ST. PETERSBURG, Russia: 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.
Russia’s win eases the pressure on its second game, against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Moscow on Wednesday. The European champion opens its Group A program on Sunday against Mexico in Kazan.
New Zealand is now without a win in four trips to the Confederations Cup, and next plays Mexico on Wednesday in Sochi.
The Kiwis threatened only with back-to-back chances in the 78th minute: A powerful Ryan Thomas shot saved by Russia captain Igor Akinfeev and Tommy Smith’s header blocked on the line.
Russia’s opening goal had an ugly finish after two pretty pieces of individual skill once the All-Whites defense needlessly lost the ball.
A chest-high pass to forward Dmitry Poloz was deftly guided into the path of Denis Glushakov who chipped the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic. A three-player race to meet the rebound off a post saw the sliding Boxall’s trailing right arm get the final touch in a bundle of bodies.
Russia deserved its first-half lead after twice having shots stopped on the line in the opening 10 minutes.
From Russia’s fourth corner, defender Viktor Vasin’s header saw the ball spin off a post and across the goalmouth before Michael McGlinchey cleared. Tommy Smith then tidied up when Poloz poked a close-range shot slowly past Marinovic.
In the 69th minute, Russia scored again when Smolov started a move on the halfway line, passed the ball wide to the right to Alexander Samedov and Smolov sprinted in to the penalty area to score from five yards.

Penalty goals among radical proposals up for debate
Penalty goals for handling the ball on the line could be a thing of the future if proposals compiled by the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) technical director are accepted.
The proposals in a document titled ‘Play Fair’ — which also include players being able to play freekicks and corners to themselves — are to be debated over the next nine months and could be added to at a meeting of Ifab, football’s global rule making body, next month.
The intention is to increase the amount of playing time, according to The Times who have seen the document.
“It is a radical document,” Ifab technical director David Elleray told The Times.
“You could say that it is a quiet revolution aimed at getting football even better.
“My starting point was to look at the laws and say ‘what are they for?’, and if there is no particular reason then would changing them make the game better,” added Elleray, a former leading referee.
Awarding a goal for handball on the line would have probably seen Ghana reach the 2010 World Cup semifinals as Uruguay’s Luis Suarez was sent off for handling Dominic Adiyiah’s goalbound shot on the line in the dying seconds of extra-time — Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the penalty and the South American side went on to win in the penalty shootout.
Elleray also recommends that referees only be able to blow for half-time or full-time when the ball is out of play and penalties being awarded if a goalkeeper handles a backpass.
On the other hand goalkeepers will be able to play goal kicks to teammates inside the area with their opponents obliged to be outside it.