commented, “I haven’t seen reflexes in a goalkeeper like that before.” Hear, hear! And I replied, “I’ve never seen a goalkeeper move so quickly to make his saves.” It was thrilling to watch. No Australian goalkeeper has ever made that many saves in a World Cup match, and it was the highest save tally by any keeper in the tournament up to that point. The stuff of legend!
Speaking of legend, below is a video of Jesus scoring a last minute goal for his former club Millonarios (Eng. Millionaires).
Please excuse my poor camera work and unruly yelling.
I have a personal connection with the Socceroos, as they are affectionately known, that goes way back. In my youth, after winning our local club’s Footballer of the Year award, I was honoured by the club president to present Australia’s then national team coach, Frank Arok, with a small token of memorabilia from our club in appreciation for a training clinic his team conducted at my high school, Colo High (image inset).
Australia’s next match is a mouth-watering one against tournament co-hosts the United States, who played a near-faultless game themselves in their commanding victory over Paraguay. I fear that contest above any other imaginable, as the United States are playing better football than I can ever remember seeing from them, and they will also have the advantage of home support. In fact, it makes the build-up to the Turkey match seem subdued by comparison.
That’s all for now. Until next time, thanks as always for reading.
References:
1. World Cup: Socceroos’ great gamble pays off as Patrick Beach vindicates Tony Popovic’s big call – ABC News Australia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
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