A major issue in Russia. Soccer players lack proper footwear before the match
A bizarre incident occurred right before the friendly soccer match between Russia and Cuba, which was scheduled for Monday. Upon arriving in Volgograd, the North American players quickly had to shop for new gear, as they did not have appropriate equipment for the game.
Due to Russia's military aggression towards Ukraine, the nation's team has been barred from official UEFA and FIFA tournaments. Consequently, among other things, they are not allowed to participate in the ongoing Euro 2024 qualifiers. The "Sborna" can only partake in friendly matches.
Utilizing the November break, Russia arranged a match against the Cuban team, currently ranked 169th in the FIFA standings, in front of their home crowd. The North American players managed to reach Russia without significant issues. However, they realized they were unequipped for Monday's match upon arrival.
The problem arose when the Cubans unpacked shoes that were unsuitable for playing in Russian conditions. The team usually trains on a surface different from the one they will use on Monday. The Secretary General of the Cuban Football Association, Miguel Angel Diaz, publicly addressed the issue.
"In Cuba, we train on synthetic fields, typically not so wet, so we use shoes with short studs. Upon arriving in Russia, we discovered we needed different shoes to play the match," Diaz told sports.ru journalists.
Due to their footwear dilemma, the Cuban team immediately organized a shopping excursion after arriving in Russia. Fortunately, they came with enough time to purchase the right shoes comfortably.
"We bought shoes here. The quality was not of importance. The priority was purchasing footwear that was suitable for playing on Russian grass," Diaz commented.
The match between Russia and Cuba commences Monday at 9:30 AM Eastern Time. Thus, North American soccer players will soon get to test their newly bought cleats.
