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After the "miracle" against Spain, all of Russia has long dreamed of a very big shot of the World Cup. "We understand that we can go to the finals and we really believe in it," said midfielder Alexander Golovin
05:50, 07 July 2018
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Even if the host plays Saturday (20 hours / live ORF A) in Sochi is not the favorite again, the Russians feel their luck against Croatia.
A few days before the start, the Russians had barely believed in their team at this World Cup. Sbornaja, the only FIFA World Rank No. 70, has been ridiculed in their own country. But since the knockout rounds against the former world champion Spain (4: 3), the local team no longer smiles at anyone
In the streets and in the the media, the guardian Ifer Akinfejew Held celebrated on the Internet one celebrates the distinctive upper lip jewelry of the team leader Stanislaw Chertschessow as "mustache of hope". Cries have already been heard to build the monuments of Akinfejew and Chertschessow. "The Sbornaja has done a miracle, it's paved the way for dreams," writes the often-critical journal "Sport-Express".
Indeed, Russia seems to have a historic triumph within its reach. A semifinal pbadage would be the biggest success since the World Cup in England in 1966. Ironically, on the "Russian Riviera" Sbornaja could now succeed. Many Russians are still delirious about Russia's greatest sporting triumph at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, when the host won the most medals. Nobody thinks of the following disenchantment with the doping scandal.
The surprising race seems to release the team, Alexander Samedov is convinced. "We do not have a lot of pressure," said the midfielder. Before the tournament it was still very different. "We just want to give the fans a lot of joy and go further."
Favorit Croatia knows that playing on the Black Sea is going to be a difficult task. Above all, the vast majority of Russian fans permeates the coach Zlatko Dalic and his team of respect. "It will be a tough game against the hosts in Sochi, nobody will love us there, it will be a good test for us," said Dalic. About 10,000 Croatian fans are expected in the media – less than a quarter of the capacity of the Fischt stadium.
The Croats also dream of history, since the first day of the World Cup, they talk about the repetition of the coup of 1998. At that time, they were third, top scorer of 98 places Davor Suker is today president of the badociation. In the group stage, the team coped well, but with the favorite role against Denmark, it was difficult. Thus the goalkeeper Danijel Subasic became a hero with three held penalties, with which he set the record of the World Cup Ricardo of 2006. Luka Modric "We must be even stronger and more stable because we want to make our country even more proud "" This was not a nice match, but we reached our goal. "Great enemy," said Dalic on the Russians. Modric admitted, "It will be a tough match, and the Russians have shown against Spain that they can fight." And the Real Madrid man looked "a little safer" a little further in the future. To win the title with Croatia was "almost unthinkable, as the most beautiful fairy tale, to master the trophy as captain would be incredible."
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