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Moscow heartbreak for gallant Wales
Russia 2-1 Wales
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Photo: walesonline.co.uk
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ANOTHER World Cup roller-coaster, another missed Wales penalty,
another super-sub centre-forward scoring the winner in the closing moments
of a tense game.
Only this time, agonisingly for John Toshack's men in Moscow, it was Russia's
Pavel Pogrebnyak, not Sam Vokes of Wales, who popped up to grab the three
points.
The big man's strike from 10 yards out just nine minutes from the end
denied gallant Wales what would have been a commendable draw and a precious
point in the race to reach South Africa 2010.
This was one of those ''if only' matches for Toshack and his team. Gareth
Bale missed a penalty, following hot on the heels of Jason Koumas, who
had also squandered a golden spot-kick opportunity before Vokes won the
day against Azerbaijan at the weekend.
Roman Pavlyuchenko made Bale pay by making no mistake with a penalty of
his own for the Russians just a few minutes later, but Wales hit back
thrillingly with a 67th-minute equaliser by Joe Ledley.
That Ledley goal, it seemed, had set Toshack's men on the road to what
would have been a remarkable result and there was even a slight hint at
that moment they could have gone on to sneak a win that would have sent
shock waves not just around the football world, but even back home in
Wales.
But Russia boss Guus Hiddink sent Pogrebnyak into the fray 17 minutes
from the end and it took him just seven minutes to destroy Welsh dreams
by hammering home the winner.
Defeated, but most certainly not disgraced, Wales did not get the hiding
many feared against the eighth best ranked team in the world, a side put
together masterfully by Hiddink who only a few months ago rampaged into
the last four of Euro 2008.
With so many key players missing, reality decreed this was always going
to be a step too far for Wales. But they stuck to their task gallantly,
refused to wilt under intense pressure and in the end will rue the fact
that it was only two self-inflicted defensive errors which cost them the
game.
At the final whistle, Wales had players on the pitch from Peterborough
United, Swansea and even Wrexham and that sort of rearguard was not going
to hold out over 90 minutes against the wily skills and finishing prowess
of multi-million pound-rated front men like Pavlyuchenko, Andrei Arshavin
and, in the end, Pogrebnyak.
Craig Morgan was at fault with Russia's first goal, Ashley Williams was
partly to blame for the second. Hopefully, by the time the October qualifiers
come around, the likes of James Collins, Lewin Nyatanga, Craig Bellamy
and Koumas will be back to bolster Wales, while Danny Gabbidon should
have returned by March for pivotal home games against Finland and Germany.
There was an incredibly intimidating atmosphere inside the Lokomotiv Stadium
at kick-off time as 50,000 Russians packed in to roar on their team for
the first time since Hiddink's men thrilled Europe with their football
in reaching those semi-finals in Austria and Switzerland in June.
Hiddink said the Russian public had 'connected' with their national football
team for the first time since the 1960s and the stirring rendition of
the national anthem simply supplemented the sense of occasion, making
it a real walk into the lion's den for the glut of young guns in Toshack's
side.
Nonetheless, Wales were ready for the challenge and in the first half,
those two penalty aberrations apart, the players tried manfully to implement
the game-plan Toshack had put in place.
Stop Arshavin, was the order of the day and by and large Wales managed
that in the first 45 minutes, the Russian playmaker finding Carl Robinson
and Carl Fletcher harrying and harassing him every time he found himself
in possession.
Arshavin did produce one moment of magic in the 13th minute, his clever
ball behind Bale sending Anyukov away, and Wayne Hennessey saved splendidly
as Pavlyuchenko drilled goalwards from the ensuing cross.
Just three minutes after, Wales stunned the Russians with a quick counter
which saw Bale and Ledley exchange passes before the Tottenham defender
was upended by Semak as he raced into the penalty area.
It was a dream opportunity for Wales and Bale picked himself up from the
floor, dusted himself down and stepped forward to take the spot-kick ...
only to see Akinfeev dive to his right to brilliantly turn the penalty
attempt aside.
After Koumas last Saturday, four days on it was Bale's turn. Paul Bodin,
Koumas, Bale... what is it with Wales and World Cup spot-kicks?
The delighted Russian outfield players almost to a man swarmed around
Akinfeev to congratulate him. They knew what a key moment that was.
