Gareth Bale was a hero once again as Wales claimed the victory in the playoffs with a score of 1: 0 Ukraine to secure your place in 2022 World Cup and set up an appointment with England in Qatar.
At the wet stadium “Cardiff City” Ukraine won in the first exchanges, when Victor Tsygankov, Roman Yaremchuk and Alexander Zinchenko at the beginning forced the Welsh stopper Wayne Hennessy to make saves. However, again, it was Bale who singled out the defining moment of the game.
The Welsh captain saw his studded free kick hit back West HamAndrei Yarmolenko in the role of “Dragons” opened the score shortly after the half-hour mark. Aaron Ramsey led the effort, which suffered a painful blow after the rapid flow of the Welsh in the minutes of the second period, before Hennessy seriously refused Gypsy and came to replace Artem Dowbik at close range.
Brennan Johnson, who came on as a substitute, came out on the bar late before Bale was denied close range, but it was not expensive as the Welsh have done enough to qualify for their first World Cup final since 1958. – a duel with England, Daily Star Sport take a closer look at how Drago Page’s Dragons will lead to all sorts of problems on Gareth Southgate’s side.
Bale is still shooting
Needless to say, the biggest threat from Wales that England faces is Bale. The 32-year-old confirmed he will leave Real this summerjust sparkle every time he pulls on a Welsh shirt.
Winger is involved in almost all of Wales ’best games and he once again performed when his country needed him the most. Bale’s free kick was too strong for the Ukrainian Yarmolenko, who inadvertently put the ball in his goal and gave it to the owner.
Perhaps Bale has recently questioned his commitment to the Real case, and he may well be the wrong side in his thirties, but the boy still has incredible abilities. England, beware.
Threat to full protection
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While England has many right-backs, Wales is also blessed in this division. Gareth Southgate is likely to have to choose between Rhys James of Chelsea and Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool as his first choice for the post – and the latter may well meet one of his teammates if the Three Lions meet with Welsh Qatar.
Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield double Williams has become a key figure for the Dragons over the past year and will be an integral part of their hopes of success at the World Cup. Williams spent an extremely impressive second season on loan at Fulham, helping the Catagers secure a promotion to the Premier League.
The 21-year-old footballer, who started on the left flank against Ukraine, is equally able to play both left and right, and offers a constant threat of attack. England will have to be wary of a versatile young man from Liverpool who has genuine quality in this Welsh side.
Pace at the break
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England repeatedly came into danger when in Saturday’s match in the League of Nations they suffered a shocking defeat by Hungary, when the system of 3-4-3 Southgate put the Three Lions on the wings. And Wales will hope that England will line up in the same shape in Qatar.
The Welsh have enough speed at the break and will seek to use the space behind England’s defense, where Hungary achieved great success on Saturday. With Bale on one side and fast Dan James on the other, the Welsh are a handful when on the attack.
Although neither Harry Wilson of Fulham nor Johnson of Nottingham Forest have started against Ukraine, the pair are others who pose a threat in the future. England will have to fear the dangers of this Welsh side during the break, otherwise they will have a hard time in Qatar.
The magic of midfield
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Not only in the attack Wales has a high quality and a real threat to England. Aaron Ramsey of Wales has a player who can create moments of magic from midfield.
The former Arsenal star has gone through a difficult season on loan in Scotland with the Rangers, but there is no denying that he is still capable of producing on the field. Against Ukraine Ramsey did not show himself in the best way, but his moment and intelligence were shown to everyone.
The 31-year-old will be disappointed that he didn’t do better when he found a goal at his mercy early in the second period, and his clever run from midfield to penalty area deserved better. Throughout his career the Welshman has made it a habit to score goals from midfield, and England will need to fear his moves and the threat of scoring goals if the two countries meet in Qatar.
Using the 12th person
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“If there was a World Singing Championship, Wales would be a favorite every time!” gushed Martin Tyler after the noisy performance of the Welsh hymn Hyun Vlad Phi Nhadau before the start. And while Tyler’s remarks may have been a bit exaggerated, his point is definitely worth it.
Although this side of Wales is full of quality, this side of Wales will be stronger if it meets England in Qatar and will seek all the help they can get. Fortunately for Rob Page’s people, they have one of the hottest support bases in the international arena.
England will be well aware that with the support of their 12th man, this Welsh team can cause frustration and go far in international tournaments. Look no further than Euro 2016.
