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Young prodigy Nestory Irankunda netted for the consecutive game in a row, while shot-stopper Paul Izzo put in a stellar display to lead the Australian national team to a tight 1-0 victory over Canada.

Game Overview

After a dull first half dominated by the hosts, the Australian side improved with the entry of second-half substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. It was Irankunda who made the difference in the second half.

Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, selected ahead of skipper Maty Ryan, produced key saves, featuring a world-class effort to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the 90th minute, securing Australia's seventh consecutive win.

NESTORY IRANKUNDA PUTS AUSTRALIA IN FRONT IN MONTREAL! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Notable Moments

• In the third minute, Tajon Buchanan burst into the penalty area, but captain Alessandro Circati made a perfectly timed tackle to clear the threat.
• Eight minutes later, Irankunda dribbled past multiple opponents and passed to Max Balard, whose shot was deflected.
• Throughout the first half, the Australians struggled to maintain possession, with Buchanan creating problems on the wing.
• Despite dominance from Canada, the disciplined Socceroos backline held firm, limiting opportunities before the break.

Post-Interval Shift

Early into the second period, Irankunda embarked on a impressive run, beating Derek Cornelius and driving the ball toward the goal, where Mohamed Toure missed his attempt.

Changes in the 57th minute injected immediate impact, with Irankunda capitalizing on a poor clearance and finding Toure, who shot wide.

Later, Miller delivered a precise cross to Yazbek, who flicked toward Circati, but the captain shot over the bar.

During the closing stages, following a scramble in the box, the Socceroos cleared the danger.

Winning Moment

Soon after, Connor Metcalfe released Toure on the right, and the striker cut the ball back into a dangerous zone.

As a opposition defender dithered, Irankunda slid in from the blind side to score his third goal.

Final Action

Despite unable to score a second goal, the team were saved by Izzo's last-minute saves.

Emotions boiled over in stoppage time, resulting in Irankunda getting a yellow card and being substituted amid a scuffle.

In a heated final few minutes, the Socceroos backline and Izzo stood their ground to secure the result.

Next Steps

Having already secured a spot for the upcoming global tournament, the Australian squad are intensifying their readiness with warm-up matches against Canada and the United States, with a fixture set in Colorado on Wednesday.