​From Moscow to Saint Petersburg

   
Over the next month, I'll be covering the World Cup for Tribalfootball. And along the way, I'd like to share with you some of my experiences and keep you up to date with all the action! Gettin' around - Part One I've been asked a few times about how the train system is in Moscow. And so far, the 'Metro' has been impeccable. That being said, coming from Melbourne, any city where you don't wait for a train for 40 minutes can hold that mantle. The system has made it easy for fans to attend games and take in such a vast city. The signage has been in English. There are English announcers while on the trains to notify you of what's going on, because Russian isn't the easiest to understand or read. I haven't had to wait any longer than three minutes for a train. It reminds me a lot of the London Tube, in that it looks so complicated but once understood, can be enjoyed as a simple exercise. There is a lot more about the Metro system to discuss, but I'll wait until I arrive back in the city. Groundhog Day Yesterday was like watching Euro2016 all over again. An underwhelming Portugal getting played off the park by a supposedly inferior opponent, but holding onto to a 1-0 win thanks to the one and only, Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro. It was terrific watching the great man play live, despite his slight addiction to rolling around on the grass. I felt a real sympathy for the Moroccan fans. They were fantastic throughout the whole day, and so were their team, who ultimately didn't have the killer edge in the final third to win the match. Genuine nerves It is not long now until Australia play Denmark in Samara. It's pretty simple for the Socceroos: get a result or you're out. Prior to the tournament, I was one of many pessimistic forecasters that predicted a healthy leathering by all three teams in Russia. Saturday's performance against Les Bleus proved me wrong. Bert van Marwijk has done away with Ange Postegcoglou's insistence on overplaying the football and focused on defensive solidity. The question is can they score goals to win today? In the second game France take on Peru in Ekaterinburg, while last off we have a cracker in Nizhny Novgorod as Lionel Messi's Argentina take on Croatia. After the draw with Iceland in the opening game, the pressure will be on La Albiceleste to get a win over the Group D leaders.

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  • From Moscow to Saint Petersburg

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  • Degryse declares Man Utd reject Januzaj 'proved he deserved his place against England'

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  • England striker Rashford frustrated by Courtois 'again!'

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  • Man Utd reject Januzaj: I wanted to show my English critics

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  • Real Madrid fullback Carvajal defends Spain 'commander' Iniesta

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