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Player ratings: our readers' verdicts so far on #Rus v #Ksa https://t.co/ugSTHjxB1h #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/noN35Qbe99
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 14, 2018
World Cup Football Daily: Don’t forget that we’ll be recording at stumps every night there’s football during this tournament, which means it’s time for me to head off and chew the fat on today’s action, before previewing tomorrow’s.
You’ll be able to download our musings in all the usual places and we look forward to your company. Max Rushden and I will be joined by John Brewin in the studio tonight, while Sid Lowe and Barney Ronay will be on their respective unhackable burner phones from Russia.
Football Weekly is going daily for the World Cup. Here's @maxrushden in Russia (not really) to tell you what's on the show tonight. Subscribe here: https://t.co/lDr5zvvxrU pic.twitter.com/VtMmFgNUE0
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 14, 2018
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Russia 2018 has begun in earnest ...
An afternoon that began with Robbie Williams and Aida Garifullina performing a duet of Angels while standing atop a giant half-football in a short opening ceremony, draws to a close with Russia thrashing Saudi Arabia in the opening match of this summer’s World Cup. A fairly dreary game was studded with some excellent goals and while a Russia team low on confidence can take great heart from this emphatic victory, it’s difficult to put into words just how dreadful Saudi Arabia were.
Ponderous and sloppy on the ball, which they gave away at every available opportunity. Their defence is awful, they are completely toothless in attack and failed to muster a single shot on goal. Igor Akinfeev in the Rudssia goal can scarcely have have made any easier days in the office. Short of taking a few kick-outs, he had nothing to do. Uruguay are next up for Saudi Arabia next Wednesday in Rostov. Russia take on Egypt in St Petersburg on Tuesday. Elsewhere in Group A, Uruguay play Egypt in the Ekaterinburg Arena tomorrow.
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Match report: Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia
The hosts won their first match in eight in fine style, but weren’t up against much in Saudi Arabia.
Player ratings: our readers' verdicts so far on #Rus v #Ksa https://t.co/ugSTHjxB1h #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/noN35Qbe99
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 14, 2018
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My man of the match ...
If I was compiling my player ratings, I’d be giving Denis Cheryshev a nine – despite coming on as a substitute after 20 minutes, he was my man of the match and his two goals were sublime. His first needed two excellent, deft touches to make room for a shot after taking out two defenders and he duly sent the ball screaming into the roof of the net.
His second was a wonderful curling effort into top right-hand corner from the edge of the penalty area into the top left-hand corner. Other star men: Artem Dzyuba impressed after coming on, scoring with his first touch, Mario Fernandes was impressive at right-back and Aleksandr Golovin was irrepressible throughout, rounding off a fine performance with a wonderful free-kick.
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Get your player ratings done now, from 1 to 10. They’ll be automatically collated and once you’ve entered your ratings you’ll be able to see the average player ratings from all our readers.
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Full-time: Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeep! It’s all over – Russia have thrashed a fairly abject Saudi Arabia side by five goals in the opening game of Russia 2018. In a match low on quality, most of the goals were a bit special. It’s a great start for the hosts, whose supporters were fearing the worst going into this game. Russia get three points on the board and lead group A.
GOAL! Russua 5-0 Saudi Arabia (Golovin)
That is a fantastic goal from Aleksandr Golovin! The Russian midfielder scores with a sublime free-kick, curling the ball around the Saudi wall and wide of the post, only for it to curl back inside and beyond the reach of Al-Mayouf from about 25 yards. That is a wonderful strike!
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90+2 min: Cheryshev scores his second ever international goal and they’ve both come in the same game. His first was sublime, showing great close control. His second was also a beauty, sending the ball high past Al-Mayouf with the outside of his left boot from the left side of the penalty area. A tip of the hat also to Artem Dzyuba, who teed him up.
GOAL! Russia 4-0 Saudi Arabia (Cheryshev 90)
Denis Cheryshev scores the goal of the night, floating the ball into the top corner with an insoucient swish of his left boot from the edge of the Saudi penalty area.
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90+1 min: We’re into three minutes of added time at the end of the opening game of World Cup 2018.
