Australia arrived in Vancouver just over 24 hours before its Group D opener against Turkey, with Tony Popovic saying his full squad is available.
Australia arrived in Vancouver on Saturday local time with just over 24 hours to settle before opening its World Cup campaign against Turkey, a Group D match already carrying a sharper edge after confident remarks from the Turkish camp.
More than 10,000 Australian supporters are expected at BC Place, the 54,000-seat venue for the match. Australia enters with a full squad available, coach Tony Popovic said, and no reported injury concerns among his 26 players.
The buildup has been shaped in part by comments from Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu, who told reporters after training that he expected Turkey to control the game because, in his view, it had more quality and talent. Turkey, ranked No. 22 in the world, is back at the tournament after a 24-year absence and is widely seen by pundits as the stronger side despite missing the past five World Cups.
Popovic did not escalate the exchange, but he acknowledged that Turkey is not alone in expecting Australia to struggle in a group that also includes the United States and Paraguay.
“I respect his opinion,” Popovic said of Calhanoglu’s comments, according to Varzesh3. “They expect to win, but many others expect that too. Many people think Turkey will beat Australia tomorrow, and that is nothing new.”
Popovic then framed Australia’s task in blunt terms: “The only thing we can do is spoil the party. That is our challenge for tomorrow, and that is what we have to do.”
The Australia coach declined to discuss his tactical plan. He did, however, play down concern over forward Mohamed Toure, who had missed recent training because of what Popovic described as a mild cold. Toure later appeared in the team’s final media-access training session.
Turkey’s attacking talent is part of why expectations have gathered around Vincenzo Montella’s side. The squad includes two of Europe’s closely watched young players, Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz and Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler, both listed in the source as 21.
Popovic said Australia had studied Turkey closely but would not organize its preparation around one player. His message was that Australia must be difficult to play against while still showing its own football on the World Cup stage.
Montella, for his part, avoided the sharper pre-match talk and said he had “great respect” for Australia. He described Popovic’s team as balanced and organized, capable of defending deep, using a back five for long spells and causing problems with pace.
Australia has not won its opening match at a World Cup since beating Japan 3-1 in 2006. Popovic, whose contract has recently been extended through the 2027 Asian Cup, can now become the first Australian to both play for the national team at a World Cup and coach it to a win in an opening match.
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