10,000 Australian fans transform Downtown Vancouver for World Cup opener
Granville Street painted green and gold as Socceroos face Turkey at BC Place on Saturday night.
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Thousands of Australian soccer fans descended on Downtown Vancouver on Saturday, June 14, ahead of their country's FIFA World Cup match against Turkey—the first of seven matches scheduled at BC Place during the tournament.
An estimated 10,000 Australians came to the city for the opener. Dublin Calling on Granville Street served as the main gathering point, but fans spilled into the surrounding area, which has been closed to vehicle traffic for the duration of the tournament.
Fans in yellow jerseys carried green and gold smoke bombs, chanting and singing their national anthem, Advance Australia Fair. The energy on Granville Street reached levels not seen since the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, with families participating in activities like writing their names on art installations and playing table soccer.
Turkey also fielded a large contingent of supporters. Turkish fans gathered at Jonathan Rogers Park in Mount Pleasant and marched to the stadium together before kickoff.
Vancouver is hosting seven matches during the FIFA World Cup, including two group-stage matches featuring Canada. The city's first match kicked off Saturday night at 9 p.m.