For almost the entire night, Australia looked ready to pull off one of the biggest results in recent Socceroos history.

Then, right at the death, Brazil found a way through.

The Socceroos were held to a 1-1 draw by Brazil in Townsville after a dramatic finish saw Rayan score a stoppage-time equaliser, cancelling out a spectacular goal from Nestory Irankunda. The result was particularly painful for Australia after the home side had defended its lead deep into added time.

Still, the performance offered plenty for Australia to take forward.

Irankunda produces another moment of magic

The game was heading towards a tense final stretch when Nestory Irankunda delivered the moment Australian fans had been waiting for.

The young forward produced a spectacular free kick to put the Socceroos ahead and gave the home crowd genuine belief that Brazil could be beaten.

Irankunda has become one of the most exciting young attacking players associated with Australian football. His pace, confidence and ability to strike the ball from distance have made him a player capable of changing a match with a single moment.

Against Brazil, he produced exactly that kind of moment.

For Australia, the goal looked as though it might be enough to secure a famous victory.

Brazil refuse to go quietly

Five-time world champions Brazil were never going to accept defeat without a fight.

The visitors pushed forward as Australia dropped deeper, searching for one final opening. The Socceroos managed to withstand the pressure for much of the closing period, but the decisive moment arrived in stoppage time.

Rayan rose to meet a pinpoint delivery and powered his header beyond the Australian defence, sending the ball into the net in the final moments of the match.

It was almost the last meaningful action of the contest.

For Australia, it was a brutal way to lose the chance of a famous win. For Brazil, it was a dramatic escape.

Irvine sees the bigger picture

Australian midfielder and captain Jackson Irvine was clearly disappointed by the late equaliser, but his reaction after the game reflected how much the Socceroos could still take from the performance.

Australia competed against one of international football’s most decorated nations and showed enough composure to lead for much of the second half.

Irvine also highlighted the atmosphere around the match and the support from the Australian crowd, underlining how significant the occasion was for a team facing one of the biggest names in world football.

A draw that felt like a defeat

On paper, a draw against Brazil is a result Australia can take plenty of confidence from.

But football is rarely played on paper.

The Socceroos were within seconds of beating one of the most decorated national teams in the sport. Instead, they had to settle for a point after Rayan’s late header.

That frustration was visible at the final whistle.

Yet the bigger picture remains encouraging. Australia showed it could stay organised, compete physically and create problems against a Brazil side packed with elite-level talent.

For Nestory Irankunda, meanwhile, the night provided another reminder of his growing importance to Australia’s next generation.

His spectacular free kick deserved to be the winning goal.

Instead, Brazil had the final word.

Another chance is coming

The story is not finished yet.

Australia and Brazil are scheduled to meet again in Brisbane, giving the Socceroos another opportunity to test themselves against the five-time world champions.

For Australia, the challenge will be turning the promise of this performance into another strong showing.

For Irankunda, another big stage awaits.

His spectacular goal may ultimately have been overshadowed by Brazil’s last-gasp equaliser, but the young attacker once again showed why he is becoming one of the most exciting faces of Australian football.

The Socceroos wanted a historic win.

They came painfully close.

Then, with almost the final kick of the night, Brazil changed the story.

The atmosphere at Lambeau Field was supposed to be one of celebration. Instead, the home opener turned into a long night for the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers were beaten 35-14 by the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, suffering a defeat that was far more one-sided than the final score might suggest.

Green Bay entered the game already dealing with major absences. Josh Jacobs was unavailable, while star defensive player Micah Parsons continued to recover from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season.

But few expected the Packers to struggle this badly against an Atlanta Falcons team that had entered the game without a win.

By the second half, sections of the Lambeau crowd were booing the Packers as Atlanta took complete control.

Jordan Love under pressure all night

Jordan Love spent much of the evening under pressure as Green Bay’s makeshift offensive line struggled to protect him.

The Packers were missing two starters up front. Left guard Aaron Banks was sidelined after suffering a toe injury in the previous week’s overtime victory over the New York Jets, while right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury in that game.

Bako-Bewele’s absence is particularly significant for Green Bay. The offensive lineman had established himself as one of the team’s most important blockers when healthy.

Without that stability, the Packers struggled to create running lanes or give Love enough time to consistently operate the passing game.

Atlanta completely dominated the ground game

If there was one statistic that summed up Green Bay’s night, it was the rushing yardage.

The Falcons ran for 242 yards, while the Packers managed just 17 rushing yards.

Atlanta averaged 5.9 yards per carry, turning what had been one of Green Bay’s defensive strengths into a major weakness.

The star of the night was Bijan Robinson, who exploded for 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Just one week earlier, Green Bay’s defense had been allowing only 2.9 yards per carry, one of the best figures in the NFL. Against Atlanta, that resistance disappeared.

Packers’ replacement running backs couldn’t find space

With Jacobs unavailable, Green Bay needed MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson to carry more of the workload.

Instead, both struggled to make an impact.

Lloyd received four carries for just 11 yards, while Johnson also had four carries but gained only six yards.

That gave the Packers almost no rushing threat, allowing Atlanta’s defense to focus heavily on the passing game.

For head coach Matt LaFleur, finding a way to generate production from the ground game now becomes one of the team’s most urgent challenges.

Penalties continue to hurt Green Bay

The Packers also brought another familiar problem into Thursday night’s game: discipline.

Green Bay had already committed an NFL-high 26 penalties through its first two games.

One of the most damaging moments against Atlanta came when Brenton Cox Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third-down incompletion.

