IN a week where Scotland supporters were hoping to bring a decades-long wait to reach the World Cup, Wales’ 1-0 win over Ukraine will have made for difficult viewing for members of the Tartan Army.
The past week was a momentous one for Scotland, Wales and Ukraine. One nation knew they would be the 32nd and final country to qualify for the winter World Cup; for the remaining two, their painful absence from the finals of football’s greatest showpiece would stretch on.
The Welsh’s 64-year wait to reach the biggest stage makes our own extended absence from the sport’s top table look like the blink of an eye in comparison. Ukraine’s appearance at Germany 2006, meanwhile, is their only outing at the tournament as an independent nation following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
That remains the case following this 1-0 defeat but Ukrainians can be proud of their team’s performances over the last week. They were thoroughly deserving winners against Scotland and the better side against Wales, which – when the players’ lack of game time and match practice is considered – is a truly remarkable feat. But for the country that had the planet’s backing behind them, reaching Qatar proved to be a step too far.
In the end, it was a tale of two talismans. Gareth Bale, probably the greatest footballer Wales has ever produced, stole the headlines with his deflected first-half free-kick that ultimately secured a berth in Qatar for Rob Page’s team. The driving force behind his country’s success in recent years and always the man for the big occasion, it was little surprise that the game’s defining moment hinged on the 32-year-old.
This is football, though, and for every hero there must be a corresponding fall guy. Andriy Yarmolenko, scorer of Ukraine’s opening goal at Hampden and so often his country’s saviour, was handed the cruellest of roles. It was the national team’s captain whose desperate lunge for the ball diverted Bale’s free-kick beyond the despairing reach of goalkeeper Georgyi Bushchan and ultimately consigned his team to defeat in the Welsh capital.
Minutes later, the former West Ham United forward almost found redemption as he nipped in front of Joe Allen to rob the midfielder of possession in his own box, taking a tumble as the Stoke City player dangled a foot out. The away end at the Cardiff City Stadium exploded in protest but – somewhat mystifyingly – a VAR check ruled that no infringement had taken place.
Ukraine can feel hard done by in this defeat. Oleksandr Petrakov’s men had the better of it in Cardiff, particularly as the contest wore on and their opponents sat off, happy to defend their one-goal lead. If it weren’t for the goalkeeping heroics of Wayne Hennessey or the rearguard defending provided by the back three of Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and the excellent Ben Davies, they would surely have triumphed.
The Welsh had their chances too – Aaron Ramsey’s miss from eight yards out at the start of the second half was a real sitter that the midfielder somehow screwed wide of the far post, while substitute Brennan Johnson struck the woodwork within minutes of coming on – but while Page clearly learned some lessons from Scotland’s defeat on Wednesday night, others went unheeded.
Unlike Steve Clarke’s charges, the Welsh pressed intelligently and as a unit, asking some awkward questions of their opponents early on. It helped the Welsh seize the initiative to an extent and gave the Ukrainians limited options in possession, as did the small gaps in between Wales’ defence, midfield and attack.
The goal changed the game, of course, as they are wont to do. There was more than a touch of fortune about it and Yarmolenko’s decision to fling himself at the ball will doubtless give the forward a few sleepless nights. It was rash, it was rushed and most damningly of all, it was completely unnecessary.
The high line employed by Wales soon dropped much deeper – and it was a good thing, too. With so many players high up the park up until that point, the hosts carried more of a threat in the final third but it left them dangerously exposed on the counter. Yarmolenko’s opening goal at Hampden arrived because the Scots’ backline was too far forward and after beating the offside trap on a few occasions against the Welsh, it looked like Ukraine would find joy from this ploy once more until Wales hastily retreated down the park.
If the first half both teams enjoyed distinct spells where they were on top, controlling the ball and fashioning decent opportunities. That all changed after the restart as Wales decided to sit in and grind out the victory, holding onto their narrow lead and daring Ukraine to find a way through their strong defensive ranks.
It culminated in a nervy finale. The Welsh were subjected to wave after wave of attack as they resolutely held on and although there were a few hairy moments, the passionate backing from the stands roared them on and over the line.
Scots watching on could be forgiven for feeling a little envious. There isn’t a member of the Tartan Army who wouldn’t fancy their team’s chances in similar circumstances and this was the sort of backs-to-the-wall defensive display that has been a hallmark of Clarke’s management career.
This was a match that showed Scotland a glimpse of what they could have had. The dogged performance, that slice of good fortune, the rapturous celebrations from the stands as supporters celebrated the end of a generations-long struggle – it could have been ours.
Wales learned lessons from Scotland’s defeat to Ukraine, and they were rewarded for it. If we are to ever end our 24-year exile from the game’s greatest stage, then perhaps it is time we took a few pointers on board from our Celtic cousins.
