Chapter 426 The World Cup Begins (Happy New Year to Everyone)

Chapter 426 The World Cup Begins (Happy New Year to Everyone)
As players who have experienced countless major competitions, it can be said that they have seen many such scenes.

However, the World Cup is very different from other competitions.

Even players who have experienced it personally will be infected by the atmosphere and can't help but feel excited and nervous when they reach such an occasion.

Not to mention newcomers like Zhao Jinge who have never participated in a World Cup before.

"Relax, it's still early in the game!"

Neuer sensed the nervousness of the players and clapped his hands in the bus to comfort them.

"Besides, we are the defending champions, why are we nervous? Others should be nervous!"

This sentence caused everyone to burst into laughter, and the tense atmosphere in the bus immediately dissipated a lot.

Zhao Jinge secretly gave Neuer a thumbs up.

Sure enough, at this time, the veterans in the team are definitely the balm that relieves the team's depressing atmosphere!
In order to welcome the arrival of the German national team, Moscow Airport and Luzhniki Sports City Base dispatched 500 security personnel to escort the German national team bus to the training base.

But even so, when leaving the airport, players including top star Zhao Jinge, German national coach Loew, captain Neuer and Draxler were still hugged and asked for autographs by fans.

There was no way, there were too many fans at the scene.

Moreover, the security personnel arranged by Russia were not professional enough. While they were stopping the fans, they took advantage of their position to get autographs and photos from the German players before the fans.

This made the German national players dumbfounded: Brother, you are working, can you be more serious?
However, not everyone was welcomed. Germany's midfielder Einstein was booed by Russian fans when he appeared at the airport.

Some fans even gave him the 'International Friendly' gesture. The abandoned boy looked ugly and did not dare to have an attack. He could only pretend not to see it and hurriedly left the airport under the escort of security personnel and boarded the airport. The team bus.

As for his teammates, they are still surrounded by fans and cannot escape for the time being.

In view of the commotion caused by the German nation at the airport, the event organizers attached great importance to the safety and protection of the defending champion.

In order to ensure the safety of the German national team, starting from the day they arrive, at least 200 security guards will be dispersed in every corner of Kahu Sports City every day to ensure that the training and daily life of the defending champions are not disturbed by the outside world to the maximum extent.

After a seven-hour long flight, everyone in Germany was exhausted.

After arriving at the World Cup training base in Moscow, Loew did not arrange training, but let the players go directly to rest.

There is a two-hour time difference between Russia and Germany. The players need to adapt to the time difference as soon as possible and adjust their physical condition as soon as possible.

Otherwise, lack of rest will seriously affect their competitive state and make them miss the starting lineup for the opening game!
So there was no need for coach Loew's instructions. After arriving at the hotel, everyone voluntarily returned to their rooms to rest.

During the World Cup, in order to prevent players from going out and causing scandals.

Loew does not allow the players' families, the famous wives, to travel with the team. They can come by themselves, but they cannot stay in the same hotel!
German team coach Loew is serious about abstinence during games, and all German national team players can only obey unconditionally.

A few days after the German nation arrived in Russia, the teams coming to participate in this World Cup basically arrived one after another.

The atmosphere of the World Cup has become more and more intense, and slogans and pictures promoting the World Cup can be seen hanging in the streets and alleys.

This is something that German national players can gradually feel even while staying in the training base.

Because, the number of fans outside the training ground gradually began to increase.

They waved the German team's flag, put patterns of the German flag on their faces, and gathered outside the training ground. From time to time, they could be heard loudly cheering for the German national team players!

In such a warm atmosphere, time passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye, it was the opening game of this World Cup.

As usual, the Russian team, as the host nation, will take the lead.

The opponent they will face is the Saudi Arabian team from the Middle East.

Although the Russian team is not the favorite to win the championship, as the host of this World Cup, their strength is still quite good.

Their opponent, Saudi Arabia, is not a traditional strong team. Among all the teams participating in the World Cup, it is probably only ranked at the bottom.