Instead of forcing Atlanta to punt, Green Bay gave the Falcons another chance.

Atlanta capitalised, scoring a touchdown to tie the game and shifting the momentum firmly in its favour.

Those mistakes are particularly costly for a team already struggling with injuries and offensive inconsistency.

Another difficult chapter for the Packers

The defeat leaves Green Bay at 1-2, and the timing could hardly be worse.

The Packers had made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, but the previous campaign ended with five straight losses, including a wild-card defeat to the Chicago Bears after Green Bay had built a 21-3 lead.

Despite that disappointing finish, team president and CEO Ed Policy had backed LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst with contract extensions.

Thursday’s performance will inevitably increase the pressure surrounding those decisions.

It is still early in the season, but Green Bay now has several problems to solve simultaneously.

Injuries are making an already difficult situation worse

The absence of Parsons remains a major issue for the Packers’ defense.

The star defender is still recovering from the ACL injury that ended his 2025 All-Pro season and is expected to miss at least one more game.

Jacobs’ situation is different. He was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list after pleading no contest to misdemeanor battery and criminal-damage charges related to a May altercation with his then-girlfriend.

With key players unavailable and offensive-line injuries piling up, Green Bay has little margin for error.

What happens next for Green Bay?

The Packers are not out of the season after three games, but Thursday night’s performance exposed problems that cannot simply be ignored.

The rushing attack needs an answer. The offensive line needs to stabilise. The defense must rediscover the form it showed during the opening weeks, and the team’s penalty problems have to stop turning manageable situations into scoring opportunities for opponents.

Most importantly, Green Bay needs to protect Jordan Love and give its quarterback a functioning ground game around him.

The Packers have plenty of time to recover, but after being thoroughly outplayed at their own stadium by a previously winless Atlanta team, the message from Lambeau was unmistakable.

The Seattle Seahawks opened their title defence with a reminder that championship teams do not always need perfect performances to find a way to win.

In a tense opening-night clash against the New England Patriots, Seattle recovered from an early 10-0 deficit and the loss of starting quarterback Sam Darnold to secure a gritty 13-10 victory.

The game quickly turned into a test of resilience for the defending champions. Seattle’s offence struggled for long stretches, but a determined defensive performance and a late game-winning field goal ensured the Seahawks began the 2026 regular season with a victory.

And for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the final quarter became one he will want to forget.

Sam Darnold exits early as Seahawks face immediate adversity

Seattle’s night took an unexpected turn almost immediately when starting quarterback Sam Darnold was forced out after the team’s first offensive series.

The Seahawks suddenly had to turn to backup quarterback Drew Lock, putting additional pressure on an offence that was already struggling to find rhythm.

For much of the first half, Seattle could not generate consistent momentum. The Seahawks either punted or saw the half end on each of their first six possessions, allowing New England to build a 10-0 advantage.

But the defending champions refused to panic.

Drew Lock finds Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Seattle fights back

The breakthrough finally came in the second half.

Backup quarterback Drew Lock connected with reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown that brought the Seahawks back into the contest.

Smith-Njigba was the clear standout for Seattle’s offence, finishing the game with eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown.

His contribution was particularly important considering how quiet the rest of Seattle’s receiving group was. The remaining Seahawks pass catchers combined for just nine receptions and 78 yards.

Rookie running back Jadarian Price also provided useful support on the ground, rushing for 52 yards on 10 carries.

Seattle finished with only 285 total offensive yards, but on a difficult night, efficiency in the biggest moments proved more valuable than spectacular numbers.

Jason Myers delivers the decisive kick

With the game hanging in the balance, veteran kicker Jason Myers delivered when Seattle needed him most.

Myers converted two field goals during the contest, including the decisive kick with 5:50 remaining, giving the Seahawks the lead they would ultimately protect.

From that point, the pressure shifted completely onto the Patriots and their young quarterback.

And Seattle’s defence took over.

Three fourth-quarter interceptions change everything

The Patriots still had opportunities to win the game, but Drake Maye endured a disastrous fourth quarter.

Seattle intercepted him on three consecutive possessions, completely changing the complexion of the closing stages.

The final turnover was the most dramatic.

With New England threatening to produce a late winning drive, Josh Jobe intercepted Maye in the end zone with just 21 seconds remaining.

That play effectively sealed the victory and sent Seattle into Week 2 with a hard-earned win.

The Seahawks’ defensive statistics told the story of the night: three interceptions, three sacks, nine tackles for loss and six pass breakups.

It was a championship-level response from a defence that repeatedly stepped up when the game was on the line.

Seattle’s defence makes an early statement

The Seahawks may not have produced their most impressive offensive performance, but their defence showed why the team remains one of the sides to watch this season.

Holding the New England Patriots to 277 total yards while forcing three crucial turnovers in the final quarter was no small achievement.

More importantly, Seattle demonstrated that it can survive adversity.

Losing a starting quarterback early in the game could have easily derailed the defending champions’ opening night. Instead, the Seahawks relied on their backup quarterback, their star receiver, their kicker and, above all, their defence.

That combination was enough.

What comes next for the Seahawks?

The victory gives the Seattle Seahawks an early advantage as they begin another campaign with championship expectations.

Seattle will next face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, where the team will hope for more clarity regarding the condition of Sam Darnold.

For now, though, the defending champions have made their first statement of the season.

It was not pretty. It was not easy.

But when the fourth quarter demanded big plays, Seattle’s defence delivered three of them.

And that was enough to turn a difficult opening night into a 13-10 victory.