88 min: Aleksandr Golovin gets the first yellow card of the game and it’s for a fairly innocuous foul on Al-Faraj. Two bookings amounts to a suspension in this tournament and disciplinary slates are wiped clean ahead of the quarter-finals.
86 min: Russia win a corner, which Salman Al-Faraj clears at the near post.
84 min: Saudi Arabia substitution: Muhammad Al-Sahlawi off, Muhammad Asiri on. “Hey Asiri, how do we get from 3-0 down against Russia with five minutes to go?” enquires Clive Tyldesley in the ITV commentary box. Zing!
82 min: It would be fair to say this match is over as a contest, in so far as it was ever a contest to begin with. If this Russia team are as bad as many people say they are, then Saudi Arabia must be truly atrocious. They can’t keep the ball, are completely toothless up front and have been unable to lay a glove on a Russian central defence with a combined age of over 70.
78 min: Saudi substitution from immediately after latest goal: Yahya Al-Shehri off, Hatan Bahbri on.
76 min: Russia win a free-kick wide on the right and Golvin curls the ball into the penalty area. The ball is headed wide by somebody who wasn’t Dzyuba - apologies, I didn’t see who as I had eyes only for him.
73 min: Having been on the field mere seconds, Dzyuba scores with a wonderful header that I’m fairly certain was his first touch of the ball. The ball was curled his way from the right flank by Zobnin and the big man made no mistake. From eight yards, he beat his Osama Hawsawi and placed an unstoppable header into the bottom right-hand corner. An excellent finish.
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GOAL! Russia 3-0 Saudi Arabia (Dzyuba 72)
Well colous me pink and call me Mystic Meg – Dzyuba scores with his first touch. A header.
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70 min: Russia substitution: Artem Dzyuba on for Fyodor Smolov. The rangy 6ft 5in striker could make hay against this extremely dodgy and increasingly fatigued Saudi defence.
68 min: Heart in mouth time for Saudi Arabia as Al-Mayouf spills what should have been a fairly straightforward save and the ball drops to the feet of Smolov. The Saudi goalkeeper bravely dives to smother the ball before the Russian can flick it goalwards.
66 min: Cheryshev heads into the arms of Al-Mayouf after being teed up by Golovin.
64 min: Russia substitute: Samedov off, Daler Kuzyaev on.
63 min: Saudi Arabaia send on their first subsitute. Every country has their “Messi” and Fahad Al-Mulwallad is Saudi Arabia’s. Indeed, he was a surprise omission from today’s starting line-up. A winger by trade, he replaces Abdullah Otayf and takes up a central position, with Mohammad Al-Salawi moving wide.
61 min: We pass the hour mark and Russia still enjoy a comfortable lead, their goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev yet to make any kind of save.
58 min: Saudi Arabia wina free kick in a good position, wide on the right. Al-Jassim curls the ball across the penalty area, but Salman Al-Faraj’s header is half-hearted and doesn’t trouble Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev in the slightest.
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54 min: Saudi Arabia enjoy a spell of possession inside the Russian half, but are struggling to find any kind of killer boy. Eventually, the ball is whipped across the edge of the six-yard box from the right flank by Salem Al-Dawsari, but despite stretching every sinew, Taisar Al-Jassim is unable to poke it goalwards.
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52 min: Golovin shoots over from about 20 yards after Saudi Arabia lose the ball yet again. They like to play possession football, but seem utterly incapable of doing so ... which is a bit of a problem for them.
50 min: Saudi Arabia lose the ball high up the field again and Yuri Zhirkov plays a long pass in behind their centre-backs for Smolov to chase. He wins his team a corner. Zhirkov sends the ball into the mixer, where Osama Hawsawi clears with a meaty header.
48 min: Golovin tries to curl a cross in behind for Smolov, but overhits his pass. The striker scampers towards the touchline but is muscled off the ball by Mohammad Al-Breik.
48 min: A slow start to this second half, with the ball rarely leaving the middle third.
Second half: Russia 2-0 Saudi Arabia
46 min: Russia get the ball rolling for the second half, with no changes in personnel on either side.
