MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on Monday at the World Cup (all times local):
2:45 p.m.
A Kremlin spokesman says the Russian government is relieved nobody died in a weekend taxi crash in Moscow that injured two Mexican soccer fans and six other pedestrians.
A taxi veered onto the sidewalk near Red Square on Saturday, striking pedestrians. The man identified as the taxi driver later told interrogators that he hadn’t slept for 20 hours and accelerated accidentally.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells reporters Monday that “we breathed a sigh of relief” upon learning that there were no fatalities. He wished the injured a speedy recovery.
City authorities identified the driver as a 28-year-old man from Kyrgyzstan.
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2:25 p.m.
Sweden starts with Marcus Berg and Ola Toivonen in attack in its opening game at the World Cup against South Korea. Berg and Toivonen lead Sweden’s forward line in the country’s first World Cup appearance since 2006. Sweden is now without striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who retired after the 2016 European Championship and ultimately failed in a bid to make a comeback to the squad for Russia.
Sweden is led by captain and central defender Andreas Granqvist and also has attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg in the starting lineup on Monday. But, in a surprise, defender Victor Lindelof missed out on a starting spot and Pontus Jansson takes his place.
South Korea has pinned its hopes on an attacking trio of Son Heung-min of Tottenham, Kim Shin-wook and Hwang Hee-chan, who all start the Group F match in Nizhny Novgorod. Captain Ki Sung-yueng is in midfield for South Korea, which has won just two games at the World Cup since its run to the semifinals at home in 2002.
Jo Hyeon-woo will start in goal for the Koreans.
Lineups:
Sweden: Robin Olsen, Mikael Lustig, Andreas Granqvist, Ludwig Augustinsson, Sebastian Larsson, Albin Ekdal, Marcus Berg, Emil Forsberg, Viktor Claesson, Pontus Jansson, Ola Toivonen.
South Korea: Jo Hyeon-woo, Lee Yong, Park Joo-ho, Son Heung-min, Kim Shin-wook, Hwang Hee-chan, Koo Ja-cheol, Ki Sung-yueng, Lee Jae-sung, Kim Young-gwon, Jang Hyun-soo.
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1:50 p.m.
Stanislav Cherchesov’s lineup faces Egypt in its next World Cup game, but that isn’t stopping the Russia coach wishing the injured Mohamed Salah is fit to play.
He wants Egypt’s biggest star to play because it will heighten the contest.
Cherchesov says “God willing, he’ll be fit and entertain the fans, not just of Egypt but the whole world. He’s the kind of player who lights up games and tournaments like this.”
Salah was injured playing in the Champions League final for Liverpool last month and missed Egypt’s opening 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Friday, a day after Russia opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
Cherchesov isn’t giving away any details of how Russia will play with or without Salah on the field in St. Petersburg, but says Egypt isn’t necessarily doomed to a second defeat if Salah’s not fit.
He says “It’s clear they have other players who play at a good level with pretty modern football.”
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12:30 p.m.
The Denmark midfielder who sustained two broken ribs and a punctured lung after a hard collision with Peru’s Jefferson Farfan says he is doing better and hopes to return at the World Cup.
William Kvist posted a video on Facebook from the hospital in Saransk to say he was travelling home Monday for further checks. He said there was “tiny opportunity” he would return to the Danish squad, adding “we will get a long way.”
Denmark beat Peru 1-0 on Saturday in its opening game and next plays Australia in Group C.
Denmark coach Ake Hareide said after the game that if Kvist has a fractured rib, “he’s out of the World Cup for sure.”
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