Cathartic as it is to support Wales on the world stage, reminders of unfairness and Qatar’s broken promises are everywhereFurrowed brows at half-time. Old friends raised knowing eyebrows and exhaled. The concourse of the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium was the kind of place you bumped into friends from school you hadn’t seen for years, but everyone skipped pleasantries to go straight to the important stuff: “Why wasn’t Kieffer playing? Don’t we miss Joe Allen in midfield? Oh, you’ve left the DVLA to start your own business and you’ve just had twins? Nice one.” Wales were 1-0 down and had been dreadful, an uncharacteristically poor performance after a surreal day. Maybe this is what World Cups are always like. I had...
A point from their opening game was a good result, but only if Rob Page’s side can follow it up with victory over Iran on FridayOfficially, Gareth Bale was the man of the match against the USA but even the Wales captain was happy to pass the accolade to Kieffer Moore, whose half-time introduction transformed the game. Moore rejuvenated the Red Wall, who could be forgiven for feeling a tad deflated at the break, and revitalised his teammates. Rob Page conceded his decision to start Daniel James, who was replaced by Moore, alongside Bale in attack, inspired by watching the USA play out a draw against Saudi Arabia in Alicante in September, backfired. “Lessons have been learned,” Page said. “It...
This national team is no longer defined by failure on the pitch but appearing at a World Cup takes national harmony to a new levelWales fans have been waiting 64 years to take their place among football’s elite and a long-held pipe dream has suddenly begun to feel very real. For some, confirmation that we have made it came when they saw Wales in a Panini World Cup sticker album, unfinished business from childhood being concluded in middle age. For others it is the uncharacteristic cavalcade of content around the Wales squad. TV documentaries, pages to ourselves in broadsheet pull-outs, journalists who have spent careers covering other teams muttering about “indefatigable team spirit” on podcasts, all complementing the Football Association...
On a frenzied night of red shirts, bucket hats and steadying drink, Gareth Bale gave the fans a once in a lifetime experienceAs the full-time whistle blew during our scruffy 1-0 win over Northern Ireland at Euro 2016, the older man behind me was weeping at the prospect of watching Wales in the quarter-final of a major championship. I performatively puffed out my cheeks and raised an eyebrow, in that way people do after reading a BuzzFeed article about how many egg whites Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson eats in a day.Feeling we had sufficiently bonded over Gareth McAuley’s own goal, and as he seemed to be in his 60s, I asked if he remembered Wales reaching the quarter- finals of...
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...