That Cheryshev goal: Some of the Saudi defending has been little short of atrocious and Mohammad Al-Breik and Omar Hawsawi were both culpable for the second Russian goal. As Cheryshev picked up the ball on the left side of the Saudi penalty area, both defenders lunged in, committing themselves completely and allowing the Russian substitute to make room for a shot and rifle the ball into the roof of the net.
Follow #WorldCup 2018 on @guardian_sport pic.twitter.com/o8JSeJRQjr
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 14, 2018
Alan Dzagoev update: This, from Julian Borrill: “He came on as a substitute in all three group games in the 2014 World Cup, but missed both the 2016 European Championship and 2017 Confederations Cup with injury.”
Half-time: Russia 2-0 Saudi Arabia
The hosts go in for their half-time break with a two-goal lead and it’s little more than they deserve. Yuri Gazinsky headed them into the lead on 12 minutes, before Denis Cheryshev doubled their lead 31 minutes later. He had come off the bench previously to replace the luckless Alan Dzagoev, who was forced off with a hamstring injury.
45+2min: We’re into the second of two minutes of added time.
44 min: Denis Cheryshev has been very impressive since coming on and he scores a fine goal to make it 2-0 to Russia as we approach half-time. With Russia on the counter-attack and a three-on-two advantage, he picked the ball up on the inside left channel from Smolov. He cut inside and took a touch as two defenders dived in, selling themselves completely. With the goal at his mercy, Cheryshev proceeded to blast the ball into the roof of the net from about 12 yards.
GOAL! Russia 2-0 Saudi Arabia (Cheryshev 43)
The substitute doubles Russia’s lead, smashing a shot inside the near post after taking out two Saudi Arabia defenders with a nice bit of skill.
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41 min: Denis Cheryshev gets in behind the Saudi Arabia defence and tries to cut in from the left. A heavy touch and the attentions of a backpedalling Hawsawi lead to a Saudi Arabia goal kick.
38 min: It’s pretty poor quality fare on offer from the two lowest ranked teams in the tournament. Both sides are quite sloppy in possession and seem incapable of holding on to the ball. Russia are worth their one-goal lead, but there’s not a huge amount between the two sides. Three places in the Fifa rankings, to be exact.
38 min: An email from Simon McMahon: “As well as the comprehensive and enlightening Guardian coverage, I’m also keeping Tom Williams’ Do You Speak Football? at my side during the next four weeks,” he writes. “In Russia the word for a technically inadequate player is derevo (literally tree), whereas a battering-ram striker is known as a bombardir-taran. In Saudi Arabia a shot that sails over the crossbar, like that we’ve just seen from Salem, is described by the phrase yaseed hamaam - ‘to hunt pigeons’.”
36 min: Osama Hawsawi saves his team’s bacon with a desperate last-ditch lunge on Golovin, prompting the home fans to appeal for a penalty. Referee Nestor Pitana is in no doubt and immediately – and rather ostentatiously – waves play on. It’s a good decision; that was a brilliant tackle.
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35 min: Salem Al-Dawsari picks up the ball not too far outside his own penalty area and goes on a mazy 60-metre run up the centre, before running up a blind alley.
32 min: Saudi Arabia gets forward with Omar Hawsawi on the ball. He and his team-mates are repelled by the Russians and Saudi Arabia advance up the pitch, only to lose the ball in midfield again.
31 min: Of course, I may be mistaken. But I don’t think I am.
29 min: Spare a thought for Alan Dzagoev, who has gone off with a hamstring injury. He also missed the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016, if I’m not mistaken.
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27 min: Salem Al-Dawsari tries a shot from distance for Saudi Arabia, but his wild effort is fired high over the Russian crossbar.
26 min: Cheryshev wins the ball deep inside his own half and runs 60 or more metres with it before being disposssessed as he tries to hold it up. Saudi Arabia keep giving the ball away and are being made to suffer for it as they get caught high up the field with a series of Russian counter-attacks.
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24 min: Alan Dzagoev limps off looking very forlorn indeed and is replaced by Villarreal’s Denis Cheryshev, one of only two Russian players who earn their corn outside of their home country. Cheryshev takes up a position on the left and Aleksandr Golovin moves into the centre, where he’ll operate behind Fyodor Smolov.
