Here is what will almost certainly be the last team summary I will have time to write up before the championships. If I've missed your favourite team I'm sorry and if you're really keen I'll type them out during the tournament itself. I have written up info on Colombia, the US, England, Brazil, Turkey, Germany, Norway, Portugal and now Russia. So if you want info on Australia (maybe if I'll have a bit more time I'll do them tonight) Uruguay, Korea, Saudi Arabia or Mexico let me know. Unfortunately I have nothing on the African teams, infact as I write this I have no idea which of the teams vying for those two spots have made it through. I assume that with 8 days to go they have been decided. (begin quote) Russia's journey to Australia '93 was unusual to say the least. The team started its qualifying process in 1990/91 as the USSR, played through the European Championship finals as the CIS, and now takes the field at the World Youth Championships as plain old Russia. The team topped its preliminary group table, seeing off Yugoslavia (4-2 and 2-3), Sweden (2-0 and 2-2) and Czechoslovakia (4-1 and 2-2). However, it didn't make much of an impression at the Euro finals, beating Hungary (3-1) and losing on penalties to Norway to scrape through to WYC '93. Russia's qualification to Australia '93 was filled with controversy because FIFA ruled that Russia was the former Soviet Unions successor state in both the 94 World Cup and this years youth series. The decision created outrage in the Ukraine, which in past tournaments provided almost half the soviet squad. The team that qualified for WYC '93 did so under the label of the CIS, but, only a month later, FIFA announced that the CIS no longer existed in international football. The Russian squad is composed mainly of players from Moscow clubs, but there are several non-russian names on the roster, including an Armenian, midfielder Gamlet Mkhitarian, and Ukrainians who have thrown their soccer lot in with Russia. Russia, then the CIS, did not create too straong an impression during last years qualifiers. Observers claimed that they were not a patch on the 1991 USSR side that won the European title and which edged Australia out of third place after a dramatic penalty shootout at Porto in Portugal. The Russians will be at a huge disadvantage at Australia '93 as they will be playing out of season, their local competitions traditionally taking a hiatus from November to April because of the rigours of the Russian winter. Also the lack of funds denied the squad a pre-tournament camp in warmer climes. Soviet youth teams always boast spectacular goalkeepers and this tradition continues with Spartak Moscow's Valeri Tchizov and Alexander Filimonov in this squad. In defence, the only department not dominated by Moscow players, Russia can call on players like Nikolai Goloubkine, Maxim Bokov, Albert Osolkov, and Dimitri Ananko. Dynamo Moscow's Alexei Savtchenko should be the stand-out man in the midfield. In attack, Vladimir Bestchastnykh, Sergei Tchoudine, Yuri Petrov and Yuri Axenov will be trying to attract the talent scouts. Whether they are Soviets, Ukrainians, Armenian or 'mere' Russians, players from the former USSR have plenty to live up to as their predecessors have featured prominently in most of the finals series. Furthermore the team should not feel too isolated as some 150 fans will accompany them down under. Likely Squad : (surnames in upper case) Dimitri ANANKO Iouri AXENOV Vladimir BESTCHASTNYKH Maxim BOKOV Alexander FILIMONOV Nikolai GOLOUBKINE Alexandre KARATAEV Valeri KHORLACHEV Denis KLIOUEV Andrei KONOVALOV Gamlet MKHITARIAN Albert OSKOLKOV Iouri PETROV Alexei SAVTCHENKO Valeri TCHIZHOV Serguei TCHOUDINE Igor ZAZOULINE Victor ZOLNIKOV (end quote) The Russians will play in Sydney and Canberra and face the second African qualifier 6/3, Australia 8/3 and Colombia 11/3.