Wales digging in for knockout battle
Chris Coleman had said before the tournament that four points would be enough to reach the knockout stages, but to get six points and play with such conviction was a bonus for the manager.
The result was never in doubt once Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor gave Wales a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes, and by half-time it could have been 6-0, so poor were the Russians.
Gareth Bale’s third goal in as many games made sure of the points halfway through the second-half, and the result was Wales’ biggest victory since Coleman took over four years ago.
Russia’s holligans may portray themselves as fierce lions, to be feared throughout Europe, but their football team are like lambs — and they were duly slaughtered in Toulouse.
The City of Lights was a sea of red from kick-off, with the thousands of Wales fans belting out their national anthem and urging on their team, who responded in style.
Coleman went for a change in attack, putting Sam Vokes up front alongside Gareth Bale. The big Burnley striker has gone 10 games over two years without a goal, and it was easy to see why when he spurned a chance in the first minute after Bale had gone on the first of many mazy runs. The ball fell kindly for Vokes, but Igor Akinfeev saved his shot easily.
Ramsey was not so wasteful 10 minutes later. Joe Allen made an important interception inside his own half and then played an incisive ball through the Russian defence, with Ramsey timing his run perfectly. The Arsenal man had to keep his nerve with Akinfeev charging out at him, but he showed great composure to lift the ball over the keeper and into the net.
The great sea of Welsh red that dominated the stadium roared their delight and nine minutes later they were really singing. Bale’s charges were proving too much for Russia’s defenders and Roman Shirokov unwittingly swept the ball to Neil Taylor, unmarked on the left. The Swansea full-back had not scored since hitting the net for Wrexham in the Conference six years ago, and he looked suitably sheepish initially. His first shot was straight at Akinfeev, but when the ball rebounded to him, Taylor drove a smart half-volley into the net. The Welsh were on cloud nine and Russia seemed unable — or uninterested — to fight back.
Whatever gameplan Leonid Slutski had started with went out the window, and wide open spaces appeared all over the pitch. Bale, unsurprisingly, had a field day. The Real Madrid man was in his element, running at terrified defenders at will. Akinfeev was the only Russian who appeared interested in trying to stop Coleman’s Red Army, and he saved well from Vokes, Bale and Ramsey before half-time.
The second-half saw changes from Slutski but more of the same from his team, who were saved by Akinfeev again when Ramsey put Bale in on goal in the 55th minute.
But there was nothing Akinfeev could do to stop Bale scoring his third in three games 13 minutes later. Vokes was in an offside position when Ramsey again opened up the defence with a precise pass, but the big striker sensibly stepped aside, and let Bale run in to finish with the outside of his foot.
The Real Madrid star is now the tournament’s top scorer and received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Simon Church in the final stages, Coleman deciding not to take any risks with his talisman, especially as the Russians were clearly riled by the Welsh playing keep-ball around them.
The game finished with anothe rousing chorus of the national anthem, and then the fans’ new favourite song again — ‘Don’t Take Me Home.’
There is no danger of that — for a few more days at least. With England failing to beat Slovakia, Wales win the Group and will now travel to Paris to the play the third team from Groups A, C or D — which could be Northern Ireland.
Akinfeev 7; Smolnikov 5, V Berezutski 5 (A Berzutski 46), Ignashevich 5, D Kombarov 5; Mamaev 5, Glushakov 5; Smolov 6, Shirokov 5, Kokorin 5; Dzyuba 5.
4-5-2 Hennessey 6; Williams 7, Chester 6, Davies 7; Gunter 6, Ramsey 9, Ledley 8, Allen 8, Taylor 7; Bale 8, Vokes 6.
Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
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