June 19, 2014

Russia's World Cup Record


Russia's World Cup Record

Russia is not known as a soccer powerhouse. But it does have a devoted fan base, is set to host the 2018 World Cup, and has the highest-paid coach at this summer’s World Cup. Russia’s squat has been ranked #18 in the games by FIFA and is not predicted to win the world’s most popular sporting event. In fact, some experts believe that the Russian national team, which has only qualified for two World Cup games in the past, will be hard pressed to make it out of its group round, where they face off against Belgium, South Korea and Algeria.

But, all that aside, back in 1994, at Russia’s first World Cup games, a member of the Russian team made history.

Oleg Salenko, a striker, set the World Cup record for most goals scored in one game by a single player in his team’s match against Cameroon. Salenko had five goals in that match, lifting Russia to a 6-1 win over the African nation. Here is a video of his amazing feat:

 

Salenko was consequently awarded the Golden Boot, an award given to the player with the most goals in a FIFA World Cup, for his six goals during the Cup (Salenko scored his sixth goal in a match against Sweden). 

Salenko’s achievement is all the more impressive given the fact that Russia was eliminated in the group stage of the 1994 World Cup after losing to Brazil and Sweden. The Russian footballer is the only player in the history of the games to win the Golden Boot while playing on a team that lost in the first round of the tournament.

But that was 20 years ago. Of course Oleg Salenko no longer plays for the Russian team. And while the chances of a Russian victory in Brazil seem slim (After a 1-1 tie with South Korea in their first match of the 2014 games, the Russian team is by no means out of the competition.), super-compensated Head Coach Fabio Capello is optimistic about the team’s chances:

“… I believe in my team and their capability of winning a place in the World Cup knockouts. Russia has a good team.” 

Russian National Team
Russia's World Cup squad

 

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955