THE RUSSIAN BARE
Boring, out-of-form hosts have so little Tsar quality
AS World Cup openers go, it is unlikely to be hailed as a classic.
Hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia, the two lowest ranked nations in the tournament, get it all under way at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium today.
With Russia at No.70 and Saudi Arabia No.67 – below Cape Verde and Burkina Faso – kicking off with this fixture is hardly designed to set pulses racing.
The front of the Moscow Times newspaper left its readers in no doubt of the expected fate of the hosts, with the blunt headline: “Ageing and inexperienced: Why Russia is doomed to fail”.
A decade ago it was a different story, with Russia reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2008, dispatching Holland en route to the last four with a vibrant and stylish brand of attacking football.
However, this current team is mired in mediocrity, with a staid, unimaginative approach, without a win in seven games and with a solitary shot on target in their last two outings.
Fail to beat the Saudis and they will equal a winless run stretching back to 1912 – when Russia was ruled by Tsar Nicholas II.
That shows the depths to which the current side have sunk.
A team that once boasted match-winners such as former Arsenal playmaker Andrei Arshavin is now bereft of creative talent and there is a distinct lack of stardust in the squad. No wonder Russians have such low expectations, something coach Stanislav Cherchesov acknowledged he and his players must attempt to change with their Group A opener.
“We’re trying to do our best and the fact we’re getting criticised is just a fact of the world we live in,” he said.
“The only thing we can do is try to do everything we can to turn the criticism into some positive feedback – and I think we have everything to do that.
“This is a World Cup and the first game is important because it will set the tone.
“We want to show we’re capable and worthy of hosting such a large-scale tournament.”
Russia forward Artem Dzyuba echoed the words of his boss and said: “There are a lot of sceptical people, there’s a lot of negativity around and we want to unite now like a team.
“So give some respect towards us and we will respect you back.
“For us, this is the most important thing in our career and in life. We need support from the whole country.”
Despite the pessimism surrounding his chances, the genial Cherchesov cut through the gloom and tried to lift the mood with humour.
When an English journalist announced himself as James Dodd, Cherchesov replied “James Bond?” – sending the room into collective laughter.
Given the cloud hanging over Russia, such moments of levity might be rare for the hosts, who could well end up leaving their own party at the earliest possible opportunity.