Australia and Turkey get their campaigns underway with this Group D opener at BC Place Vancouver.
Group D
Sunday, 14 June | BC Place Vancouver
Kick-off time
12:00 (GMT+8)
The match
Australia and Turkey will meet at a FIFA World Cup™ for the first time in this Group D opener at BC Place Vancouver. The Socceroos are competing at the global finals for a sixth consecutive edition while Turkey are making their third appearance and their first since they stormed all the way to the semi-finals at Korea/Japan 2002.
The winners of Group D will progress to a San Francisco Bay Area date with one of the third-place finishers from either Group B, E, F, I or J. The runners-up are set to face the Group G runners-up in Dallas. Should the third-placed team in Group D qualify as one of the eight best, they will meet either the Group E, Group I or Group K winners in Boston, New York New Jersey or Kansas City, respectively.
Possible Australia starting XI
Ryan; Circati, Souttar, Herrington/Burgess; Italiano, Irvine, O’Neill, Bos; Metcalf, Leckie, Toure
Possible Turkey starting XI
Cakir; Celik, Kabak, Bardakci, Elmali; Yuksek, Calhanoglu, Guler, Kahveci, Yilmaz; Gul
BC Place Vancouver
Now into its fifth decade of existence, BC Place Vancouver remains a jaw-dropping piece of architecture situated on the banks of the False Creek inlet. The arena – which has recently undergone renovations – is the home of MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps and the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) BC Lions, and has also occasionally hosted the Canada national team.
One of the most memorable matches at BC Place Vancouver came when the venue hosted the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™, where USA defeated defending champions Japan 5-2, thanks in no small part to a three-goal haul from Carli Lloyd inside the opening 15 minutes.