U.S. eyes on Turkey vs. Venezuela World Cup tuneup in Fort Lauderdale Saturday
The U.S. World Cup team and its fans surely will have an eye on Fort Lauderdale Saturday as one of its group opponents, Turkey, plays its final pre-tournament friendly against Venezuela.
Turkey required the play-offs to qualify for the World Cup, but is considered a favorite to advance from Group D.
They finished three points behind European champions Spain in their qualifying group and then got past Romania and Kosovo in the play-offs.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s match.
What time is kickoff? 6 p.m.
Where is the game? Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale (formerly Chase Stadium).
Tickets: Available through Ticketmaster.com, starting at $69
Turkey Scouting Report
Italian coach Vincenzo Montella leads a high-pressing talented team that includes Real Madrid star Arda Guler, Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, and Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. Yildiz was joint-top scorer in qualifying with three goals.
Venezuela Scouting Report
La Vinotinto (the red wine/burgundy for its jersey color) failed to qualify for the World Cup after finishing eighth in the CONMEBOL group table, falling just short of the intercontinental playoff spot to seventh-placed Bolivia. New coach Oswaldo Vizcarrondo has two losses and one win so far. Players to watch include Inter Miami midfielder Telasco Segovia, midfielder Cristian Casseres, goalkeeper Jose Contreras, playmaker Wikelman Carmona, forward Jesus Ramirez.
Turkey vs. Venezuela Possible Lineups:
Venezuela: Contreras, Aramburu, Vivas, Ferraresi, Quintero, Segovia, Casseres, Martinez, Carmona, Mendoza, Ramirez
Turkey: Bayindir, Muldur, Kabak, Soyuncu, Kadioglu, Ozcan, Kokcu, Uzun, Guler, Yildiz, Gul