COUTINHO AND CO PUT RUSSIA IN THEIR PLACE
WHEN Stanislav Cherchesov was appointed Russia’s head coach in 2016 there was one clear objective: reach the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil.
That target has always seemed absurdly unrealistic and looks even more so after this collapse against five-times champions Brazil.
The idea behind this friendly against Brazil in Moscow and Tuesday’s game against France in St Petersburg is to build interest among supporters.
Unfortunately, most sides who test themselves against Brazil come unstuck and Miranda, Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho scored in 13 minutes of a second half that exposed just how ordinary this Russia team are, even at home.
Cherchesov did not take any risks and opted for a 3-5-2 formation with the intention of stopping Brazil from passing their way to victory.
It was a sound strategy and it took a direct approach for Brazil to work their first opening. Dani Alves passed the ball more than 30 yards to Gabriel Jesus, but goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev denied him from close range.
There was concern for the Manchester City forward when he went down under a robust challenge from defender Fyodor Kudryashov but he was able to continue after treatment.
Russia almost took an unlikely lead shortly before half- time. Aleksei Miranchuk — along with Aleksandr Samedov and Alan Dzagoev — will have to shoot Russia out of Group A and he won’t get many better chances to score than the one presented to him when Fyodor Smolov worked the ball into the six-yard area. The hapless Miranchuk fired over.
Brazil needed no invitation to cut loose after half-time. Paulinho missed a simple chance three yards out and Willian’s deflected effort off Samedov required an excellent save by Ikinfeev to keep Russia level.
But a minute later Willian’s cross was headed towards goal by Thiago Silva and, while Akinfeev did well to keep out the Paris Saint-Germain defender’s effort, he could not stop Miranda scoring from the rebound.
At that point Russia might have been expected to retreat but instead Dzagoev came on for Miranchuk and they looked positive for nine minutes until Aleksandr Golovkin brought down Paulinho inside the area.
Coutinho dispatched the spot-kick calmly for his ninth goal in 33 appearances for Brazil and from that moment Russia faded. Paulinho added a third after more clever play from Willian.
Brazil will be given a sterner test when they play Germany on Tuesday.