When it comes time to remember the Socceroos’ 2-0 win over Bangladesh on Thursday evening most will do well to recall much beyond it marking the start of what – hopefully – was the start of a long and successful career in green and gold for Nestory Irankunda. For Graham Arnold, however, he’s grateful his side will be leaving Dhaka unscathed after playing on an “unacceptable” pitch.
A fifth win in as many World Cup qualifiers doing little to temper his irritation, the Socceroos coach didn’t mince words in the aftermath of his side’s win over the Bengal Tigers, declaring that the surface at the Bashundhara Kings Arena – which was patchy before kickoff and degraded significantly as the game wore on – was dangerous.
“Terrible. It’s unacceptable,” he said “We talk about player welfare and you’re putting players on a field [where they] can get injured.
“That field is not good. I’m being honest.
“The field was dangerous. I’m not passing responsibility that the field was [the reason] we only won 2-0. We had the chances to score five or six, seven. But some of the tackles, potential injuries, was stressing me out last night.”
Early word from the Socceroos camp was that players had escaped injury, meaning Thursday’s fixture can be relegated to being a performance that Arnold and his side can quickly move to forget. Mehedi Hasan’s inadvertent deflection of an Ajdin Hrustić effort into his own net in the first half and Kusini Yengi’s second-half header secured the win and another clean sheet – their copybook yet to be blotted during qualifiers – but it was a slog. Even without a suspect surface, Bangladesh are a different side at home than they are away, and Javier Cabrera’s unit, while doing very little attacking, presented a strong rearguard in stinking hot conditions and high humidity.
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All eyes were centred on Irankunda when it was revealed he would make his international debut, but the game that saw him become cap number 642 for Australia won’t go down in the annals of history – even if he’s ultimately awarded an assist if Hrustić’s effort remains his and doesn’t go down as an own goal. Hope, instead, will be that it becomes a notable piece of trivia marking the commencement of what becomes a long and successful career. For much like the rest of his teammates, the teen crashed repeatedly against a packed Bangladeshi backline on Thursday evening.
Time and time again Australia came forward – they would end the opening half with 70% of the ball, which rose to 74% by the end of the game – but failed to fashion quality chances against a mass of Bangladeshi bodies. The efforts that were fashioned, meanwhile, the half-sights on goal that are so critical in games against the lowest of low blocks, weren’t being pounced on. For all their dominance of possession, Arnold’s outfit would manage just four shots on target across the 90, with most of their cavalcade of crosses failing to find a target or, when they did, not being re-directed on Mitul Marma’s goal.
Nominally restored to the left-back position – not that he needed to do much defending – Jordy Bos was Australia’s best, demonstrating why, for all the hype surrounding others, the 21-year-old might have quietly developed into one of the best prospects the Socceroos have produced in decades. He should have had a penalty minutes before halftime but eventually got his reward when he sent in a pinpoint delivery – one of the few produced by the Socceroos on the evening – for Yengi to head in for the second in the 62nd minute.
Irankunda left the pitch after that goal, part of a double sub that saw he and Yengi make way for Adam Taggart and Daniel Arzani. It was a narratively appropriate change; Australia’s next big thing making way for one of its former wunderkind, himself making a return to the national stage for the first time since becoming the youngest player at the 2018 World Cup. Irankunda would provide one more tease before his exit, a suburb collection of a cross-field Kye Rowles ball taking him around one defender before he beat another as he drove inside, only for his shot to get away from him.
“I could have done better with my performance but I’m really proud to obviously cap for the nation, it’s a dream come true for me,” Irankunda said.
In the end, a dull rather blunt win, but a win, was secured. Australia will top their group. Palestine await in Perth next week. And with it hopefully a bit more panache.
