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Young prodigy Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net for the consecutive fixture in a row, as goalkeeper Paul Izzo produced a stellar display to lead the Australian national team to a narrow 1-0 win over Canada.

Match Breakdown

Following a dull first half controlled by the hosts, the Australian side came to life with the entry of second-half substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. It was Irankunda who broke the deadlock in the 71st minute.

Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, selected in place of captain Maty Ryan, produced several stops, featuring a brilliant intervention to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, securing Australia's seventh-straight victory.

NESTORY IRANKUNDA PUTS US AHEAD IN CANADA! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Key Actions

• In the third minute, Tajon Buchanan charged into the penalty area, but defender Alessandro Circati executed a perfectly timed tackle to clear the danger.
• Eight minutes later, Irankunda dribbled past multiple defenders and passed to Max Balard, whose attempt was deflected.
• Throughout the opening 45 minutes, the Australians found it difficult to keep possession, with Buchanan creating problems on the wing.
• Despite pressure from the hosts, the disciplined Socceroos defense stood strong, limiting chances before the halftime.

Second Half Shift

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

Substitutions in the 57th minute brought instant impact, with Irankunda capitalizing on a poor clearance and setting up Toure, who fired wide.

Later, Miller delivered a lovely ball to Yazbek, who backheeled toward Circati, but the captain shot high.

During the closing stages, after a scramble 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 dangerous area.

When a opposition player dithered, Irankunda sneaked in from the blind side to score his third international goal.

Late Action

Despite failing to score a another, the Socceroos were rescued by Izzo's last-minute heroics.

Emotions boiled over in injury-time, leading to Irankunda getting a booking and being substituted amid a fracas.

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

Next Steps

With already qualified for the upcoming World Cup, the Australian squad are intensifying their readiness with warm-up matches against Canada and the USA, with a game scheduled in Colorado on Wednesday.