Therefore, in the predictions of all parties before the game, the outside world is more optimistic about the Russian team winning at home.

Since the Group F match will only start tomorrow, Loew asked the players to watch the opening game collectively.

At five o'clock in the afternoon on June 14, the opening match of the 21st World Cup started at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

The popularity of this game was so high that more than 85,000 people were squeezed into the stadium that can accommodate 81,000 people, many of whom were Russian fans without tickets.

Looking around, the scene is almost a sea of ​​white, blue and red.

The morale of the Russians was very high. With the cheers of more than 80,000 fans at home, they launched a fierce attack on Saudi Arabia after the opening game.

Although Russia is not the favorite to win the championship, as a powerful European team, its opponent is just a little-known underdog. Isn't this kind of game a sure thing?
Sure enough, the game process did not exceed everyone's expectations.

Although Saudi Arabia posed a threat to the Russian team's goal twice in the fourteenth and seventeenth minutes.

It's a pity that their forwards failed to seize the opportunity and convert it into goals. However, Saudi Arabia's offensive gave the Russians an opportunity.

In the twelfth minute of the game, the Russian team scored the first goal of this World Cup! Russia's left corner kick failed to produce an effective attack, and the Russian team continued to control the outside. Golovin took the ball from the left at a 45-degree angle and passed the ball. As the Saudi defender missed a man, Gasinski scored with a nod! Russia beats Saudi Arabia one to zero!

The score became 1-0, and the Russian team scored shortly after the opening. This was a dream start!

The Russian players were also a little confused. It was just a cross that didn't pose much of a threat.

As a result, a goal was scored because the opponent's defender missed a man. Is there really a home court bonus? !
Affected by this, the morale of the Russian players was greatly boosted, and they played more proactively in subsequent games, making the Saudi Arabian team extremely passive.

The Saudi fans at the scene were extremely worried. It is so difficult to play for the Russian team. Are the players they have trained over the years in vain? !

Being behind in the score made the Saudi Arabian players a little impatient and playing in a hurry, which continued to give Russia opportunities.

In the 17th minute, Russian midfielder Golovin turned around on the right and sent a through ball. Russian full-back Mario Fernandez stepped in from the right and passed the ball. Smolov outflanked and shot the opponent, causing the line to change. The ball was saved by Saudi goalkeeper Abdullah Majouf, and then the referee ruled that Fernandez was offside.

In the 17th minute, Russia launched a quick attack on the right wing. Fernandez's cross slid past the goal. Unfortunately, the ball was a little too high. Smolov jumped up very hard and still failed to touch the ball. Russia The opportunity to expand the score was missed.

Smolov tried his best on this ball. He jumped up and did not touch the ball. He almost fell to the court from a height of more than one meter. It hurt just looking at it.

In the 21st minute, Saudi Arabia had a chance to counterattack. Salem Dawasari made a pass from the left. Kutepov headed the ball to clear the ball before the opponent outflanked him. The ball slightly missed the left post and almost caused an own goal.

The two sides fought for a while until the 43rd minute. Russian fullback Fernandez launched a counterattack with a direct pass from the right. Golovin got the ball from the right side of the penalty area and hit the middle. Zobnin transitioned from the middle to follow up from the left. Cheryshev, Cheryshev picked the ball in the penalty area and passed the opponent's defense before scoring the ball!

Russia beats Saudi Arabia 2-0!

The Russian fans at the scene burst into huge cheers, Cheryshev's name resounded in the sky, and countless Russians began to sing his praises.

Cheryshev himself was particularly excited. After scoring the goal, he ran to the corner area, opened his arms toward the audience, and calmly accepted the cheers and applause of the fans.

After this goal was scored, the morale of the Russian team was even higher.

Their players played more and more relaxedly, and the game gradually fell under their control.

In the 69th minute, the Russian team's forward Cheryshev fell in the opponent's penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty kick and gave the Saudi Arabian defender a yellow card.

