Russia eyes World Cup qualifier

London:

Russia's World Cup qualifying hopes are on the line on Wednesday at Latvia. Russia is in third place in Group 3 - one point ahead of Latvia, a surprise qualifier for last year's European Championship. Both countries are chasing group leader Portugal - and a win for either side might only earn a playoff spot. If Slovakia beats lowly Liechtenstein on Wednesday, it will be level on points with Portugal, which has 20 points. Russia has 14 points and Latvia 13. "Now we have a match against Latvia on the agenda - this match is the most important for us. We will see what happens then,'' Russia coach Yury Syomin said. Only the eight European group winners are guaranteed a place in the finals in Germany next year. The two best second-placed teams also directly qualify with the other six second-place teams forced into playoffs. The final four rounds of European qualifying are held in September and October. (AP)