Cheryshev powering host Russia
Winger nets winner as Russia beats Egypt 3-1, improves record to 2-0
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Denis Cheryshev had been the odd man out in Russia’s team. Now he’s the breakout star, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo as the World Cup’s top scorer.
Raised in Spain at the Real Madrid academy, he has used his slick technique and tactical awareness to score three goals as Russia won its first two games at its home World Cup.
Not bad for a man who, before the tournament, had played only 33 minutes under Russia’s current coach and hadn’t started an international game since 2015.
“Thank God that I could score three goals in two games, but my aim is just to help the team,” said Cheryshev, who plays as a winger for Villarreal. “If other players score, I’ll be happy for them, too.”
Cheryshev is one of only two players in Russia’s squad who play for foreign clubs — the other is third-choice goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov — and, for a long time, it seemed like national-team coaches overlooked him. He grew up outside the Russian system at Real Madrid, where his father was a youth coach.
A string of injuries and a perception that, as a stylish winger, he didn’t fit Russia’s typically rugged, defensive style combined to keep him out of the national team under successive coaches.
When he finally made Russia’s World Cup squad, he wasn’t expected to start the first game, and didn’t.
What changed was midfielder Alan Dzagoev’s hamstring injury 24 minutes into the opening game against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, with the score at 1-0. Cheryshev came on and 19 minutes later, he scored, dummying past two Saudi defenders. His second was an elegant curling shot in stoppage time.
“I could never have dreamed of anything like this,” he said after Thursday’s opener.
On Tuesday, he finished off a smart team move through the Egyptian defence — exactly the kind of soccer Russia didn’t play even two weeks ago, when it drew 1-1 with a weakened Turkey team for its seventh winless friendly in a row.
Russia’s rise has come with a new readiness from coach Stanislav Cherchesov to abandon his old tactical certainties and player preferences.
Gone is the five-man back line he clung to for two years, replaced by a four-man system with defensive midfielder Yuri Gazinsky protecting the centre backs.
The first-choice striker against Egypt was Artyom Dzyuba, who pre-tournament had played only once for Russia since 2016 and spent much of the season frozen out at Zenit St. Petersburg after a reported dispute with management.
An old-fashioned striker who can win headers and hold up the ball, Dzyuba doesn’t have Cheryshev’s finesse, but they have combined well together.
Now with two World Cup goals, he echoed Russia’s newfound confidence.
“We’ve done something historic, but the tournament isn’t over,” Dzyuba said. “Now we want more.”
Salah’s best efforts not enough to deliver win for Egypt, now 0-2
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Try as he might, Mohamed Salah couldn’t do enough to give Egypt the victory it needed at the World Cup.
The Premier League player of the year converted a late consolation penalty in his team’s 3-1 loss to Russia on Tuesday — a result that makes it extremely unlikely for Egypt to advance.
Returning from a shoulder injury to play in his first ever World Cup match, Salah provided a few glimpses of the skills and marksmanship that helped him score 44 goals in all competitions with Liverpool last season.
His 73rd-minute goal from the penalty spot came after host Russia scored three goals in a 15-minute, second-half burst. Egypt’s last Group A match is against Saudi Arabia on Monday.
Egypt previously lost its opener without Salah, 1-0 to Uruguay on Friday.