The Valley received Turkish soccer team with open arms

Valley residents attended the Turkish team practice in the Valley ahead of the World Cup. With just a couple of days before the World Cup begins, Team Turkey is training in Mesa. On June 8, their national soccer squad will practice in front of a sold-out crowd at the Arizona Athletic Grounds. The Arizona Athletic Grounds offered free tickets on their website two weeks ago, and they sold out in less than two hours. An employee told 12News last week just how excited they are to host Team Turkey. "It's a big opportunity for us to put Arizona Athletic Grounds on the world stage," David Hayes said. "The World Cup probably doesn't come around in our lifetimes again at this part of the world. Really proud to be able to be part of it, and for Arizona Athletic Grounds to be sort of front and center." Mesa city leaders are hyped about the visit, posting pictures online welcoming Team Turkey to the Valley. Even if you didn’t get a ticket for the open practice, you can still join in on the fun. The venue is hosting a free event tonight, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. People can enjoy authentic Turkish food, ice cream and play soccer games. Hayes tells 12News it took a lot of hard work behind the scenes to have the Turkish squad practice at their facility. "It's been a two-year process," Hayes said. "It hasn't been overnight. We sent that application in a couple of years ago. A lot of waiting to see what happens. We've known for a few months that we were going to get the winner of Group D. We knew about six weeks ago that that would be Turkey, so it was a crawl for a long time. It's been a full-on sprint, for the last six weeks.” Before the World Cup officially kicks off, Phoenix Rising FC is getting the word out about five watch parties they are hosting across the Valley. They will have events for all three U.S. Men’s National Team matches, featuring Phoenix Rising FC player appearances and giveaways. Also, this Friday, Tempe Marketplace will host an outdoor watch party. They will be broadcasting the U.S. match vs. Paraguay at 6:00 PM. Before those tournament games begin, Team Turkey is spending their remaining time in Arizona getting ready for their opening match against Australia, which takes place Saturday night in Vancouver.