Eduard Romanov in action as Russian proved too strong for England ©PPAUK/The FA

Reigning Paralympic champions Russia demonstrated why they considered overwhelmingly favourites to win the Cerebral Palsy Football World Championships by dispatching the hosts 5-0 at the quarter-finals at St George’s Park in Burton upon Trent,

Russia, who beat Ukraine 1-0 on British side to win the Paralympic gold medal in London, were kept in a close battle in the opening stages after English goalkeeper GIles Moore made several outstanding saves to keep his side in it.

Eventually, however, the floodgates opened as the aggressive Russians proved too strong.

Dimitriy Pestretsov, Georgiy Albegov, Eduard Ramonov, Ivan Potekhin and Alexander Kuligin all found the net in a dominant display of attacking football.

England battled hard but Russia's added quality eventually told in the quarter-final clash ©The FA
England battled hard but Russia's added quality eventually told in the quarter-final clash ©The FA

The gold medal favourites will now face The Netherlands after they required extra-time before edging out United States 2-1. 

On another sunny day,  the Dutch broke the deadlock shortly after half-time with a fine finish by Jeroen Schuitert only for the US to fight back strongly and score with a penalty by David Navarro Garza to bring things level.

Following a scoreless first period, attention was beginning to turn to an impending penalty shootout before substitute Peter Kooij popped up to score and send his side through to the sternest of semi-final challenges.

It was an all South American affair on the other side of the draw and Brazil dominated throughout to claim a 4-0 victory over Argentina

Jose Carols Monteiro Guimarães opened the deadlock early on, before Jan Francisco Brito da Costa scored twice before half-time to open clear daylight.

They will now face Paralympic silver medallists Ukraine, who overcame Ireland by a similar 4-0 margin thanks to goals from Yevhen Zinoviev, Artem Krasylnykov and a brace from Volodymr Antoniuk.

Both semi-finals are due to take place on Friday (June 26).



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