Slow-motion replays at the scene showed that the ball was very controversial. Saudi Arabian defender Lovren did not make any obvious pushing action. It was more like Cheryshev slipped on his own.

After the penalty kick was awarded, the Saudi Arabian players emotionally surrounded the referee and forced him under the billboard on the sidelines.

The French referee Fabiello is also a good-tempered person. Being surrounded by so many Saudi Arabian players, he didn't get angry. He just recorded the yellow card of Saudi defender Mohammed and did not want to maintain his authority. It means adding yellow cards to other players.

Cheryshev stood in front of the penalty kick and calmly scored the penalty!
Three to zero! The Russian team continued to expand the score.

After scoring this goal, Cheryshev scored twice, making him the second Russian player to score twice in the opening game of the World Cup.

Judging from Cheryshev's performance in this game, he seems to have lived up to the high expectations of Russian fans.

As long as he can lead the team to make Russia go further in this World Cup, then he will undoubtedly become a hero in the hearts of Russians!
The Russian team played more and more smoothly, and in the 71st minute, Russia scored another victory!
The Russian team threw a throw-in from the right and played a series of short passes. Golovin took the ball from the right side of the penalty area and passed the ball. Dzyuba, who had just played for only one minute, broke the net with a header! Russia beats Saudi Arabia 4-0!

In stoppage time, Russia scored another goal! The Russian team made a long pass from the backcourt, and Dzyuba headed the ball over. Cheryshev got the ball from the left side of the penalty area and volleyed it with his left foot. The football hit the upper right corner of the goal! Russia beats Saudi Arabia 5-0!
Cheryshev became famous immediately in the opening ceremony of the World Cup, performing a hat trick!
In the end, the host country Russia defeated Saudi Arabia in the opening game of this World Cup, winning a good start and creating the largest points difference in the history of the World Cup opening game!
In this game, if Cheryshev is a well-deserved MVP, then Golovin, who contributed two passes and one shot, and sent many threatening passes in the offense, is undoubtedly the second best performer in the Russian team player of.

And this outstanding young player naturally joined the five major leagues after this World Cup. During the rising period of his career, he joined Ligue 1 Monaco. He is currently one of the few Russian internationals who can play in the five major leagues. Got it
After the opening game, the World Cup group stage begins.

At 13:00 on June 15th, the second game of Group A begins.

After ninety minutes of fierce battle, Uruguay, a traditional strong team from South America, defeated Egypt, a team from Africa, 1-0.

The first round of Group A has ended. Russia is currently at the top of the list with a goal difference, and the qualifying situation is excellent.

Uruguay followed closely, Egypt and Saudi Arabia ranked second from last and first from last respectively. The prospects for promotion of both teams are very bad, because judging from the process of the first game, when they met the first and second There is a high probability that he will not be able to kick it.

The Russian team's good start excited the fans of the host country.

On the Internet, fans of the Russian team were in jubilation, and some optimistic Russian fans even began to look forward to the scene of the team reaching the knockout round.

The schedule of the World Cup is not too long. For teams aiming to win the championship, they only need to play a maximum of seven games.

The Russian team has now won one game. For them, it is already a very optimistic start. However, there is still a question mark as to whether Russia can qualify in the end?
Because Uruguay is a strong team in the World Cup, they have participated in sixteen World Cups. In the previous five World Cups, Uruguay has qualified for the group every year. Their current world ranking is seventh.

Judging from Uruguay's ranking and past record, although they are not a top team, they can only be regarded as a relatively strong second-tier team.

However, the gap between the second-tier teams and the first-tier teams is not that big. It is definitely not comparable to the third-tier teams like the Russian team. When the Russian team faces them, there is a very high risk of losing. .

Moreover, both teams currently have three points. If the Russian team wants to qualify first in the group, it must strive to win the next game against Uruguay.

If the Russian team can defeat the opponent, it will prove that this year's host Russian team is much stronger than usual!

If they lose or are tied by Uruguay, then their prospects for qualifying will be a big question mark.

(End of this chapter)