MELBOURNE – Curaçao suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat against Australia on Tuesday morning, ending its FIFA Series campaign without a victory.
After trailing 1-0 at halftime, Curaçao briefly leveled the match early in the second half through a goal by Ar’Jany Martha. However, Australia quickly regained control of the game and pulled away with goals from Alessandro Circati, Jordan Bos, and a brace from Nestory Irankunda.
Head coach Fred Rutten made several substitutions in the second half in an attempt to change the momentum, but Curaçao was unable to close the gap as Australia dominated the remainder of the match.
The defeat follows an earlier 2-0 loss to China, leaving Curaçao without points in the tournament.
The matches were part of the FIFA Series, a new format in which four national teams gather at a single location to play friendly internationals. Curaçao finished at the bottom of the group, which included Australia, China, and Cameroon. No match was played against the African side.
The results highlight the challenges facing the national team as it continues preparations for upcoming international competitions.