19/06/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | JUNE 19, 2026 26 UNITED STATES players said they hope Christian Pulisic will be available for their Group D World Cup clash against Australia tomorrow (3am Malaysian time) after the forward was substituted at half-time in their opener with a left calf injury. Team officials told reporters at US base camp yesterday that Pulisic was still being evaluated daily and remains in a “modified training programme,” doing individual work both in the gym and on the field. “We’re really hoping Christian is going to be back for the game of course,” Brenden Aaronson, who could poten

2026 WORLD CUP

US hope Pulisic can face Socceroos

pundits predicting that Australia would be the weakest side in the group, the Socceroos stunned Turkey 2-0 in their opener and will come into the match with a lot of confidence. “We know that they are going to be very, very tough to play against,” Aaronson said. “They had a very good first game so we’ve got to be ready to go. After our first game, we’re going to have some confidence, but we can’t get too high or too low.” – Reuters

group yet, but we’ve got a couple of days to see where he’s at,” Antonee Robinson said. “Thankfully we’ve got a lot of boys on the bench who are eager and ready to get involved in helping the team and a lot of quality,” he said. “It’s a long tournament. If we don’t have him back for the game, we’re going to make sure we have him back for the rest of the way because we’re going to need him.” Despite some high-profile American

tially start in Pulisic’s place, told reporters. “I don’t really know what is going on in particular, but we know that he is going to give us his all to get back into the team and be there for the game.” Pulisic was sensational in the first half in the co-hosts’ 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on Saturday, beating two defenders to force an own goal and setting up Folarin Balogun to score before being subbed off at the break. “He has not been training fully with the

Reality check

B RAZIL DEFENDER Danilo said yesterday that his side must look their World Cup wobble squarely in the eye after Morocco gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a bruising reminder that famous yellow shirts and old certainties do not win matches by themselves. Brazil face Haiti in Philadelphia tomorrow (8.30am Malaysian time) needing a response after opening Group C with a troubling 1-1 draw against Morocco, res cued by a flash of individual brilliance from Vinicius Jr after Ismael Saibari had put the African side ahead in a first half that left Brazil rattled and pinned back. The result increased scrutiny on Italian Ancelotti, whose decisions to start striker Igor Thiago and right back Roger Ibanez drew criticism, while midfielders Casemiro and Lucas Paqueta struggled to impose them selves before halftime. Danilo, Fabinho and Matheus Cunha helped Brazil improve after the break, leaving Ancelotti with a familiar tournament puzzle: stick with his starters for cohesion or shake the bottle and see if something fizzes. “Every team has a core group of players,” Danilo told a press conference yesterday. “There are six, seven or eight players who are first-team regulars and always play. And there are three or four players who are always rotated depending on the match, the opposition and the strategy. “That’s how football is played these days; strategies always change according to the opposition.” Ancelotti kept his team secret until two hours before kickoff against Morocco, but Danilo said that was part of the modern game, even if not every player enjoys the suspense. “Today we’ve probably got 80% of the team sorted for the match (against Haiti), and there are three or four

players who are still up in the air,” he said. Then came a smile and a little mischief. “Managers are a bit crazy; sometimes they make choices and deci sions for which no one can find a logical explanation,” Danilo added. The defender admitted that Brazil’s lacklustre start to the World Cup was “frightening”, but said he was confi dent the team would improve. “It was frightening, because there was an expectation that we would produce a big performance,” he said. “When things don’t work out, it’s not easy to digest. We need to find balance. We were unbalanced both tac tically and mentally,” he added. Danilo acknowledged that Brazil are currently a step behind favourites such as defending champions Argentina and France, but stressed they remain among the leading contenders. “We have to be clear: we don’t yet have the maturity that France or Argentina have today as a team,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t perform well, win matches and go far. If we can add one more star to the shirt, that would be wonderful.” Despite Brazil’s clear superiority on paper, Danilo said the team respected Haiti, pointing to surprise results at the tournament such as Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Spain in Group H. “Everyone saw how Cape Verde defended against Spain,” he said. “Talking about thrashing Haiti would be crazy.” – Reuters/AFP Danilo says Brazil must ditch denial after Morocco wake-up call

Danilo

Turkiye, Paraguay in high-stakes faceoff STANDING on the precipice of an early World Cup exit, Turkiye and Paraguay face an unforgiving, must win reality check when they clash at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California tomorrow (11am Malaysian time). Both nations entered the tourna ment with quiet optimism but were brought crashing down to earth in their Group D openers. Turkiye dominated the ball but lost 2-0 to clinical Australia, while Paraguay’s trademark defensive resilience was torn apart in a bruising 4-1 thrashing by the host United States. With zero points on the board, a second consecutive defeat in the San Francisco Bay Area heat would effec tively shatter any hopes of reaching the knockout rounds. ”We are extremely saddened,” admitted Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella, whose side racked up 72% possession and 30 shots against the Socceroos without scoring. “We know there is still time to recover, but we were a little bit slow.” The tactical conundrum for

Tartan Army takes over Boston as Scotland fans relish WC return

the current political climate in the United States. “I didn’t realise until we actually stepped out onto the pitch just quite how many Scottish people were there,“ said midfielder Lewis Ferguson. “Our support is never in doubt. They will travel everywhere, they always have and always will.” The win against Haiti was only Scotland’s fifth in 24 matches at the tour nament, and how they needed it given what is to come. Tomorrow’s opponents Morocco are ranked seventh in the world and reached the semifinals in 2022. Their last Group C game is against record five-time winners Brazil, for which the Boston-based colony of Scots sup porters will have to travel south to Miami – the kilts might weigh a little heavier in the Florida heat. “We know we have the best fan base in the world, we know they follow us in their numbers, we know how long they have been waiting for this moment as well, and we know how excited they all are, and it is up to us to try to give them a good time,” said captain Andy Robertson. – AFP

Montella lies in unlocking an expect edly defensive opponent. While captain Hakan Calhanoglu will pull the strings from midfield, there are mounting fitness concerns over teenage Juventus forward Kenan Y b ld b z, who is battling a calf strain. Real Madrid sensation Arda Guler will be tasked with providing the creative spark. Paraguay boss Gustavo Alfaro is demanding an immediate mental reset from his squad, who are mak ing their first appearance at a World Cup finals in 16 years. La Albirroja lost their composure against the Americans, picking up five yellow cards. ”At a World Cup you have to leave emotions to one side,” Alfaro warned. “What matters are decision-making, concentration, and the details.” Alfaro will lean heavily on the Premier League experience of Newcastle United’s Miguel Almiron and Brighton’s Julio Enciso to ignite a punchy counter-attack. Tomorrow, the stakes will be immeasurably higher. – Agencies

FROM drinking the bars dry to lustily serenading an iconic baseball stadium with a rendition of “Flower of Scotland”, the bagpipe-playing, kilt-wearing hordes of the Tartan Army have capti vated Boston since arriving at the World Cup. Scotland’s famously good-natured travelling supporters had waited nearly 30 years for the chance to follow their team to a World Cup and the thousands who have made the journey to the tour nament are merrily making up for lost time, to the delight of Bostonians. Reports have put the estimated num ber of Scottish fans in the Massachusetts city for the team’s opening World Cup game against Haiti last weekend at 40 50,000, and a fresh wave are expected for Scotland’s second match against Morocco tomorrow (6am). The Tartan Army were a welcome feature of many major tournaments towards the end of the last century. But before this year they had not qualified for a World Cup since 1998, and fans jumped at the chance to cross the Atlantic to follow Steve Clarke’s team, not remotely put off by the cost of tickets or