MOSCOW- Host nation Russia had a dream start on Thursday night, the first game of the FIFA World Cup 2018, Russia thrashed Saudi Arabia 5-0.
Substitute Cheryshev scored two brilliant goals after Yury Gazinsky headed the World Cup’s first goal after 12 minutes.
Artem Dzyuba was also on target just a minute after coming on as a 70th-minute substitute, with Aleksandr Golovin completing a memorable day by scoring a spectacular free kick with the last action of the game.
The former Real Madrid player scored twice in a convincing 5-0 defeat of Group A opponent’s Saudia Arabia.
Cheryshev said, “There are no words to express what I’m feeling right now. I’m happy we won and happy I could help my team,”
“I could never have dreamed of anything like this. I felt very happy when I knew I would be here in the squad but I never dreamed of anything like this.”
The 27-year-old’s career has been hampered by a succession of injuries, resulting in Fabio Capello overlooking him for the 2014 World Cup and missing out on Euro 2016.
His last appeared for Russia before a March recall in November 2015, means he missed more than two years of international duty.
He said, “I’m happy for the team and for my own family. They’ve suffered so much with my injures and I think they’ve really deserved this,”
“I’m happy we’ve won but we shouldn’t stop there. Any moment you relax you can be knocked out so you have to keep working and looking forward.
“I would like to carry on at this level so that we succeed as a team.”
Photo Credit- Reuters
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