23 min: Nothing comes of the corner and as Russia break on the counter, Alan Dzagoev pulls up with what looks like a torn hamstring. It looks like his World Cup could be over already. Poor guy.
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20 min: Yasser Al-Shahrani has been Saudi Arabia’s stand-out player thus far and again surges up the left flank. He crosses to Mohammad Al-Sahlaawi, whose diving header is deflected narrowly wide of the left upright by Ilya Kupetov for a Saudi Arabia corner.
— James Dart (@James_Dart) June 14, 2018
19 min: Russia are becoming increasingly dominant, having settled their early jitters with the opening goal. Aleksandr Samedov attacks down the right again and drills a cross into the penalty area. Saudi Arabia clear.
Back to Russia’s goal: I thought Yasser Al-Shahrani had been pushed in the back by Yuri Gazinsky as the Russian leapt to score the opener, but replays suggest the Saudi Arabia left-back actually slipped. It was Aleksandr Golovin who loaded the chamber, crossing from the left after combining with Yuri Zhirkov.
15 min: Al-Mayouf is forced to claw the ball away after a deflected shot from Fyodor Smolov threatens to loop over his head and into the Saudi Arabia goal. There was a clear offside in the build-up, but the linesman missed it.
12 min: Yuri Gazinsky scores the opening goal of the 2018 World Cup, leaping high (and possibly shoving his marker in the back) to guide a cross from the left past Abdullah Al-Mayouf and inside the left upright.
GOAL! Russia 1-0 Saudi Arabia (Gazinsky 12)
Russia score: Yuri Gazinsky heads Russia into the lead.
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10 min: Russia win another corner, which Zhirkov takes again. He tries to pick out Alan Dzagoev, but overcooked his delivery. Yasser Al-Shahrani heads clear for Saudi Arabia.
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7 min: Russia win a throw-in deep in Saudi Arabia territory, then another. Omar Hawsawi clears. Moments previously Dzagoev had sent Fernandes galloping down the left flank with a nicely weighted ball. His cross was met by Smolov, who struck from 12 yards or so only to see his shot blocked.
6 min: Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf is forced to gallop out of his box and hack the ball clear under pressure after being sold short by a back-pass.
4 min: No chances of any kind so far and the game is yet to settle into kind of rhythm. It’s a bit of a pell-mell start and Russia are slightly dominant. They’re lofting high balls towards the Saudi Arabia centre-backs, who have dealt with them reasonably comfortable so far.
3 min: Aleksandr Golovin wins a corner for Russia after chasing a long ball in behind the Saudi Arabia defence. Yuri Zhirkov swings the ball towards the near post, where it’s cleared.
2 min: Aleksandr Samedov wins the first free-kick of the tournament, getting tripped by Mohammad Al-Breik as he gallops down the right flank.
1 min: Saudi Arabia immediately go on the attack down the left flank, but Russia clear their lines.
World Cup 2018 is go!!!
1 min: Nestor Pitana blows his whistle, Saudi Arabia kick off and the World Cup finals are under way.
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If Yahya El-Shehri isn’t relishing taking on Ignashevich and Zhirkov, 72 years between them, something is very wrong.
— Jonathan Wilson (@jonawils) June 14, 2018
It’s time for the last of the pre-match formalities: We’re just a coin-toss and a shrill blast of Argentinian referee Nestor Pitana’s whistle away from the start of World Cup 2018. Brace yourselves ...
And now, the national anthem of Russia
Gianni stops talking: Now it’s time for the national anthems. Saudi Arabia are up first.
Vladimir stops talking: That’s the good news. The bad news is that Fifa president Gianni Infantino has now started talking. He’s speaking in Russian, but seems to have no idea what he’s saying. He looks surprised when the crowd start laughing.
The teams line up: The teams line up either side of the match officials and Russian president Vladimir Putin addresses them. He welcomes all present to “the planet’s biggest football tournament” and says “we are seriously happy to host in our country”. He seems determined to go on and says plenty more. In fact he’s still talking about “the great power of football”.
