Vancouver [Canada], June 14 (ANI): Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella expressed disappointment after the 2-0 FIFA World Cup defeat to Australia, admitting his side started slowly and struggled against Australia’s physical presence.
Despite the setback, Montella remained optimistic about Turkey’s chances of bouncing back in the group stage, emphasising that the team stayed focused and knows there is still time to recover in the tournament.
“We are extremely saddened. 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. They’re very tall, so it’s very difficult sometimes,” Montella said as per Reuters.
Australia opened their FIFA World Cup campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory over Turkey on Saturday (Local Time), powered by a record-breaking goal from teenager Nestory Irankunda and an impressive goalkeeping performance from debutant Patrick Beach.
Making his competitive debut for the Socceroos, Beach delivered a standout performance between the posts, making eight saves to help Australia secure all three points in their Group D opener.
The result gives Australia valuable momentum ahead of their next Group D fixture against co-hosts the United States in Seattle, while Turkey will look to recover when they face Paraguay in Santa Clara.
The result puts Australia second in the group behind the United States after the co-hosts’ 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday. (ANI)
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