Bruised Giggs ready for Russian rematch

RYAN GIGGS considers the horror assault that almost wrecked his season, “one of the worst” he has ever had to withstand in nearly 15 years as a professional.

And as the magnitude of the Welsh performance in the ferociously partisan Lokomotiv Stadium in Moscow began to sink in, Giggs also accused of using his elbow in the mayhem that followed was still darkly brooding about the incident that was the flash point of their Euro 2004 play-off first leg.

Having witnessed his career from his days as a 15-year-old for Salford Schools, it is hard to remember Giggs 30 at the end of the month looking so angry.

It was not until Wales' jet had touched down at 2am in Cardiff on Sunday that Giggs was even able to speak clearly about the assault. And he was still inwardly seething.

Four hours earlier in the departure lounge of Moscow's Domodedovo airport, Giggs had sat fuming and silent, his head almost disappearing deep into his coat. Giggs, annoyed that he had been provoked into retaliation, had been raked by a high and wild lunge from Vadim Evseev that damaged his shin pad.

Seconds after the Manchester United star had limped back on, he clashed again with the Russian full-back, who went down clutching his face.

Giggs said: "That was one of the worst tackles I have ever had to content with in my career. It made me very angry. It was high and dangerous. I was angry when it happened, and I am still very angry now. I am bruised, yes, but I will be all right to play in Wednesday's second leg."

Wales skipper Gary Speed had rushed to his colleague's aid during the fracas and been booked for dissent by Portuguese referee Lucilio Batista, who failed even to penalise the Russian and forced Giggs to get up while having treatment and limp off the pitch.

In the uproar that followed the second Giggs clash with Evseev, which saw the Locomotiv star collapse theatrically to the floor clutching his face, Robbie Savage and Alexander Mostovoi were also booked before tempers cooled.

Giggs' mood was not helped when he was told that the Russian coach Georgi Yartsev had headed straight for the UEFA delegate afterwards complaining about Giggs' alleged elbowing of Evseev.

Boss Mark Hughes believes the Russians were trying to get Giggs sent off, Yartsev having said before the game he intended to "neutralise" Wales' star man.

Hughes said: "The tackle was terrible, it was something you do not want to see. I was amazed it went unpunished. And the way their lad went down soon after, it did look like they were trying to get Ryan sent off.

"It was theatrical. Quite possibly they were at a stage when they needed to make something happen for them and maybe they felt by us losing a player it would help them.

"Ryan showed great restraint. But they are all experienced international players now, and they play a lot of club football in Europe. They know what happens, and that experience came to the forefront."

The match had boiled over because Wales had defiantly refused to buckle under Russian pressure, and the intimidation of the Moscow fans, who bombarded the pitch with debris as the second half reached boiling point.

Russian players had been arrogant and dismissive of Wales beforehand, and they were not expecting the fight of their lives from Speed and his men. But Wales pulled off one of the great, controlled rearguard actions ever fought under Hughes, or many Welsh managers before him.

All over the pitch, Wales had heroes. Danny Gabbidon at the back was outstanding. But in midfield, the star of the show was Jason Koumas.

His role was to carry possession away from his own box, keep the ball and win precious time for the defence to regroup. He did his exacting task superbly, by far his best display in a Wales shirt, where his clever technique and neat control and tenacity proved vital.

Said Koumas: "It was nice to play in such a big game. My job was to carry the ball and to keep possession and I think I found plenty of space to do that OK."