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The teams are in the tunnel: The players of Russia and Saudi Arabia leave their dressing rooms and line up in the tunnel looking suitably tense ahead of this massive curtain-raiser. Russia’s players wear red tracksuit tops, their Saudi Arabian counterparts wear green. Out on the pitch, giant versions of their respective national flags are laid out on the pitch. Out they march ...
Robbie Williams kicking off with his biggest Russian hit, Let Me Illegally Detain You
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) June 14, 2018
Twenty minutes to go: Towards the end of a mercifully brief and far-from toe-curling opening ceremony that had echoes of its London 2012 Olympics counterpart, Robbie and Aida are joined on the pitch by Ronaldo (the original, Brazilian version). The pomp and ceremony is over and we’re getting ever closer to kick off.
Russia v Saudi Arabia line-ups
Russia: Akinfeev, Fernandes, Kutepov, Ignashevich, Zhirkov, Zobnin, Gazinsky, Golovin, Samedov, Smolov, Dzagoev.
Subs: Lunev, Semenov, Cheryshev, Kuzyaev, Kudryashov, Granat, Aleksey Miranchuk, Anton Miranchuk, Erokhin, Dzyuba, Smolnikov, Gabulov.
Saudi Arabia: Al-Muaiouf, Al-Breik, Osama Hawsawi, Omar Hawsawi, Al-Shahrani, Al-Jassam, Otayf, Al Dawsari, Al-Shehri, Al-Faraj, Al-Sahlawi.
Subs: Al-Mosailem, Al-Harbi, Al Bulaihi, Bahbir, Al-Khaibri, Kanno, Al-Khaibari, Al-Moqahwi, Al-Muwallad, Asiri, Motaz Hawsawi, Al-Owais.
Referee: Pitana Nestor (Argentina)
The opening ceremony is under way: Dressed in a burgundy leopard skin suit, standing on a giant half-football in the middle of the Luzhnicki Stadium and surrounded by dancers in shiny red costumes, Robbie Williams is giving it seriously big licks. Following a rousing rendition of Let Me Entertain You, he is joined by Russian soprano Aida Garifullina, a vision in white, for a duet of Angels.
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Sergei Ignashevich in for Russia
Russia have included Sergei Ignashevich in their starting line-up to face Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old was tempted out of international retirement last month following a number of injuries in Russia’s back line. He will make his 124th appearance for his country today alongside former Chelsea defender Yuri Zhirkov.
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Russia v Saudi Arabia starting line-ups ...
Russia: Akinfeev, Fernandes, Kutepov, Ignashevich, Zhirkov, Gazinskiy, Zobnin, Samedov, Golovin, Dzagoev, Smolov.
Saudi Arabia: Al-Maiouf, Al-Breik, Omar Hawsawi, Osama Hawsawi, Al-Shahrani, Al-Faraj, Otayf, Al-Jassim, Al-Shehri, Al-Dawsari, Al-Sahlawi.
We need to talk about VAR
Dressed in full match official kit, today’s Video Assistant Referee team will operate from a Moscow nerve centre and can access 33 broadcast cameras - including eight super slow-motion and four ultra slow-motion cameras - and two offside cameras.
They chip in with advice on ...
- Goals and offences leading up to a goal
- Penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty
- Direct red card incidents
- Cases of mistaken identity.
Referees will make the final decision in all cases and VARs are there in an advisory role only. It’s worth noting that linesmen have been advised not to flag marginal offside calls, so that play can continue and referees can consult with the VAR team once it has stopped.
What could possibly go wrong, eh?
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Quiz! Quiz! Quiz! Quiz!
How well do you know your World Cup opening games? With an hour to go until kick-off, take our quiz to find out.
Jacqui Oatley, another occasional and guest presenter of Football Weekly, is working pitchside alongside Eni Aluko and Ryan Giggs for ITV today. Here’s Alexandra Topping on how Jacqui took one for team ...
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Elis speaks: From our occasional Football Weekly guest and guest host, the Welsh comedian, actor, digital radio DJ, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci enthusiast and Swansea City obsessive ...
