Sixty-four years after the quarterfinals it reached in Sweden 1958, Wales return to the final phase of a World Championship in Qatar 2022, which they secured with a victory against Ukraine in Cardiff under the guidance of their guide, Gareth Bale and from the inspiration of his goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
Objective accomplished for the former Real Madrid player who put all his efforts in recent months to get his team to a World Cup for the second time in its history. Bale, who managed to get Wales to play the last two European Championships, in one with a presence in the semifinals, put everything aside to be able to be in Qatar. He got it.
Wales’ success was a huge disappointment for Ukraine, which was swarming with supporters at Cardyff City looking for satisfaction in the midst of such a difficult time. A joy for a country subjected to the hell of an invasion. He also longed for her second World Cup presence.
The excessive initial respect between both teams for everything that was at stake led the match to a swing without destination in the areas. The ball changed owners permanently but each action decayed at the end of the game. It was in the final meters where the inaccuracies were most evident.
Until it seemed that Ukraine was in control. Oleksandr Zinchenko became a nightmare for Wales. It was the main access road that the Ukrainian team found, which accelerated after half an hour. A shot from the Manchester City player forced Wayne Hennessey to intervene. The keeper appeared again next, on a split ball in the small area that he reached before Viktor Tsygankov.
But when Oleksandr Petrakov’s team was at its best, Wales’ goal came. In the 34th minute on a set piece. A free kick that Gareth Bale executed and that Andriy Yarmolenko deflected with his head and bad luck towards the net.
Ukraine pressed with the idea of correcting the situation before the intermission. A long shot, full of intention and stuck to the left post by Oleksandr Zinchenko led to another good action from Hennessey.
Wales had the match where they wanted. And with that idea he faced the resumption. He could have extended his lead if Aaron Ramsey had been more successful on a pass from the left by Kieffer Moore. But he shot wrong and wide.
However, Robert Page’s team accommodated to the situation. Ordered in his field, with time in his favor and space to run. He gave the initiative to Ukraine, most in need. But the threat came with counterattacks from the local team.
With a long-range shot from Ruslan Malinovsky grazing the post and an incursion with a wild cross from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Petrakov’s side picked up momentum just before Sergiy Sydorchuk and Mykola Shaparenko came onto the pitch from the bench as a solution for the attack.
But the inclusion of the two Dinamo kyiv players did not find any loopholes against the Welsh defense that was able to sentence with a shot at the post by Brennan Johnson first and with a shot from Gareth Bale in an excellent position saved by Georgi Buschan. The goalkeeper saved Ukraine.
The match cracked in the last quarter of an hour. The threat was in one area and the other. Ukraine had the equalizer six minutes from time on a pass from the left by Vitali Mykolenko that Artem Dovbyk headed. Hennessey reappeared as the savior with a great save.
Bale was no longer there, replaced by Harry Wilson. Wales suffered at the end, cornered by Ukraine, increasingly clinging to the epic. The selection of Page that will be in his second World Cup kept the type. He will start his career in Qatar with the group of England, Iran and the United States.
– Data sheet:
Wales: Wayne Hennessey; Connor Roberts, Ben Davies, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams (Rhys Norrington-Davies, m.93); Ethan Ampadu, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Daniel James (Brennan Johnson, m.71) Kieffer Moore and Gareth Bale (Harry Wilson, m.83).
Coach: Robert Page
Ukraine: Georgi Buschan; Oleksandr Karavaev, Illia Zabarnyi, Mykola Matvienko, Vitali Mykolenko; Taras Stepanenko (Sergiy Sydorchuk, m.70); Andriy Yarmolenko, Ruslan Malinovsky (Mykola Shaparenko, m.70), Oleksandr Zinchenko, Viktor Tsygankov (Mykhailo Mudryk, m.77); and Roman Yaremchuk (Artem Dovbyk, d.77).
Coach: Oleksandr Petrakov.
Goals: 0-1, m.34: Andriy Yarmolenko, own goal
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP). He showed yellow cards to Joe Allen and Daniel James and Wales manager Robert Page and Ukraine’s Vitali Mykolenko and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Incidents: final match of the playoff for the 2022 Qatar World Championship played at the Cardiff City stadium before some 30,000 spectators. EFE
