He does not dominate matches as he once did but Bale was instrumental in the goal that sent his country to their first World Cup finals in 64 yearsIt was about Gareth Bale. If it was about Wales, it was always going to be about Bale. He may have played only 22 minutes of football in the 10 weeks since the playoff semi-final win over Austria; he may not be able to last anything like a full game; he may in effect have become a former player as far as Real Madrid are concerned; but he is still the player who makes Wales more than just another mid‑ranking side.There will be those who have their subjective preferences for John Charles...
Robert Page picks an attacking lineup for Wales’s win or bust World Cup playoff and his leading man dazzles on centre stageWith 23 minutes gone there was a moment of uproar inside the Cardiff City Stadium as Harry Wilson was blocked off outside the Austria penalty area; uproar that gave way almost immediately as Szymon Marciniak blew his whistle for the free-kick.Suddenly the air was alive with a weird kind of buzz, like the moment in a storm just before the lightning bolt hits and things start to lift: the hairs on your arms, seats flipped up, people in the stands starting to raise their hands above their heads. Gareth Bale paced it out and waited, charging the moment a...
Attitudes are changing, away from winning at all costs and a focus on medals, towards compassion and careInstead of more medals, more compassion. Instead of extraordinary superheroes, brilliant human beings. Instead of a chest-beating accompaniment to “the best ever” chant, simple expressions of pure joy. What a fascinating year of sport, where what happens on the pitch is now much more connected to what happens off it. And what incredible leadership from sportsmen and women across the world who have gone beyond the traditional boundaries of the sporting world to show us a better way to think, behave and connect.In the Euros Gareth Southgate demonstrated that compassion and care play a central role in high performance, on and off the...
The achievement of reaching the last 16 must not be played down – this is a team who continue to find a wayI have lots of fridge magnets commemorating Euro 2016, which renew my vigour as I replace my son’s Petit Filous because he’s thrown the first one I got him against the wall. “You have lived your dream,” I think, staring at Ashley Williams acknowledging the Welsh fans in Lille, “and no one comes round because of Covid anyway, so why does it matter that we have historic yoghurt splashes on the ceiling?”I had fallen in love with the current group of Welsh players long before the tournament began, but they are constantly creating more fridge magnet moments. Aaron...
Watched by the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan and a partisan crowd, Robert Page’s players refused to be cowedVisitors to Baku invariably depart Azerbaijan with unnerving memories of crossing roads in the face of kamikaze local motorists.Pedestrians hoping for longevity require the sort delicately calibrated balance of caution and aggression showcased so superbly on the pitch by Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and the rest of Robert Page’s impressively streetwise side on Wednesday night. Related: Ramsey and Roberts sink Turkey to put Wales on verge of Euro 2020 progress Related: Robert Page hails Gareth Bale after captain drives Wales to victory Continue reading...