2018 FIFA World Cup (Official opening Match):
- Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia
*Russia makes bold statement after humiliating Saudi Arabia 5-0 in 2018 FIFA World Cup opener
A new FIFA ball, white in colour with gray pixilated hexagons was kicked in Russia for the first time on Thursday as the 21st FIFA World Cup got underway.
Hosts Russia ran rout 5-0 against a hapless Saudi Arabia out fit at the electrifying Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow city before 81,000 spectators who included the FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Russia’s number one citizen Vladimir Putin.
The home country recorded a massive result during the official opening group A match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament.
Yuri Gazinsky scored the opener on a header 12 minutes in, and afterward Saudi Arabia could offer little resistance.
Roman Zobnin crossed right into the danger zone and Gazinsky was well positioned to stamp the header into the net for the opener.
Russia’s second, third and fourth goals were all by substitutes: one by Artem Dzyuba and two by Denis Cheryshev.
Twenty four minutes into the game, Russia lost Alan Dzagoev who pulled a hamstring and were forced into an early substitution with Cheryshev taking over.
Cheryshev got onto the world cup score board two minutes to the half time break, evading two Saudis slide by and burying his shot in the top left corner from a narrow angle for the second goal.
On 71 minutes, another substitute Dzyuba was also on the mark, heading home after Aleksandr Golovin’s delivery.
Cheryshev got his second goal, turning and firing into the top of the net after 91 minutes.
With time running out, Aleksandr Golovin got a fifth goal on a free kick, past a badly paraded Saudi defense.
Saudi Arabia, a team whose players are virtually all based in their obscure home league, offered an air of mystery.
It was a battle of the two lowest ranked countries at the tournament with Russia currently in the 67th position and Saudi Arabia in 70th.
Russia manager Stanislav Cherchesov expects bigger challenges in the two remaining games. As quoted after the game by the New York Times, he remarked;
Egypt will be a different game, city and stadium. We need to meticulously prepare ourselves.
His Saudi Arabia counterpart Juan Antonio Pizzi conceded defeat saying; “I think that a poor performance explains the result. As for our strategy, we must change.”
Group A resumes on Friday when Egypt takes on Uruguay and two other matches as well.
The tournament will run until 14th July 2018.
