ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) Host nation Russia beat a poor New Zealand team 2-0 on Saturday to open the Confederations Cup with a win that was all but demanded by Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s president was in the $750 million new stadium in his native St. Petersburg to see forward Fyodor Smolov’s 69th minute goal add to an own goal by New Zealand defender Michael Boxall in the 31st.
Putin this week demanded better results from the 63rd-ranked Russia team and for the players to perform like warriors. They hardly needed to be in dispatching No. 95 New Zealand, which seemed to find the world stage too big.