Live: Red-hot Irankunda starts on the bench as Socceroos take on New Zealand

Jordy Bos continues his bright start to the game with a marauding run from left-wing-back.

He’s strong and direct, and running through a few white shirts before cutting in on his unfavoured right foot.

The goal opens up for him, but he can’t keep his effort down.

In a pretty meek opening 20 minutes, Bos has been a bright spark for the Socceroos.

Since those early few Socceroos flourishes, New Zealand has controlled everything in Canberra.

And the All Whites almost have a goal to show for their territorial advantage!

Premier League star Chris Wood is played through and is one on one with Australia’s debutant goalkeeper Paul Izzo.

Wood looks destined to score but his shot is too close to Izzo, who is down to make a sharp save.

Australia survives.

New Zealand has been able to string a few meaningful passes together in the last couple minutes without fashioning a clear opening.

However, it’s not long before Sarpreet Singh flashes a shot across the bows for the All Whites.

He’s a long way out, but it’s a good hit, and it flashes just wide of Paul Izzo’s left hand post.

New Zealand has controlled much of the ball early in Canberra, but that’s to be expected.

Tony Popovic’s 3-4-3 formation doesn’t often lead to territorial domination.

However, more importantly, the Socceroos have looked sharp with the ball when they have it.

Connor Metcalfe and Jordy Bos, particularly, have been lively down the left.

Excellent play from Conor Metcalfe, who picks up the ball deep in his own half and plays a deft little ball out to Jordy Bos, who is rampaging down the left hand touchline.

He is incisive and direct, and makes his way into the New Zealand penalty area.

His ball into the box is a good one, and is almost turned into the net by a New Zealand head at the near post!

However, it rebounds off the woodwork and out for a corner.

The resulting set piece is dealt with by the New Zealand defence.

Promising start for Australia.

New Zealand, in all white, kick-off, and are making early running through the centre.

Jordy Bos – fresh from an outstanding start to life at new Dutch side Feyernord – has Australia’s first attack down the left.

It fizzles out.

The players have walked out to a full house in Canberra, with national anthems being sung.

Play is only a matter of moments away.

Socceroos fans breathed a collective sigh of relief this month when Adrian Segecic was finally named in an Australian squad.

The 21-year-old had been pressing for selection for some time, and was visibly and vocally disappointed with being left out of coach Tony Popovic’s last couple squads.

He made that “call-me” celebration after scoring for Sydney FC in March this year, and made public comments suggesting an international future with Croatia – for whom he is eligible through his heritage – could well be on the cards if he continued to be snubbed.

Thankfully for Australia, the precociously talented attacker is in line to make his debut off the bench for the green and gold tonight.

Safe to say it has been an eventful couple weeks for Nestory Irankunda at new club Watford.

The 19-year-old livewire has well and truly hit the ground running in the English Championship, after his $5 million AUD transfer from German giants Bayern Munich.

Irankunda never quite got the opportunity to light things up during his spell in Bavaria, and is clearly making up for lost time.

ICYMI, sit back and enjoy these two stunning freekicks.

New Zealand, with World Cup qualification also secured, name a strong lineup to take on the Aussies.

It is, of course, headlined by centre forward and captain Chris Wood, who scored a career best 20-goals for Nottingham Forrest in the English Premier League last season.

Winger Eli Just – fresh off a move to Scottish side Motherwell – is also one to watch.

Australia and New Zealand will commence leg one of the Soccer Ashes at:

• 7:45pm AEST
• 7:15pm ACST
• 5:45pm AWST

Only one of the Socceroos’ seven potential debutants have been named in the starting lineup for today’s game.

That’s Paul Izzo, who will be in between the sticks in Canberra.

We have been made to wait for Nestory Irankunda’s return to life in green and gold as well.

Instead, Socceroos boss Tony Popovic, speaking to Network 10 pre-game, has confirmed that Martin Boyle will lead the line, with Adjin Hrustic and Conor Metcalfe to either side of him.

With World Cup qualification now secured, Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has selected the most experimental squad of his tenure to date.

19-year-old wonderkid Nestory Irankunda is in line for his first international appearance since October last year, while Noah Botic and Adrian Segecic headline a group of seven players hoping for a Socceroos debut.

With the A-League still in deep pre-season, no Australian based players were selected in the squad.

It’s a fair question.

The Soccer Ashes trophy holds the ashes of the cigars smoked by the captains of Australia and New Zealand after the first match between the countries in 1923.

For 31 years, that trophy was held by the winner of the nations’ most previous meeting until it mysteriously disappeared in 1954.

During the COVID pandemic, the grandchild of former Socceroo Sydney Storey found the trophy while clearing out their garage, and just like that, it was back up for grabs.

This week’s two match series will be the second since the trophy’s rediscovery, after Australia technically retained the urn with victory in London in 2023.

New Zealand hasn’t claimed victory in the series in over 100 years.

Welcome to ABC Sport’s online coverage of the first leg of the Soccer Ashes between Australia and New Zealand.

With World Cup qualification already secured, Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has named an inexperienced, exciting squad for tonight’s match in Canberra and Tuesday’s second leg in Auckland, with red-hot 19-year-old Nestory Irankunda headlining a roster that includes seven uncapped players.

With next year’s tournament now less than a year away, and with the number of international windows fast dwindling, this coming week could go a long way to revealing the players who board the plane to North America next July.

My name’s Henry Hanson, and I’ll be here to guide you through all the action.

Kick-off is at 7:45pm AEST.