Australia reach World Cup knockouts, Turkey beat USA

Australia booked their spot in the knockout rounds of the World Cup on Thursday after a cagey draw against Paraguay, who are set to qualify as a third-placed finisher, while Turkey beat USA 3-2, scoring the winner with virtually the last kick of the match.

Australia go into the knockout rounds for the third time in their seven World Cup appearances, after a stop-start game fraught with wayward tackles and poor finishing.

It was Australia who had most of the chances, with Cristian Volpato and Jackson Irvine forcing saves from the keeper and Jordan Bos twice going painfully close late in the game.

Paraguay were pedestrian and had their only real chance in the dying moments when a Mauricio Magalhaes strike was saved, with the talented Julio Enciso and his constant slaloming runs the only source of trouble for the Socceroos.

In the other Group D match, Kaan Ayhan scored on almost the last kick of the match in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time as Turkey stunned a makeshift US team 3-2 in Inglewood, California.

Ayhan was in front of the net to poke in the ball as the US scrambled to cover.

Sebastian Berhalter produced a goal and an assist for the US, who failed in a bid to win all three group matches at a World Cup for the first time. 

The result did not matter for either team. The US won their first two matches to advance, and they will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, Turkey were eliminated after losing 2-0 to Australia and 1-0 to Paraguay despite taking a combined 62 shots.