True Australian grit might conjure an image of a man called Pat Beach meeting an ocean surge by inviting it on.Maybe there should be no surprise that a goalkeeper, who had never played in a competitive match for his country before, did not disappear like a sandcastle at high tide as the waves threatened to wash over him.And maybe there is a touch less romance about Beach’s role in Australia’s foiling of Turkey in Vancouver when you learn he has not exactly appeared from the outback after years of chipping around.He is part — a small part, no doubt — of one of the most extensive multi-club ownerships in the world as an employee of the City Football Group’s Melbourne bureau.Yet there should be no reduction of this story. Beach’s inclusion was a late call by head coach Tony Popovic, who decided to drop Mat Ryan after 104 caps, as well as midfield veteran Jackson Irvine, 33.That takes testicular fortitude. The outcome was arguably the sight of the 2026 World Cup so far, as Australian players celebrated at the final whistle with their many thousands of fans while Down Under by Men at Work reverberated on the sound system.It was stirring, joyous content, especially because everyone seems to doubt Australia but Australia. Even Hakan Calhanoglu had suggested Turkey would “dominate” this match “because we have more qualities and a more talented team”.A bad move because if there’s one guarantee about an Australian being backed into a corner, he comes out swinging, trying to show you what he is made of.Calhanoglu, Turkey’s captain, maintained after this humbling experience that he was proven right about everything aside from the result, insisting Turkey’s players have greater ability and they did, in the fullness of time, control what was happening — only to be undone by poor finishing, “two long balls” and some bad defending, he ruled.It was a shame that Australia’s players had filtered through the mixed zone by that point because it waters down what they did, which in the end did not make Calhanoglu eat his words but rather, force them down his throat.The Australian squad was the first to arrive in North America a few weeks ago and huge numbers had followed them to Vancouver, where a yellow wall formed around the Gastown neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon.In the bars and pubs of Granville Street, Australians were positive about their chances, but most of the talk was about the desire to beat hosts United States in their second group game because of an impression forming online about the Aussies being a soft touch.Tony Popvic made some brave calls and they paid off (Stu Forster/Getty Images)If the US really believes this, it would be another stupid mistake. Popovic, who only announced this week he would be continuing in his position after the World Cup, knew Turkey would get chances and it was up to the individuals to step forward when it mattered. At the other end, Australia’s pace was likely to cause Turkey problems — and Popovic’s hunch was right again because each of Australia’s goals, from Nestory Irankunda and Callum Metcalfe, came from counterattacks.Beach, meanwhile, denied Calhanoglu’s pre-match words had served as a team talk while acknowledging that Turkey, in parts, had him under the pump. He had made eight saves, the most of any Australian goalkeeper at a World Cup match and the most of any goalkeeper on their World Cup debut since Turkey’s Rustu Recber in 2002.On that occasion, Turkey made it all the way to the semi-finals before losing to Brazil but it is difficult to see that happening again at this tournament. As Calhanoglu says, there is a lot of talent in this squad, but much of it is centralised in the same position, and there is little in terms of natural width.Vincenzo Montella has chosen five potential No 10s in his squad and at one point in the second half, four of them were on the pitch. Aside from Calhanoglu, there was Arda Guler and Orkan Kokcu. Later, Kenan Yildiz joined them before Montella decided to remove Kokcu. On the bench, Montella also had the option of Can Uzun, a drifty type who is better with the ball than without.It feels like Turkey has gone one way with its selection policy while the rest of the world has moved in the opposite direction. Perhaps they just don’t have the depth in other areas to ignore some of these players, but football is now more disciplined and structured than ever, with hard runners favoured over freer spirits.By comparison, Australia were bigger, they seemed fitter, and were ruthless. “This is a real team, full of real boys who are desperate to do well for Australia on the greatest stage,” concluded Beach. “We prefer not to do too much talking, but there isn’t too much more to it than that.”Jun 14, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms