Flares, chants, and ecstatic Socceroos fans filled Melbourne's Federation Square on Sunday as Australia secured a memorable 2-0 victory over Turkey in their World Cup opener. The atmosphere was electric, with supporters describing it as 'the greatest day' in Australian football history.
Thousands Gather for Historic Match
Australia's first match of the World Cup went into added time, but thousands of kilometres away in Melbourne, the crowd at Federation Square held its collective breath. Fans came in their thousands, creating a sea of green and gold, to watch the Socceroos face Turkey on the big screen. Groups of friends and families with small children were among the crowd, many decked out in football paraphernalia, waving flags, and eagerly anticipating the action. One pair even wore stilts.
'There is something special about the World Cup, Australia playing,' said Socceroos supporter Michael Odicho before the match. 'It just brings everyone together, it doesn't matter what nationality you are. We all come as Australians together, one group, to celebrate.'
The energy was incredible, added Shivneil Mudaliar. 'For us as a country to be a part of it is just special. We don't want to just participate, we want to win it. So let's go. Let's win it.'
First Half Action
Former Socceroo Craig Foster was front and centre of the crowd. Thirteen minutes into the match, he said Australia looked 'comfortable'. 'If the game was only 14 minutes long, we'd be absolutely laughing. Unfortunately, there's a lot of torture to go.'
Not long after, 27 minutes into the game, Nestory Irankunda scored the first goal for Australia. People began cheering and drumming, and colourful flares went off. 'I have not been happier in my 17, no, 18, years of life!' one young man yelled.
Despite the 1-0 scoreline, Turkey fans in the crowd remained upbeat at half-time. 'When your nation's in it, it's the best feeling,' said supporter Sam, before being drowned out by good-spirited fans in red chanting 'Champions! Champions!'
Second Half Drama
As the second half started, drumming resumed. Konstandinos Iaspas, in a bright green jacket with a drum strapped across his shoulders, held a replica World Cup trophy. 'Hopefully we've got a few more goals to go for today. I look forward to lifting up this thing,' he said.
The World Cup holds special meaning for fans, he added. 'Sometimes you're kicking the ball from an early age, before you even know the English word. People are living and breathing the sport. It brings people together from different diverse backgrounds. The drum is giving the people a bit of enthusiasm, and once we score we will probably go a little bit louder.'
It wasn't long before another goal came. At 75 minutes, Connor Metcalfe scored again for Australia, sparking wild celebrations. 'What a goal!' exclaimed Mugdha Das. 'I was not expecting that at all! Turkey had all the possession, but that's what we do! We defend and we counterattack … We are winning the World Cup, we are winning the World Cup!'
Foster was amazed. 'My god, what a game. It's unbelievable.' He was interrupted by another save from goalkeeper Patrick Beach. 'That's unbelievable! My God! I mean, we've only won four games before in the World Cup. This is our 21st game. Any win is like a diamond!'
Final Whistle and Celebrations
As the final whistle approached, a contagious vibration passed through the crowd. People grinned joyously as confetti streamed through the air. When the whistle sounded, the crowd let out a deafening cheer. The Socceroos had defeated Turkey 2-0.
'Irankunda, have my children!' bellowed one ecstatic fan. 'This is the greatest day in Australian history!'
As fans streamed out of the square, they chanted 'Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi'. 'I couldn't believe it,' said Levi Hughes. 'Four years of waiting for something like that – what an amazing win.'
Golce Kucuk, a dual citizen, joked 'technically I can't lose!' 'I was secretly hoping Turkey would win, I was hoping to have a bit of a surprise,' she said. But she lost hope after the second goal. 'The Turkish fans were really lively, a lot of energy. The Australian fans kept looking back at us like, you guys OK? It was a lot of fun. In Turkey ... they say you have two religions – football and Islam.'
After the match, Michael Odicho had the biggest grin on his face. 'Words cannot describe how I feel at the moment. Everyone's all together, we are celebrating. I really did not expect this outcome. We have a chance now to make it.'
