Russia's unexpected surge at the tournament has surprised the world.
Hosts Russia were rank outsiders to achieve any measure of success at the FIFA World Cup 2018. The Russians have qualified for the World Cup as hosts. Their ranking of 70 in the world was the lowest among all teams in Russia, even lower than international football minnows Saudi Arabia.
Even their own fans did not expect them to achieve anything. The team was ridiculed on social media by their own fans as the host nation readied themselves to be embarrased by their team.
The situation was so that a group of lawmakers wanted to draft a bill that would impose a fine of 10,000 rubles (about $160) on anyone who criticized the team. It turns out they need not have bothered; the team silenced the critics on its own.
On Saturday, they bowed out of FIFA World Cup 2018 in style, having exceeded expectations and injected the tournament with a healthy dose of enthusiasm. The team went down to Croatia in an agonizing 4-3 penalty shootout defeat after the scores had finished level at 2-2 following extra-time.
Their unexpected surge at the tournament has surprised the world.
Russia reached the quarter-finals for the first time since not playing as part of the Soviet Union, and the team exceeded expectations in knocking out Spain in the last round before running a much-fancied Croatia team incredibly close in Sochi.
The Russians lost only once over 90 or 120 minutes of football and that was in their final group match against Uruguay when they had already qualified for the knockout stage.
In doing so, Russian players proved that they’re worthy. They have achieved something that countries like Spain, Germany, Australia, who were expected to perform better, couldn’t achieve.
Russia’s unlikely World Cup run captured the imagination of the nation, with celebrations the length and breadth of the country after each of the team’s wins in the tournament.
President Vladimir Putin was among those who praised the team on Saturday for their World Cup 2018 journey. The Kremlin dubbed the Russian national team heroes.
The disappointment of defeat late soon melted into applause as fans toasted a national side that had repeatedly defied expectations. Fans spilling out of bars chanted "Russia," dancing in the street and singing along as music blared.
Brilliant Run
Russia had the perfect tone firing five goals past the Saudis in the World Cup opening match. The manner of that performance instantly won over the home crowd and gave them a reason to cheer their team.
This followed it up with a 3-1 win over Mohamed Salah's Egypt proving that the opening win was not just some flash in the pane.
They were not the perfect team- their limitations were exposed in loss against Uruguay.
However, it was to be followed by arguably the biggest win for Russia in modern football.
They beat Spain in their Round of 16 match- a clever performance where they allowed countered Spain's passing game really well. Spain had 1,137 passes in over 120 minutes but the Russian successfully shut them out of their box.
Then another national hero, Igor Akinfeev, in the goal saved two penalty kicks to allow Russia squeeze past the 2010 world champions and into the last eight.
Against Croatia, they played differently, going all out and scoring first. However, they were shut out in the later part of the game and conceded twice. To their credit, they didn't give up and an equaliser deep in the second half of extra time reignited their hopes of a last four spot.
National Heroes
Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov too paid tribute to his team after their World Cup quarterfinal exit.
Cherchesov, who faced heavy criticism going into the tournament, but has emerged from it as a national hero, gave his thoughts after the defeat to Croatia consigned his team to a heart-breaking exit.
“It’s a shame we lost, I think we deserved more, we played good football, with good players. In principle, we played as we planned, [but] the goals we conceded, we shouldn’t have conceded, but that’s football,” 54-year-old former international ‘keeper said.
Cherchesov paid tribute to the home fans for their support. “I’m grateful to the players… thanks to all the fans for their support, it’s thanks to them that we managed to get so far,” he added.
Cherchesov had gone into the tournament as a much-maligned coach, with the team on a run of seven games without a win and as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament.
However, he maintained belief in his system and his players’ abilities, with Russia ultimately exceeding expectations. He assembled a team that defied all forecasts and made the home nation proud.
Russia may have exited the World Cup, but their performances have made Russian players instant national heroes. They can hold their heads high and be proud of a run no one had expected of them.
(With Agencies Inputs)
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