Villain of Moscow back to haunt Wales

Wales 0 Russia 1 (Russia win 1-0 on aggregate)

Vadim Evseev, the full back who tangled with Ryan Giggs in Moscow on Saturday, headed the winner that sends the Russians to next summer's Euro 2004 finals Wales, after their 0-0 draw in the first leg, were never at their best in front of 73,062 of their own fans, but still wasted three glorious chances that could have clinched this second leg.

Their three most experienced men John Hartson, Gary Speed and Giggs failed at crucial moments Wales battled but lacked creativity to break down a solid Russian rearguard, and Giggs was first down the tunnel when the final whistle blew. He is 30 later this month, and you fear now he may never appear in the finals of a major competition. The atmosphere in the packed Millennium Stadium was electric as Welsh fans prayed for an end to 45 years of absence from major finals. Such was the anger in Wales at the treatment of their team in Moscow and the Russian attempt to get Giggs banned, the crowd actually booed the Russian anthem. That animosity spilled over onto the pitch with Robbie Savage's fierce challenge on Evseev earning the Birmingham man a warning. But Evseev had once again gone down too easily and the crowd were instantly on his back. Then Alexei Smertin raised the temperature by clattering into Andy Johnson.