Russia, against its fears

[Askor lml]

Hosts Russia test their fears this Thursday against Saudi Arabia in the Luzhniki
With the exazulgrana Juan Antonio Pizzi on the bench, Asians seek to surprise

Igor Akinfeev and Alan Dzagoev, the first to leave this Wednesday

After a brief and intense opening ceremony of the World Cup, the Argentine referee Néstor Pitana will whistle in the imposing Moscow Luzhniki before some 80,000 spectators the start of a great football show that will open with the duel between Russia and Saudi Arabia and that will have its climax in the same scenario on July 15.

 

Russia is facing a vital meeting this afternoon in many aspects. Under the command of the legendary exazulgrana Juan Antonio Pizzi, Saudi Arabia is the weakest team in Group A and, everything that is not a victory, will greatly complicate the classification of the selection headed by the questioned exporter Stanislav Cherchesov. For this, the 'Sbornaya' must overcome their many fears if you want to access at least the eighths.

On the one hand, the traditional bad management of the pressure that the Russians usually do in the sports of the group. Two good examples are the ice hockey fiasco at the 2014 Sochi Games (eliminated in the quarterfinals by Finland in a kind of national tragedy) or the KO in the European volleyball final in 2007 against Spain in Moscow.

A SELECTION WITHOUT CONSISTENCY
However, the great fear of the Russians is represented by their own team, unable to find a style of play or win a friendly match whoever is the rival (0-3 against Brazil, 1-3 against France, 0-1 against Austria without shooting on goal and 1-1 on Tuesday of last week against Turkey). At least, on November 14, he did offer a better image in 3-3 against La Roja.

Since Guus Hiddink led the historic third place in the Euro 2008, Russia has been accumulating disappointment despite changes in the bench. The media player Fabio Capello and the laureate Leonid Slutski (former CSKA) were unable to create a solvent block and the 'brown' fell in the summer of 2016 to Cherchesov, who had just won the Polish League with Legia Warsaw.

In a limited team in itself, the serious injuries of his great offensive reference Aleksandr Kokorin (Zenit) and central Giorgi Dzhikia (Spartak, titularísimo) and Viktor Vasin (CSKA) are further burdening the already scarce Russian options . Not even the game system is clear (5-4-1, 5-2-3-1 or even 5-3-2).

Even the coach has had to recruit at the last minute the veteran Serguei Ignasevich (CSKA, 38 years and 122 internationals) to try to solve the problems in the axis of a rear that in principle will play with five pieces.

GOLOVIN, A MOTIVE FOR ILLUSION
The only lighthouse among so many shadows is represented by the emerging Aleksandr Golovin (22 years old, CSKA), a total midfielder who will be followed by many European clubs, although Juventus seems to be ahead. They also represent the new sap the twins Anton and especially Alexei Miranchuk (22 years old, Lokomotiv) or the media Roman Zobnin (24 years old, Spartak) and Daler Kuziayev (25 years old, Zenit).

Anyway, the team leader will remain the experienced goal Igor Akinfeev (CSKA, 32 years and 106 internationals), equipped with cat reflexes that allow him to save the team from many setbacks. Along with Ignashevich, third goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov (34 years old, Bruges) and left-back Yuri Zhirkov (34 years old, Zenit), the goalkeeper is one of the four survivors of the aforementioned successful Euro 2008 (they fell in 'semis' against the champion Spain).

With the possible help of Aleksei Miranchuk, the great offensive stiletto of Russia will be the wayward Fiodor Smolov (32 years old, Krasnodar), a striker capable of alternating genius with incredible 'disappearances'. To complete this bird's eye view, quote the 'guadianesco' half Alan Dzagoev (27 years old, CSKA), the Brazilian nationalized right-back Mario Fernandes (27 years, CSKA), the expeditious central Fiodor Kudriashov (31 years, Rubin) and hispanoruso Denis Cherishev (27 years old, Villarreal).

The fans are missing midfielders Igor Denisov (34 years old, Lokomotiv) and, above all, Denis Glushakov (31 years old, Spartak), whose relationship with the coach is not the best.

PIZZI PROMISES BATTLE
And who will be in front? Saudi Arabia, whose totality of players militated the past summer in the League of this Muslim kingdom, finished second in Group B of the Asian classification. In a last day of infarction, the United Arab Emirates fell in Iraq (1-0) and a goal by Fahad Al Muwallad in the 63rd gave the Arabs the victory against the already qualified Japan (1-0) and the World Cup ticket.

Last January, nine players from this country arrived in Spanish football in a controversial operation between LaLiga Santander, the General Sports Authority and the Football Federation of Saudi Arabia. Of these, three will be in the World Cup: the media Yahya El-Sehri (did not debut with Leganés), Salem Al-Dawsari (played 34 minutes with Villarreal in the last game against Real Madrid), and the referred Al Muwallad (two matches with Levante).

Before, on November 27, 2018, Pizzi became the third Saudi Arabia coach in the last three months just 48 days after the fateful loss to Brazil (3-0) on the last day that left Chile out of the World Cup. with the 'Lizard' on the bench.

The bulk of the team consists of the current league champion Al-Hilal (nine) and second-placed Al-Ahli (seven)