Food for thought: Russia’s defense and offense:-

The much-experienced and ageing defensive CB pair of Vasili Berezutski and Sergey Ignashevich, both Euro 2008 participants (remember that Russian team?!), offer coach Capello much-needed stability at the back (considering the aforementioned chaos on either side of the defense) and have averaged a very impressive GCPG ratio of just 0.5 during their WC qualifying campaign.

It is, without doubt, extremely important for coach Capello to have these 2 defenders at the heart of it all, and the fact that they have been able to form a good understanding and chemistry between them over the years will only serve to further enhance the strength and stubbornness of their defense. Therefore, the degree to which both CBs will be able to cope with the intensity and rigors of a grand tournament will surely prove to be a big factor in deciding how far Russia go into this competition.

In terms of their midfield, Russia have a lot of positives to look forward to in that area of the pitch; however, some of their midfielders must step-up to the plate and perform on a much higher level than what they are used to in their domestic league.

Case in point is, for example, Alan Dzagoev; for he has certainly show-cased his talent to the world at the Euro 2012, but ever since then, he has faltered at club level and this is the perfect opportunity for him to re-emerge onto the football scene and dominate play from midfield. Whether or not he’ll be a starting 11 at every match remains to be seen and his dynamism, coupled with the sheer abundance of technique he has, can be very important for Russia going forward.

A key issue for coach Capello will be whether to start with a 4-4-2 formation from the get-go or to opt for a more conservative 4-5-1/4-3-3 variation. The mixture of youth and experience between both AleksandrS up front, namely the hugely-talented Kokorin and the very dependable and experienced Kerzhakov, has borne fruit over the past; but it does not seem that coach Capello is very comfortable with such a set-up and might just go for the “safer” approach of deploying only one striker.

Should Russia opt for a formation including one striker only, coach Capello will, in that case, look to push at least one of his offensive midfielders out wide (as a winger) for large parts of the game; so as to mainly run the channels and look to deliver crosses to their target man. On the other hand, should he deploy 2 strikers (both as CFs or a combo of 1 CF & a support striker), his wingers will then have to perform from a deeper position (namely SM).

As a support striker, Aleksandr Kokorin offers his fellow forward-man many options and could dazzle play with his dribbles and forward runs. Also, as a center forward, he is very capable of positioning himself in dangerous areas and scoring goals whenever he’s given the opportunity.

Kokorin has a lot to prove if he is to live up to the hype surrounding him as one of the most talented young strikers at this WC, and his performance will, to an extent, depend on how coach Capello decides to best use his attacking prowess.

Russia:-

“Sbornaya” are a different team under new coach Fabio Capello and their nation expects some respectable results before hosting the WC in 4 years’ time.

First of all, clearly, coach Capello has gone with “experience over youth” in his final squad selection; as Russia's most-probable line-up boasts one of THE highest average squad ages among all the teams competing: namely 28 years and 343 days almost!

The biggest issue regarding Russia’s defense is their lack of an established RB; mainly due to experienced (standby) Aleksandr Anyukov’s lack of game time during the previous season because of injury. While Aleksey Kozlov has shown flashes of prominence with Kuban Krasnodar and, more recently, Dinamo Moskau, the fact that he’s a “late bloomer” has not encouraged coach Capello to fully trust him with that role.

Between switching Andrey Yeschenko (a natural LB) to the right side of defense (hence, pushing Dmitri Kombarov, a natural LM, back into LB) and inverting Vladimir Granat from his usual CB position into an RB role, coach Capello has created a very uncertain atmosphere on both sides of the pitch in defensive and, consequently, offensive areas for the Russian team.

In regards to Russia’s attacking approach, much of their play will focus on an organized set-up in midfield; where coach Capello might look to implement a diamond-like formation so as to coordinate play between their defensive and offensive lines.

The great experience and vision which most of their midfielders possess (Roman Shirokov injury and fitness permitting) is a real asset for Russia going forward, and they will look to play the ball between themselves before latching it forward to their attackers; all the while ensuring that they do not leave holes in the middle of the park as well as protecting their, somewhat, fragile wide defensive areas.

Russia have great physicality about their play and sometimes enforce an aggressive style when retaining possession; leading to numerous challenges from opposition players. It is this physical presence that will prove to be very dangerous in set-pieces and all-round general aerial play when attempting to go forward.

It is worth mentioning that the apparent lack of communication between the coach and the players (also between the players themselves!) during matches could, quite possibly, prove to be a tad fatal during the entirety of the WC campaign; especially in situations when things would not be going Russia’s way.

Should coach Capello find the perfect formula on either side of his defense and arrange for a proper harmonious attacking lay-out, while simultaneously having all his midfielders fully fit and in-form, then Russia might just prove to be a surprise package at this WC.


Main man: The deadly youth duo: Alan Dzagoev and Aleksandr Kokorin: Dzagoev’s great technique, wonderful dribbling skills and keen eye for goal will be vital for Russia, should he feature from the start. While Kokorin’s great goal-scoring abilities, amazing pace and dominant aerial play will only make opposition defenders’ lives miserable.

Odds (average from top 24 betting firms): 98.08