Australia beats Türkiye 2-0 in BC Place's first World Cup match
Socceroos win Vancouver's first men's World Cup match, with 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda scoring the stadium's first-ever World Cup goal in the 27th minute and Connor Metcalfe adding a second in the second half.
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Australia defeated Turkey 2-0 Saturday, June 13, in Vancouver's first-ever men's World Cup match at BC Place Stadium. The win was historic in more than one way: 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda netted the opening goal in the 27th minute — the first World Cup goal ever scored in the stadium — as yellow-clad Socceroos fans filled the section behind the net. Connor Metcalfe added a second goal in the second half, sealing three points for Australia in its opening Group D match.
The match, played at 9 p.m. Vancouver time, was the fourth World Cup game Saturday across the continent. On three different U.S. pitches, Qatar tied Switzerland 1-1 in San Francisco, Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 in New York, and Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0 in Boston.
Vancouver Police reported minimal disruption: one person was arrested at the Pacific National Exhibition fan festival for breaching court-imposed conditions, and one spectator was removed from BC Place for intoxication. Both numbers were described as small relative to the event's 52,497 attendance — what organizers called a full sellout.
The city's next World Cup match brings Canada home: the national team hosts Qatar Thursday, June 18, at BC Place.