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Toshack seeks to repeat German draw
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Photo: ukpress.google.com
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Wales manager John Toshack has called on his squad to repeat
the heroics which earned them a shock draw in Germany last year when they
face Russia in a vital World Cup qualifier on Wednesday night.
Toshack's side produced a surprise by holding the Germans - who would
go on to reach the final of Euro 2008 - to a goalless draw in their final
qualifier.
He said: "We feel a lot better about the trip now we have three points
from Saturday's win over Azerbaijan. We will try to play as well as we
did in the last Euro 2008 qualifier in Frankfurt when we got a fully-deserved
0-0 draw."
The trip to the Russian capital is a daunting one, certainly for a side
now robbed of established defenders James Collins, Danny Gabbidon and
Lewin Nyatanga, who all played in that Frankfurt draw last November.
The task has not been made any easier by the shock retirement from international
football of Cardiff's Paul Parry, who would have played in Moscow, and
midfield schemer Jason Koumas, with more ankle problems.
Toshack said: "The game in Moscow would be perfect for Gabbidon,
Collins and Nyatanga, but they are not with us because of injury and we
will have to set up our team differently.
"We won't play with two strikers, that's for sure. It will not be
the same team, there will be different people in the side for this one."
He added: "We know we must try to get something from tough opposition.
The aim, somehow by hook or by crook, is to qualify.
"It will be the Russians' first game in this group and we know how
good they are. We saw their strengths in the European Championships (where
they reached the semi-finals), but we go into the game in a good frame
of mind and I will want a performance similar to the one we produced in
Frankfurt.
"We will want to give a good performance and do our very best to
get a good result. It will be a tough game but it will tell us a lot more
about some of our younger players."
UKpress.google.com,
09 Sep 2008
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