Guess what happened next? The inevitable, of course, as Russia won a penalty
of their own just six minutes afterwards and Pavlyuchenko succeeded where
Bale had failed by dinking his effort over Hennessey and comfortably into
the net.
It was a ridiculous goal for Wales to give away and came about when they
were under no real pressure from the Russians.
Morgan should have put a comfortable header back into the arms of Hennessey,
but instead misdirected his attempt and left the Welsh keeper scrambling
to stop the ball going for a corner.
Hennessey could have let the ball go to enable the team to regroup, but
instead simply diverted it straight into the path of the Russians, Zyrianov
was upended by a clumsy Robinson and Pavlyuchenko hit home the penalty.
It was a real comedy of errors by Wales and put the team right on the
back foot just as they appeared to have weathered the early Russian storm,
if not exactly proved they could tame the big bear.
Toshack knew at half-time his game-plan, centred around frustrating the
Russians for an hour and then trying to score in the closing moments,
had to be ripped up. He took off Robinson, put Sam Ricketts on at left-back
and sent Bale further forward into midfield to try to provide more of
a cutting edge.
Russia twice nearly increased their lead at the start of the second period,
first when Pavlyuchenko drilled a shot wide, then when Arshavin put a
free header badly past Hennessey's post.
But Wales were hanging in there, refusing to give up and hit back memorably
with Ledley's moment of magic after 67 minutes. The goal owed everything
to Bale who, popping up on the right, scythed his way straight through
two Russian defenders before crossing low into the path of Ledley, who
tapped home from inside the six-yard box.
Quite what Bale was doing out on the right flank I'm not sure, but the
113 Welsh fans inside the ground certainly weren't moaning at that moment.
Ledley's strike had Wales dreaming and Hiddink worried. The Russia boss
sent on big target man Pogrebnyak in the 73rd minute to throw three men
up front, a move immediately countered by Toshack, who brought off David
Edwards and substituted him with big Steve Evans from Wrexham.
Evans became the first non-league player to appear for Wales since the
1930s, but it was the home substitution that prevailed as Wales conceded
another goal in the 81st minute that could so easily have been avoided.
Arshavin's cross from the left was headed goalwards by Zyrianov, whose
effort was brilliantly beaten out by Hennessey. Williams should then have
cleared, but instead fly-hacked at the ball clumsily and diverted it straight
into the path of Pogrebnyak.
The big man made no mistake with the gift, drilling his shot under Williams'
feet to seal the game for the Russians.
Wales had battled gamely, but in the end two errors at the back from lower
division defenders cost them... as we feared it would.
How Wales rated
Wayne Hennessey - 8
Pulled off a couple of superb stops and was let down by his defenders
for Russia's two goals.
Chris Gunter - 8
Battled manfully from the first minute, but perhaps gave Arshavin too
much room to cross for Russia's second goal.
Craig Morgan - 6
Unforced error let Russia in for the move that led to their penalty. One
moment's lapse of concentration cost Wales dear, but otherwise played
well.
Ashley Williams - 6
As above. Did okay, up until his hashed clearance which gifted Russia
their winning goal.
Gareth Bale - 8
Missed a penalty, but up and down the left flank the whole night, he brilliantly
set up Ledley's goal.
Simon Davies - 5
The skipper was over-run in the midfield and not as influential as he
would want for the second match running.
Carl Fletcher - 7
Worked his socks off to deny Russia in first half and try to get Wales
on the front foot in the second.
Carl Robinson - 5
Booked in the first half, gave away the penalty, subbed at half-time,
Not his night.
Joe Ledley - 7
He will never forget his goal. Tremendous work ethic, up and down and
linked well with Bale. Good game.
David Edwards - 6
Battled manfully going forward and defending back, but like Davies he
was not in the game often enough.
Sam Vokes - 6
Given the lone striker's role, he gave it everything until brought off
in the 61st minute. But it's a thankless task.
Subs: Sam Ricketts (for Robinson 46 mins) 6, Ched Evans (for Vokes 61
mins) 6, Steve Evans (for Edwards 77 mins) 5.
Russia: Akinfeev, Anyukov, Ignashevich, Kolodin, Zhirkov, Semshov, Zyrianov,
Semak (Pogbrebnyak 73), Arshavin, Torbinskiy (Saenkov 60), Pavlyuchenko
(Bystrov 90).
WalesOnline.co.uk,
Sep 11 2008
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