Preview: A victory for Russia could make Group F a two team race
Heading into the their match against Israel, Russia will be happy that they were able to get past a punchless Luxembourg side with some ease.
As the rain came down at the Tsentralnyi Stadium, Russia was dealing with a potential change of schedule, but luckily for Capello's squad, the weather held up. Fortunately for Alexander Kokorin, the match went on as scheduled, with the Dinamo Moscow forward scoring two goals in the first half. His two goals were enough to guide Russia to the full three points, but that did not stop Alexander Kerzhakov and Aleksandr Samedov from also getting on the score-sheet.
Against Israel, the Russians could likely face a tougher opponent, but Capello's side will motivated by the possibility of jumping into first place. Their first meeting ended in a 4-0 victory for Russia, but the visitors will be hoping they can put on a better performance this time around.
With a victory, Capello's squad could almost throw away any World Cup aspirations Israel ever had. A victory would leave the Blues and Whites with 12 points, five points back of Portugal, and eight back from Russia. And after Israel's 1-1 draw against Azerbaijan on Saturday, head coach Eli Guttman will expect much more from his players.
The Israelis could have put themselves within one point of second place, had they been able to get past Azerbaijan, but that did not come as easy as expected.
Rahid Amirquliyev gave Azerbaijan the lead in the 61st minute at the Ramat Gan Stadium, much to the discontent of the 21,250 fans on hand. Itey Shechter came to the rescue in the 73rd minute, giving the hosts some hope for the final 17 minutes, but their 66% possession in the match was not enough to claim the full three points.
Tuesday's match will be like a final for Israel, as a loss will almost leave them down and out.
After their visit to Russia, they will then travel to Portugal in yet another match with high importance. If Israel is able to defeat Russia, they could head into their next match with the possibility of leap frogging the Portuguese in the league standings.
Coming off a comfortable victory, sitting at the top of the table, and hosting an Israel side who will be disappointed with their last match, Capello's squad has everything they need to take one more step towards Brazil.
Where to watch the match - live stream, start time, TV schedules, live scores
Watch Russia vs Israel live on Tuesday, September 10, 2013:
In the USA at 11:00 ET on: ESPN Deportes, ESPN3, Watch ESPN
Viewers in Mexico can follow all the action live on ESPN Mexico. If you are going to follow the match from a different country, make sure to check the Russia vs Israel match page for full TV listings.
