Russia will not only advance out of the group, but over perform

Nice extra time free kick! Was so hot! Way to put the cherry on top! Wow!

 

Eh, don't overreact. They only defeated arguably the worst team this WC.

 

Panama is likely weaker than Saudi Arabia. Don't think they are the weakest. They are definitely one of them, but not sure about the weakest.

 

Both are around the same level.

 

russia didnt show anything special, other than clinical finishing. their players were jogging the whole match. it was saudis abysmal defense that inflated the result.

 

I disagree with that. They worked really well as a team, and desperately found players in dangerous positions in good timing. Tactics were spot on.

Also not to mention, clinical finishing is something really special. It could mean the difference between winning and losing. What counts is the goals that are scored (not how well the team plays), and that is why clinical finishing is not something to be overlooked. Something many better teams on paper struggle with (I have seen it so many times).

 

I had them topping the group.

 

Same, but their path is better if they come second. They can play in Moscow Liz for all but the qfinal. I’m sure Russia will be energized to play a German team versus a Brazil/France semi (not to get ahead of ourselves after one game lol)

 

Panana would stomp all over this Saudi side. They're okay at three positions (left side and 9).

 

I don't think so. Keep in mind you are underestimating Saudi because of what happened. The early goal for Russia really helped, which made Saudi Arabia have to go more at attack. They didn't play that badly in the beginning.

 

I get that, and I get that Saudi played a bit more openly against what has been a poor Russia team hoping to grab a goal. They had a couple moments when they didn't look bad, They had an edge in possession and position. For that, they were so abysmally bad on the right side of the field that their attacks all died there. Their goal-scorer is lost in a scoring drought. Their defense was out of sorts all game long and looks way out of depth. My pet peeve quickly became number 8, who was so obviously lost and scared that he was taking up positions hiding himself behind Russian players, on both ends.
I felt bad for their keeper. No idea if he's good or not, but he was consistently put in horrible positions. Maybe on song their 9 scores in that match, but did you think they deserved anything? the only side lower in the FIFA rankings entering this tourney was Russia. Now, FIFA rankings are far from perfect, but to put this in context, Russia is still probably one of the worst teams in this cup. Even Saudi's manager admitted Russia didn't have to do much to destroy them. Watching Egypt and Uruguay today, did you see Russia beating either one of them? Saudi gets Egypt in their last match, meaning Mo Salah will probably be ready. they will park the bus, but I'm not sure it's much of a bus.

 

Nice picture!

 

I really disagree with this. Russia is definitely nowhere near a top tier team, but saying they are one of the worst teams in the cup is going to far. And yes I believe Russia can beat Egypt or manage at least a draw. Russia is a mediocre team, but is definitely capable of upsetting some teams.

 

They are the host team... the hosts can win it all and have won it all 6/19 world cups. It’s a pretty good chance. Lately it happens every twenty years. 1978. 1998. 2018?

You heard it here first! Fox gonna steal my prediction reading these forums lol! I want credit!

 

Russia is certainly no worse than the US in 94, and somehow the US got out of the group stages. And football is a funny game. So of course they might get out of the groups.
Russia doesn't need another win. If they can hold Egypt to 0-0 they're through. Egypt, IMO, is a much better team top to bottom, but I'm not sure who scores with Salah out. That said, I expect Egypt will find a way past Russia.

 

Without Salah, Egypt will have a hard time earning even a draw against Russia. Not impossible for them, but unlikely. With Salah, that game could go either way and a draw is ultimately very likely.

 

OK every time that the hosts won the World Cup, they were one of the strong favorites. Maybe not top top but up there. Russia is not one of the favorites to win it. And what do you mean every 20 years? Only 1978 and 1998. Not before then.

What about Italy reaching the World Cup final every 12 years? Weren't they supposed to reach the final this year? They didn't qualify.

 

Nothing is done yet for Egypt, in 2014 Uruguay lost by two goals their opening game against Costa-Rica, a team that was widely seen as one of the worst of the tournament before the beginnning. They end up making the 2nd round.
It is not that Uruguay was a bad team, but how were they supposed to beat both England & Italy after being comprehensively beaten by Costa-Rica and looking very poor?


The odds are stacked against Egypt, but the task (beating Russia) is not insurmountable. Uruguay, were missing Suarez for their loss, who had a fantastic season for Liverpool, then he came back and their team was transformed, so...
We also have to keep in my that even after Uruguay took England out, they still needed to win against Italy, a draw would not have been enough.
There is a possiblity where Egypt could qualify if they draw Saudi Arabia in their last game.

 

Did anyone see Mother Jones story last week?

As host of the 2018 World Cup, Russia has the privilege of playing in the first match of the month-long competition. And as Team Russia takes the field on Thursday, soccer fans will see a national team that looks almost nothing like tournament favorites Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, or Belgium.

Russia’s team is almost entirely made up of white players who make their living playing for the country’s domestic league. The World Cup teams expected to get close to the final game are not only ethnically diverse, but are stocked with players who ply their trade outside their home countries, in the world’s most watched, most-competitive and highest-paying leagues: the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, and Germany’s Bundesliga.

History and economics go a long way toward explaining why the Sbornaya, as Russians call their team, stands apart in these ways from most major footballing nations, but there’s also the well-deserved reputation of Russian football and its fans for racism and xenophobia, not to mention the nation’s ultra-nationalist political environment.​

https://www.motherjones.com/politic...l-team-sbornaya-racism-nationalism-world-cup/

 

After today's match, I would strongly disagree.

 

Well Panama did surprise me, but Belgium did not play that well either. I saw a lack of urgency from them. Belgium, as well as France, and Argentina have the problem of a lot of talent but no chemistry. So many miss-passes. And again, what helped Russia was that early goal. Belgium did not find the breakthrough until a lot later.

 

i must say i was wrong about russia. they are a completely different team compared to their form before the world cup. their finishing is damn deadly. i wonder if it is the host effect. but egypt did not play good, saudi is well saudi. so they have not truly been tested yet.

 

Maybe Egypt didn't play well because Russia didn't let them? Before today according to this forums Egypt was a great team, right? Now they're crap. Come on people. Give credit where credit is due. They're flying high, they're inspired by playing in front of their people and are leaving everything on the field. I wouldn't want to face this Russian team in a do or die situation right now. So Spain and Portugal better watch out.

 

I've always thought Russia was quite an underrated team by fans here since their failure at 2014 World Cup. They had coaching problems for quite a while. Fabio Capello really was not the best manager for them.

Slutsy took over for emergency to lead them at Euro 2016. With all going on, I didn't expect them to do well at all. They were terrible in the qualifying campaign.

Then this new manager came and had them improved. They looked alright in the 2013 Confederations Cup, but they were missing Cheryshev and Dzuyba, arguably 2/3 of their best players so far in this World Cup. I pointed that out in January, along with Kokorin as well (tough luck he got injured for the World Cup too). Many people on here thought that it was cause the coach preferred other players, because they don't know the Russian players very well. Even the coach didn't start Cheryshev and Dzuyba at first, but they were the best players when they came on against Saudi Arabia, along with Golovin. He learned that and started them today and both scored.

Many people underrated Russia, but I knew they were underperforming with the talent they had and were capable of a lot better. They just needed the right coaching decisions and tactics. They have that now and look at them. Yeah because they are the hosts they might be overachieving a bit, but still. They have talent, and just needed to work on how to use it properly. Egypt & Saudi Arabia are both questionable teams that I never rated highly. Really thought Egypt was overrated on these forums.

 

What does overperforming mean?

People that really know Russia and european football knew that they would be hard to beat in a world cup in front of their crowd.