Turkey have time to recover from chastening Australia defeat, coach says

VANCOUVER, June 13 : Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella rued his side’s slow start to the World Cup but said they still have time to recover from a humbling 2-0 defeat by Australia in their Group D opener on Saturday.Returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2002, Turkey dominated possession and camped


Sport

Turkey have time to recover from chastening Australia defeat, coach says

Turkey have time to recover from chastening Australia defeat, coach says

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group D – Australia v Turkey – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada – June 13, 2026 Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella reacts REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Turkey have time to recover from chastening Australia defeat, coach says

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group D – Australia v Turkey – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada – June 13, 2026 Turkey’s Hakan Calhanoglu and coach Vincenzo Montella and Australia assistant coach Paul Okon clash after the match REUTERS/Lee Smith

Turkey have time to recover from chastening Australia defeat, coach says

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group D – Australia v Turkey – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada – June 13, 2026 Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella speaks to his players during the first half hydration break REUTERS/Lee Smith

Read a summary of this article on FAST.

Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.

Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST

FAST

VANCOUVER, June 13 : Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella rued his side’s slow start to the World Cup but said they still have time to recover from a humbling 2-0 defeat by Australia in their Group D opener on Saturday.

Returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2002, Turkey dominated possession and camped out around the Australian box but were unable to break down the resolute green and gold wall.

“We are extremely saddened,” the Italian said. “We know there is still time to recover in the group stage.

“We know that in the beginning, the team has been a little bit slow.”

Guess Word

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time


Buzzword

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters


Mini Sudoku

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser


Mini Crossword

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge


Word Search

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can


Show More


Show Less

Turkey struggled to match Australia physically, with the Socceroos outmuscling their opponents in challenges and getting their heads to the ball first at crosses and corners.

“They’re very tall, so it’s very difficult sometimes,” said Montella. 

Australia had few chances but were dangerous on the break as Turkey scrambled to get players back from attacking positions, a cause for concern for Montella.

Turkey are above their next opponents Paraguay on goal difference only, and need to win in San Francisco on June 19 to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout phase alive.

While captain Hakan Calhanoglu’s pre-match comments that Turkey were more talented than Australia ruffled some feathers, Montella was gracious in defeat.

“They have been very good,” he said.

Source: Reuters

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Inbox

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Whatsapp

Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.

Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST

FAST

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Easy WordPress Websites Builder: Versatile Demos for Blogs, News, eCommerce and More – One-Click Import, No Coding! 1000+ Ready-made Templates for Stunning Newspaper, Magazine, Blog, and Publishing Websites.

BlockSpare — News, Magazine and Blog Addons for (Gutenberg) Block Editor

Search the Archives

Access over the years of investigative journalism and breaking reports