So, Wales finally know what life after Gareth Bale looks like and it turns out it’s not so bad, after all. Just ask one of the supporters that flew forward a few rows amid the delirium of the debutant Nathan Broadhead registering a stoppage-time equaliser or one of the dozens of fans, whipping their shirts overhead in a frenzy, who could be heard singing on loop as Rob Page tried to put it all into words more than half an hour after the final whistle.
It is safe to say kicking off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a draw away at World Cup semi-finalists Croatia will make the Wales squad’s expected 4am arrival at Cardiff airport somewhat easier to stomach. “It will be a quick two hours, absolutely,” Page said of the flight home, smiling. His players had made a mockery of the largely defeatist yet equally understandable attitude among the away supporters who travelled to Split in hope of green shoots rather than anything tangible. Perhaps they had caught sight of Croatia’s home record in European qualifiers, which before kick-off read: won 34, drawn one, lost none. The magnitude of the result was not lost on anyone of a Wales persuasion, particularly given Croatia should have put the game to bed in the first half.
The goal provoked bedlam both pitchside and in the stands. The goalkeeper, Danny Ward, who recently lost his place at Leicester, legged it to join a throbbing huddle after the away bench emptied into the technical area as the Ipswich Town forward Broadhead, from Bangor, beat his chest in front of 1,700 Wales fans. Wales were trailing to Andrej Kramaric’s first-half opener when the fourth official, Vitor Ferreira, indicated three minutes of second-half stoppage time. Connor Roberts flung the ball into the box from a long throw, Chris Mepham flicked the ball on and Broadhead beat Josip Juranovic to it to poke in from inside the six-yard box. It was Wales’s only shot on target of the whole match. Broadhead was in tears as Wales’s players basked in the point at full-time. “I got a bit overwhelmed to be honest,” he said. “I got quite emotional.“
For a long while it seemed inevitable that Croatia would walk off the pitch with victory. Juranovic, the former Hajduk Split defender who joined Union Berlin from Celtic in January, had fun picking holes down the right flank, the much vaunted centre-back Josko Gvardiol was untroubled and Luka Modric, the evergreen 37-year-old captain, masterfully dictated midfield. Kramaric’s strike, potted into the bottom corner after brushing off Neco Williams, came two minutes after Ivan Perisic fumed at having a goal disallowed owing to an earlier foul. Perisic hit the crossbar with 82 minutes on the clock as Croatia probed for a second goal. “Modric is an absolute legend, isn’t he?” Page said. “I’d pay to watch him play, he’s incredible. So for our lads, like Joe Morrell, to go and give a level of performance like that against world-class midfielders speaks volumes about how when we represent our badge, we give everything we’ve got.”
For Wales supporters, it is a draw that will live long in the memory. The grisly post-match public address system announcement confirming they would have to stay in the away end long after full-time was music to their ears as they turned up the volume. Croatia had been determined to enjoy the occasion, their supporters at a sold-out stadium keen to make their pride known after living up to their status as serial overachievers by claiming the equivalent of a podium finish at the World Cup, but this was not exactly how they planned on marking their most recent success.
Croatia failed to heed the warning signs in the second half. Roberts caused problems with a couple of earlier long throws and Daniel James squandered a golden chance to equalise on the hour, firing wide after being located by Harry Wilson. Soon after Page made a triple substitution, withdrawing Aaron Ramsey, named captain following Bale’s retirement, and handing Broadhead his debut. Page said the substitutions were planned with Tuesday’s game against Latvia in Cardiff in mind. Jordan James also arrived for his debut as the clock ticked away in stoppage time.
The intrigue around how Wales would fare without their greatest ever player has been answered. “There’s life after Gareth, absolutely,” Page said. “Gareth’s moments of individual brilliance will for ever be remembered by the Welsh supporters. He was at an age at the end where, could he press for 95 minutes? Probably not. I couldn’t, when I was his age at the end of my career. He’s been an unbelievable servant for us. But that [result] is without Brennan [Johnson], without Ben Davies and other players that need to come back into the squad [from injury]. Positive signs.”
