Russia are playing New Zealand in the opening game of the FIFA 2017 Confederations Cup in St. Petersburg. The tournament will be held across four Russian cities over the next two weeks. RT Sport brings you live updates during the game.
18 June 2017
15:34 GMTFootball is indeed very significant for St. Petersburg - matches were held here even at the time of the Nazi siege, during the Second World War. Months before the siege the authorities suspended the matches because of the fighting, but later, despite the hunger, the bombings, the devastation, they decided they had to play football no matter what.
- 15:22 GMT
Russian opera star and 2018 FIFA World Cup ambassador Vasily Gerello has joined RT to sing football chants in St. Petersburg’s Dvortsovaya Square.
17 June 2017
17:08 GMTRT Sport's Danny Armstrong FT report from Saint Petersburg Stadium
FT Russia 2-0 New Zealand. Thoughts on the game. #ConfedCup 🇷🇺🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/tijW8WpUg9
— Danny Armstrong (@DannyWArmstrong) June 17, 2017- 16:55 GMT
Russia begin their Confed Cup campaign with a much-deserved win over the Oceania champs. Now for European Champions Portugal on Wednesday!
- 16:54 GMT
Full-time: Russia 2-0 New Zealand
- 16:52 GMT
3 minutes of added time are announced.
- 16:52 GMT
Russia break through Zhirkov on the left, but the veteran winger can't find a teammate and it's blocked for a corner.
- 16:52 GMT
Russia’s Fyodor Kudryashov
- 16:50 GMT
Change for Russia - goalscorer Smolov is off, Aleksey Miranchuk is on. Smolov gets a standing ovation from the crowd - he was a threat from start to finish for the hosts.
- 16:50 GMT
Miranchuk is just 21 years old, but is an exciting prospect for Russia.