ITV mentioning the build up being 'politically charged' and Stalin in the first 30 seconds of their coverage. Unexpected. Lee Dixon shifts in his seat.
— Elis James (@elisjames) June 14, 2018
Heartening to speak to Saudi Arabia fan (engineer from Riyadh) who has come to Russia for the World Cup with wife and two primary school age daughters with them. Women weren't even allowed into football stadiums in Saudi Arabia until this year.
— Martha Kelner (@marthakelner) June 14, 2018
Football Weekly is going daily for the World Cup. Join @maxrushden, @bglendenning and special guests for puns and punditry at home and in Russia. Subscribe now: https://t.co/lDr5zvvxrU pic.twitter.com/P83R9Uzd0P
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 14, 2018
A request from Barney Ronay ...
Yes, yes ... we’re putting the hand out again, And yes, it’s tedious. But whatever about the dreary output that will be churned out by assorted colleagues of mine over the next few weeks, informative and amusing minute-by-minute reports like this don’t come cheap. You won’t read many more appeals for cash than the one below penned by Barney. Read it, weep with laughter and then contribute. His kids need shoes.
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Early team news ...
While Russia were forced to leave Zenit St Petersburg striker Alexander Kokorin and defenders Georgy Dzhikiya (Spartak Moscow) and Viktor Vasin (CSKA Moscow) out of their squad due to knee injuries, the 23 players they do have at their disposal are fully fit. Saudi Arabia manager Juan Antonio Pozzi also has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Interesting fact: No host team has ever lost in the opening match of the World Cup. More pessimistic Russia fans think their team might become the first.
Juan Antonio Pizzi speaks ...
Speaking to Arab News earlier this week, the Saudi Arabia manager revealed how his team would be setting out their stall. “I like to press high up the park and put the opponents under pressure,” he said. “Take the ball to the offensive line and get into a situation where we can score. Sometimes that happens and other times it is not very effective, but that’s the general objective.”
Alex Samedov speaks ...
Talking ahead of today’s big kick-off, the Russian winger had this to say: “The motivation for these tournaments is special. Every day you try to work at your maximum level. I already know what a World Cup is all about and how intense it is. It’s the highest stage you can play on.
“I’m staying calm in my preparations because psychology is an important factor too, although the pressure is there. It’s our home World Cup and we’re kick-starting the tournament. The whole world will be watching us.”
Today's match officials
Argentina’s Nestor Pitana has been given the honour of blowing the first whistle of this summer’s World Cup. He will be assisted by compatriots Juan Pablo Bellati and Hernan Maidana, with Sandro Ricci from Brazil designated as the fourth official.
The Video Assistant Referee team is composed by Massimiliano Irrati of Italy (VAR); Mauro Vigliano of Argentina (AVAR 1); Carlos Astroza of Chile (AVAR2) and Daniele Orsato, Italy (AVAR3).
Pitana is one of South America’s most experienced referees and this is his second consecutive World Cup. He made his debut in the Argentinian league in 2007 and officiated his first international match in 2010. At Brazil 2014, he oversaw four fixtures including France-Germany in the quarterfinals.
Pitana returned to Brazil in 2016 for the Olympic Football Tournament where he was the man in the middle for the semi-final between Germany and Nigeria. A year later in 2017, he was involved in another semi-final, in the Confederations Cup between Germany and Mexico.
Russia 2018 starts here ...
“LET’S GET READY TO ROOOOOUUUUBBLE!” Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium is the venue for the tournament curtain-raiser between hosts Russia and their Asian opponents Saudi Arabia, in a match-up that, quite apart from signalling the start of a month’s worth of hardcore football fun, doesn’t appear to have set too many pulses racing on its own merits.
Today’s combatants are the lowest ranked teams in the tournament and have been disparaged accordingly, which seems rather unfair before a ball has even been kicked in anger. That said, they have failed to register a win in their past 10 matches between them. Given their respective strengths and weaknesses, there’s every chance this match could be a thriller and we’ll find out soon enough how it will unfold.
Kick-off is at 4pm (BST), but stay tuned for team news and build-up as we count down to the eagerly awaited start of this summer’s global Fifa jamboree.
