World Cup 2018: Russia scores, schedule, complete squad, TV and live stream, players to watch

The host nation is making its fourth FIFA World Cup appearance

The 2018 World Cup kicks off on June 14 as host Russia takes on Saudi Arabia. CBS Sports will have you covered for each game, all the important news and more, as well as profiles of all of the teams.

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The 2018 World Cup in Russia is a big one for the host country, as they look to get their first ever taste of knockout stage if they can escape Group A. Here's everything you need to know about the team, led by coach Stanislav Cherchesov. 

Competition history

World Cup appearances: Four
Best finish: Group stage in all three.
Last World Cup: 2014, finishing 24th. 

Matches

Thursday, June 14: vs. Saudi Arabia at 11 a.m ET, stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Tuesday, June 19: vs. Egypt at 2 p.m. ET, stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
Monday, June 25: vs. Uruguay at 10 a.m. ET, stream on fuboTV (Try for free) 

Roster

Russia hosts its first World Cup and hopes to escape the group stage for the first time.   Getty Images

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Brugge), Soslan Dzhanaev (Rubin Kazan), Andrei Lunev (Zenit St. Petersburg).

Defenders: Vladimir Granat, Ruslan Kambolov, Fedor Kudryashov (all Rubin Kazan), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Neustadter (Fenerbahce), Konstantin Rausch (Dynamo Moscow), Andrei Semenov (Akhmat Grozny), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Mario Fernandes (CSKA Moscow).
Midfielders: Yuri Gazinsky (Krasnodar), Alexander Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow), Alexander Erokhin (Zenit St. Petersburg), Yuri Zhirkov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit St. Petersburg), Roman Zobnin (Spartak Moscow), Alexander Samedov (Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Tashaev (Dynamo Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villareal).
Strikers: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Alexei Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Fyodor Smolov (Krasnodar), Fyodor Chalov (CSKA Moscow).

Best Player

It's goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. The captain, at 32 years old, has 104 caps and should shatter the national team's cap record of 120 before too long. The CSKA Moscow legend has good size, quick reactions and plays smart. He'll have to be in tip-top form for his country to get through the group stage. 

Player to watch

Denis Cheryshev. The winger is arguably the most talented played on the team, and Real Madrid saw that back in 2002 when they signed him into their youth ranks. Though he never really was able to make an impact at Real, he showed flashes on loan and Villarreal and Valencia. Now with Villarreal fully, he hasn't stayed healthy but when he is, he is a creative force that can turn a game at any moment. A Russia national team without him doesn't feel like one that can do much, but with him and if he plays like he can, they can make a little run. 

Outlook

They have enough to beat Saudi Arabia and Egypt to move on to the round of 16, but a slip-up against either and they are probably done. This is a physical team that isn't the most coordinated, and the way they play may not be the most appealing, but their gritty style can get them results. 

From : https://www.cbssports.com

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