A goalless draw with Paraguay steered Australia into the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup football tournament in Santa Clara to claim second place in Group D behind the USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Socceroos, who defeated Turkey in their opening match before losing to the United States, were never seriously threatened on their way to securing the vital point that also left Paraguay firmly on course for the knockout rounds as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the group stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The match began with a great deal of intensity and physicality, before Australia took control of the affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Socceroos found luck down their right flank as Jordan Bos, Aiden O’Neill and Cristian Volpato combined well to get in behind a staunch Paraguay defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jackson Irvine tested Orlando Gill early, firing a fizzing shot at goal just three minutes into the match which the Paraguayan netminder was able to parry over the crossbar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bos, Volpato and O’Neill combined several more times in the first half, but they were unable to create clearcut chances for the energetic Nestory Irankunda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alfaro replaced Alexandro Maidana with Mauricio after the break, which sparked Paraguay momentarily, but the script remained largely the same in the second half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Late in the match, Bos received the ball on the right win, skipped in between two defenders and loosed a shot that went just wide of the far post. It was one of the better chances in a game that had very few shots on target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Australia will face the runners-up from Group G in Dallas on July 3. Paraguay will wait on baited breath to see if they get at least one more match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkiye beat a heavily changed United States 3-2 with a late Kaan Ayhan winner in an action-packed dead-rubber clash that gave the the co-hosts their sternest test so far ahead of the knockout rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Already crowned Group D winners, the US arrived in Los Angeles seeking to extend a perfect start with a third win, but with more than an eye on next Wednesday’s last-32 meeting against Bosnia-Herzegovina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Turkiye, already eliminated and without even a goal after disastrous losses to Paraguay and Australia, the only objective was to restore some pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the low stakes and substantially reshuffled lineups for both teams, a packed SoFi Stadium was in deafening mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the third game running the US got off to a dream start. One of nine changes, backup center-half Auston Trusty was unmarked at the far post from a US corner, given time to cushion the ball with his left foot then blast it home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the Celtic defender’s first international goal, and — at just under three minutes \u2013 the second-fastest by the US at a FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Turkiye did not surrender. Having not scored in 62 efforts across their first two games, it was 63rd time lucky for the Turks, and their star man Arda Guler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Real Madrid forward duped Mark McKenzie with a clever dummy, allowing the ball to run down the right flank to Baris Alper Yilmaz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yilmaz crossed it back into Guler, who smashed it past Matt Turner to equalize in the 10th minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Brad Pitt and Edward Norton among the Hollywood crowd, the game threatened to become a fight club, as Turkiye bench rushed the field to protest a foul by the combative Sebastian Berhalter, who earned a yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Americans thought they had restored the lead, Mark McKenzie the second US center-back to put the ball in the net. But his sharp response to Ricardo Pepi’s saved shot was ruled offside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 31st minute the US found themselves behind for the first time this FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guler spotted Eren Elmali’s overlapping run, feeding it to the wing-back who cut the ball back from the left byline to Yilmaz, who steered it beyond the keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The half-time break proved the perfect tonic for the US. In the 49th minute they were back level from a long throw by McKenzie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ball was cleared by Turkiye only as far as Berhalter, who did well to smash his shot low into the bottom corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The crowd erupted again just before the hour mark as Pochettino sent on Christian Pulisic, undoubtedly US soccer’s biggest star, who will shoulder much of the hosts’ hopes of a deep run into the knockouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nicknamed “Captain America”, Pulisic earned his own round of “USA” chants, having not appeared since aggravating an injury in the first half of the opening win against Paraguay two weeks ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pulisic immediately looked lively, twice having efforts blocked from close range after darting runs from the left. He knew less about a ball that looped off his shin onto the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkiye began to knock on the door again. A Yildiz effort curled inches wide in the 72nd minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And deep into stoppage time, Ayhan spoiled the US party, slamming the ball home from close range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkiye were jubilant, while the American players clustered in a circle after the final whistle, seemingly determined to not let the gut punch spoil a campaign that had been off to a flying start.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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