Australia coach Tony Popovic has made a huge change to his team to take on USA, in the Socceroos second game at the 2026 World Cup.
Goal scorers Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe have been dropped to the subs bench for Australia.
In their place are Nishan Velupillay and veteran star Mathew Leckie.
In his side’s first game, Popovic decided to drop captain Maty Ryan for youngster Patrick Beach.
That decision to turned out to be a master stroke as Beach turned it what many assumed would have been a man of the match performance.
However he was trumped by Watford’s 20-year-old sensation Nestory Irankunda, who scored Australia’s opening goal to cap off a fantastic World Cup debut.
He was joined on the scoresheet by Connor Metcalfe – who Popovic told reporters the coaching staff had told to shoot more often.
But both men will now have to wait their turn in Australia’s second match as the pair have been named on the subs bench.
In their place will be Nishan Velupillay, who replaced Irankunda in that 2-0 win over Turkey, and the experienced Mathew Leckie.
In fact, the latter is set to appear in his second World Cup for Australia in what will be his 81st cap.
Fans will remember his heroics at the 2022 World Cup when he scored the winner against Denmark to secure the Socceroos place in the round of 16.
Velupillay on the other hand has made just eight appearances in the gold and green, but has scored three goals in the process.
Irankunda, dazzled in their win over Turkiye, offering a constant threat down the left-hand side.
And his goal was taken wonderfully when he latched on to a long ball from Paul Okon-Engster, gliding beyond Merih Demiral and slotting a cool finish inside the near post.
Connor Metcalfe’s goal was equally as impressive for a completely different reason.
Metcalfe picked up the ball just inside the right-hand side of the Turkiye half and cut in on his left, unleashing a rasping left footed effort that found the bottom right-hand corner.
There was some good news for Australia though as USA’s talisman Christian Pulisic was ruled out.
The winger was brought off with a calf injury during their opener against Paraguay and did not train with the squad during the week.
He did partake in some ‘modified training sessions’, as per the team, but has not passed a fitness test in time for kick-off.
