World Cup group A: Uruguay finish top ahead of hosts Russia

Uruguay 3 Russia 0

Uruguay sealed top spot in group A after a comfortable 3-0 victory against Russia.

Both teams had already qualified for the World Cup round of 16 and following the final group B matches the results mean that Uruguay will play Portugal and the host nation Russia will play against Spain.

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Russia came into their final match on the back of victories against Saudi Arabia (5-0) and Egypt (3-1). But at the Samara Arena they were outclassed by a Uruguay side featuring Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

Their hopes were hit even further after Igor Smolnikov’s sending off for two yellow cards.

Suarez opened the scoring after ten minutes and Diego Laxalt’s shot was deflected in by Denis Cheryshev to make the score 2-0. Cavani then wrapped up the victory with the third in the last minute.

In the last-16 group A winners Uruguay will play group B runners-up Portugal on 30 June at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi. Russia will take on group B winners Spain at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on 1 July.

Saudi Arabia 2 Egypt 2

The two other teams in group A were playing for pride and it was Saudi Arabia who recorded their first victory at the World Cup.

Egypt star Mohamed Salah opened the scoring with his second goal of the tournament and the Pharaohs’s 45-year-old keeper Essam El Hadary saved a penalty from Fahad Al Muwallad.

However Salman Al Faraj did find the net from the penalty spot before Salem Al Dawsari scored the Saudi winner in the last seconds of the match.

Group A results

• Russia 5 Saudi Arabia 0
• Egypt 0 Uruguay 1
• Russia 3 Egypt 1
• Uruguay 1 Saudi Arabia 0
• Uruguay 3 Russia 0
• Saudi Arabia 2 Egypt 1

Team profiles and squads

Russia

• Head coach: Stanislav Cherchesov
• Fifa ranking: 66
• Number of World Cup appearances: ten
• Best finish: fourth place in 1966
• Player to watch: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow)

Russia World Cup results

• Russia 5 Saudi Arabia 0
• Russia 3 Egypt 1
• Uruguay 3 Russia 0

Russia 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Club Brugge), Andrey Lunev (Zenit St Petersburg)
• Defenders: Vladimir Granat (Rubin Kazan), Fedor Kudryashov (Rubin Kazan), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Andrey Semenov (Akhmat Grozny), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Mario Fernandes (CSKA Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St Petersburg)
• Midfielders: Yuri Gazinskiy (Krasnodar), Alexsandr Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow), Aleksandr Erokhin (Zenit St Petersburg), Yuri Zhirkov (Zenit St Petersburg), Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Zobnin (Spartak Moscow), Alexsandr Samedov (Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal)
• Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Aleksey Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar)

Saudi Arabia

• Head coach: Juan Antonio Pizzi
• Fifa ranking: 67
• Number of World Cup appearances: four
• Best finish: round of 16 in 1994
• Player to watch: Mohammad Al-Sahlawi (Al-Nassr)

Saudi Arabia World Cup results

• Russia 5 Saudi Arabia 0
• Uruguay 1 Saudi Arabia 0
• Saudi Arabia 2 Egypt 1

Saudi Arabia 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Mohammed Alowais (Al Ahli), Yasser Almosailem (Al Ahli), Abdullah Almuaiouf (Al Hilal)
• Defenders: Mansoor Alharbi (Al Ahli), Yasser Alshahrani (Al Hilal), Mohammed Alburyak (Al Hilal), Motaz Hawsawi (Al Ahli), Osama Hawsawi (Al Hilal), Omar Othman (Al Nassr), Ali Albulayhi (Al Hilal)
• Midfielders: Abdullah Alkhaibari (Al Shabab), Abdulmalek Alkhaibri (Al Hilal), Abdullah Otayf (Al Hilal), Taiseer Aljassam (Al Ahli), Hussain Almoqahwi (Al Ahli), Salman Alfaraj, Mohamed Kanno (both Al Hilal), Hatan Bahbir (Al Shabab), Salem Aldawsari (Al Hilal), Yahia Alshehri (Al Nassr)
• Forwards: Mohammed Al-Sahlawi (Al Nassr), Muhannad Asiri (Al Ahli), Fahad Almuwallad (Al Ittihad)

Egypt

• Head coach: Hector Cuper
• Fifa ranking: 46
• Number of World Cup appearances: two
• Best finish: first stage in 1934 and 1990
• Player to watch: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Egypt World Cup results

• Egypt 0 Uruguay 1
• Russia 3 Egypt 1
• Saudi Arabia 2 Egypt 1

Egypt 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Essam El Hadary (Al Taawoun), Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al Ahly), Sherif Ekramy (Al Ahly)
• Defenders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahly), Saad Samir (Al Ahly), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek), Mohamed Abdel-Shafy (Al Fateh), Ahmed Hegazi (West Brom), Ali Gabr (Zamalek), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa), Omar Gaber (Los Angeles FC)
• Midfielders: Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Abdallah Said (Al Ahli), Sam Morsy (Wigan Athletic), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City), Mahmoud Hassan (Kasimpasa)
• Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Marwan Mohsen (Al Ahly), Shikabala (Zamalek), Amr Warda (Atromitos), Mahmoud Kahraba (Al Ittihad)

Uruguay

• Head coach: Oscar Washington Tabarez
• Fifa ranking: 17
• Number of World Cup appearances: 12
• Best finish: winners in 1930 and 1950
• Player to watch: Luis Suarez (Barcelona)

Uruguay World Cup results

• Egypt 0 Uruguay 1
• Uruguay 1 Saudi Arabia 0
• Uruguay 3 Russia 0

Uruguay 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama), Martin Campana (Independiente)
• Defenders: Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Sporting Lisbon), Maximiliano Pereira (Porto), Gaston Silva (Independiente), Martin Caceres (Lazio), Guillermo Varela (Penarol)
• Midfielders: Nahitan Nandez (Boca Juniors), Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria), Matias Vecino (Inter Milan), Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus), Carlos Sanchez (Monterrey), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro), Diego Laxalt (Genoa), Cristian Rodriguez (Penarol), Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Monterrey)
• Forwards: Cristhian Stuani (Girona), Maximiliano Gomez (Celta Vigo), Edinson Cavani (Paris St-Germain), Luis Suarez (Barcelona)