Russian empire grinds on but Salah’s stymied
Soviet-style side Cup paying dividends
Eight goals in two games have averted Russia’s nightmare of spending tens of millions of dollars on a World Cup only to go out in the group stage. Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, has been restricted to a successful penalty and lots of physio on his injured shoulder.
Salah’s penalty kick when Egypt already trailed 3-0 was a small reward for his hard work in the treatment room and gym. It pales, though, beside the potential dividend for Russia from 5-0 and 3-1 victories against two of the tournament’s weaker sides. If all the hosts could hope for was to string their presence out to the point of respectability, their supporters now have something to be excited about beyond the stardust spread by other countries. If Saudi Arabia fail to beat Uruguay (and who would back them to win?) Russia will advance to the knock-out rounds for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The St Petersburg Stadium was not full for this second home triumph, but the 64,468 here were giddy as three second-half goals flew in inside 15 minutes (the first, a ludicrous own goal).
Salah performed honourably after missing the 1-0 defeat by Uruguay, but to expect him to walk straight back in and rescue Egypt was fanciful, especially as he lacks teammates of the quality of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. His goal came in the 73rd minute after he was pulled down by the arm (this is becoming a pattern), apparently outside the Russia penalty box, until VAR showed it to be penalty.
These Russia players are pretty much equal and indistinguishable. The Soviet system would have been proud of this mechanical team. It’s as if their training stopped at pass and run, which they do well, and dispensed with the subtleties of the game, such as ingenuity and vision around the penalty box. Denis Cheryshev has been the best of them, and their energy and commitment ought to be acknowledged.
They are all Russia have, and were cast into a home World Cup as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament with the unenviable task of matching the grandeur of the stadiums. Plainly this is going to be beyond them, however uplifting their 5-0 opening night win against Saudi Arabia and this own-goal assisted win over Salah and co.
Standing between the new Russian empire and progress to the round of 16 was an Egypt side now emotionally dependent on Salah. The lauding of him before the game was at a level not even Liverpool fans could hope to match.
His name was cheered at least three times louder than any other Egypt player, and each glimpse of him on the big screen ignited a new Egyptian party. In the game, Salah started wide-right, dispensing with defensive duties to try his luck against Yury Zhirkov, an old hand steeled for the fight.
It took Zhirkov 21 minutes to land a bang on the shoulder Salah injured in a tangle with Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final in Kiev. The challenge was fair, but spun Salah around, and soon the English Premier League’s golden boot winner moved to play more centrally. He was more effective there.
Poland 2 Senegal 1 Russia 3 Egypt 1
Egypt’s campaign, though was about to take a comical turn, two minutes after the break, when Roman Zobnin miscued a shot after a bad punch by the goalkeeper, and Ahmed Fathy, the Egyptian captain, under pressure from Artem Dzyuba, took a wild swing at it and swiped it into his own net.
Bare-chested Egyptian fans in Pharoah headgear looked on miserably. Egypt’s defence, like Saudi Arabia’s, disintegrated, conceding three times, twice abjectly.
With Salah’s team still reeling from the own goal, Mario Fernandes cut a cross back for Cheryshev to double the lead, and then Ali Gabr failed to control a dropping ball on the edge of his box and allowed it to run to Artem Dzubya. His military salute for the goal was in tune with his combative work in unsettling Egypt’s back four. The defensive ineptitude of opponents is helping Russia, but their probable advance will help maintain the interest of those who are ultimately paying for most of it — the Russian public, who have been treated to eight goals from their team.