coach Vincenzo Montella urged his players to try to stay positive despite exiting the following their to Paraguay at the .
Speaking after the match, Montella acknowledged the disappointment at his side’s elimination after two group stage games, but insisted Türkiye must use the setback as motivation ahead of their final game of the tournament against hosts and .
"They need to come out of the dressing room sad because we are all sad,” Montella said. “But they need to leave the dressing room with their heads held high. They’ve got nothing to hold against themselves in terms of their behaviour or their commitment.
“We need to harness all of that out on the pitch in the way we prepare for our next game. That’s our responsibility, that’s our duty, but we need to show the spirit that has characterised us right up until now.”
While Türkiye reflected on a missed opportunity, celebrated a victory that leaves them firmly in contention for a place in the Round of 32.
Gustavo Alfaro's side took the lead through Matias Galarza, whose goal was the earliest of this World Cup after just 64 seconds, before battling through the late first half sending off of Miguel Almiron to hold on for a valuable win.
Goalkeeper Orlando Gill highlighted the importance of securing all three points after Paraguay's opening defeat.
"It was a very important win,” Gill told FIFA after the match. “We knew we had to get those three points by any means, and thankfully we managed to take them home. Now it’s time to rest, recover, and then, from Monday onwards, start focusing on what’s coming up on Thursday."
That next match is a crunch Group D , the result of which will see one of the sides progress in second place behind the USA and the other left in third place, hoping for other group results to go their way.
Defender Juan Jose Caceres felt Paraguay responded perfectly after their setback against the United States in their World Cup opener.
"We’re really happy,” Caceres said. “We managed to put the mistake we made against the United States right today, so we’re delighted to come away with the win."
Paraguay coach Alfaro, meanwhile, revealed that containing Türkiye's creative talents had been a key part of the game plan, with particular attention paid to Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler.
"We knew we had to use the counter-attack because the spaces were there,” Alfaro said. “And that’s why what Matias [Galarza] provided was balance: good defensive positioning, then double-marking in [Kenan] Yildiz's area, then closing down Guler as soon as he started to create chances.
“Guler had to be tracked – sometimes by [Galarza], sometimes by Andres [Cubas], sometimes by Diego [Gomez] – but we always had to keep an eye on him."
Sources: FIFA Official
