MOSCOW — Host Russia kick off the Confederations Cup against New Zealand in Saint Petersburg Saturday, targeting victory in their opening match to set the tone for a successful tournament.
“We’ve worked hard and I believe now we’re well-prepared for the opening game,” Zenit midfielder Igor Smolnikov told Russian TV.
“But we will be able to check whether we’ve done everything right only once we play in official matches.
“We’re all feeling brave and will take things on full of optimism. Hopefully, the arena in Saint Petersburg will be a lucky venue for our team.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the opener along with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino at Saint Petersburg’s purpose-built World Cup 68,000-seater stadium.
It will be the first meeting between Russia and New Zealand, the champion of Oceania, in the post-Soviet era. The USSR beat New Zealand 3-0 at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Organizers have laid fresh turf at the Krestovsky Stadium to allay fears over the condition of the pitch that prompted Zenit to shift its final league match to its former ground.
Russia manager Stanislav Cherchesov takes charge of his first competitive match with the national team, having stepped in to the role after the country’s disastrous Euro 2016 campaign.
The former Russian international goalkeeper has set his squad the ambitious task of winning the Confed Cup, a dress rehearsal for next year’s World Cup.
But Russia has achieved mixed results since his appointment with three wins, three draws and three defeats. Russia salvaged an impressive 3-3 draw with Belgium, but that followed a 2-0 home defeat to Ivory Coast — Russia’s first loss to an African team — and a humiliating 2-1 defeat to Qatar.
However results in recent friendlies — a 3-0 win in Hungaru and 1-1 draw with Copa America holders Chile — have given the country’s football fans some hope.
New Zealand is appearing at the Confed Cup for the fourth time, although the All Whites are still hunting for a first victory in the eight-team competition.
Anthony Hudson’s side is through to the final round of regional World Cup qualifying and will play Solomon Islands in a two-legged play-off, but New Zealand suffered 1-0 defeats to Northern Ireland and Belarus in recent friendlies.
Hudson though insists his players are raring to go in Russia.
“We’re 100 percent ready. We have a very, very good team, we have some good players in our team and the objective for us is to do something significant,” he told reporters on Friday. “We’re very optimistic coming into this tournament.
“There is no point in us being here if we’re not trying to win. The first game for us is Russia and we want to win that game. And we will go into the next game with the same mindset. We know they are strong but we have no fear of them.”
Tight security
The host promises there will be no repeat of the violence which marred Euro 2016.
A year before Russia holds the World Cup, the behavior of fans and concerns over racism are topics the host nation hopes will not be a factor at the eight-team Confederations Cup.
The June 17-July 2 tournament is effectively a scaled-down warm-up for the 2018 World Cup Finals.
“Russia is a completely safe country and I am sure that our football fans will behave,” Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko told TASS news agency.
“All of us, as well as those visiting, must respect the culture and traditions of Russia. Our country is safe and open,” added Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian Football Union.
By far the biggest name at the tournament will be global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who will captain Euro 2016 winners Portugal.
World champions Germany, Ronaldo’s Portugal and south American champions Chile are amongst the favorites to win the final in St Petersburg on July 2.
Host Russia is in Group A with Portugal, Mexico, the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup winners, and New Zealand, the 2016 Oceania champions.
Germany faces Copa America title-holder Chile, 2015 Asian Cup champion Australia, and this year’s Africa Cup of Nations winners Cameroon in Group B.
After the Manchester bomb attack last month, security is set to be tight at all four venues in Moscow, Sochi, St Petersburg and Kazan. — Agencies
