Russia is ranked eighteenth by FIFA and twelfth by Russia. This is set to be their third World Cup campaign. The Russians, contrary to their performance in the European Championships, have never managed to advance from the group stages in the World Cup. Their worst defeat came in 2004, when they lost 7-1 against Portugal.
In qualifying, Russia did very well in a tough group. They finished top of a group consisting of Portugal, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg. Russia won seven and drew one of their fixtures. Their losses came away from home to Portugal and Northern Ireland.
Player to Watch and a Glance at the Squad:
Alan Dzagoev, the 23 year old midfielder from CSKA Moscow, is always one to watch out for. His technical abilities mark him out as a player to watch for opposition teams.
Aside from Dzagoev, the rest of the squad comprises of regulars such as Vasili Berezutsky (whose twin brother, Aleksei, did not get called up), Igor Akinfeev, Igor Denisov, Yuri Zhirkov and Aleksandr Kerzhakov amongst others.
All about….Coach Capello:
Fabio Capello had a great career as a player; he won the UEFA Champions League as a coach in his time at Milan. He has coached great Real Madrid and AC Milan sides. At international level though, his stint with England was not a successful one. He has done a good job with Russia so far. His Russia team can be considered a dark horse for the trophy.
TV Listings:
Russia has been placed in Group H alongside another dark horse, Belgium, Algeria and Korea Republic. Viewers can tune into ESPN and ESPN3 amongst other networks to watch Russia. For the complete TV listings, visit the Russia match page.
