^ I've taken 21st and 25th off! 💪🏻🔥
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Wales coach says Iran and USA are winnable matches.
https://www.tsn.ca/usmnt-is-winnable...-page-19.33517
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Try this one.Originally posted by Damavand View Post
https://www.espn.com/soccer/wales-wa...wales-rob-page
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Thank the lord Wales made it and Ukraine didn't. With all the drama involving WC preparations, I really didn't want have to deal with all the "feel good" media covering Ukraine and their WC preparation/matches. TM already gets enough BS as it is, didn't need another distraction.
Too bad this "human friendship" wasn't present when TM was going to play Canada...
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/05/footb...ntl/index.htmlComment
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The England game is the only one that I am at work for. I’ll have some toil before then though and will ask forOriginally posted by diz View Post
Time off for cultural reasons.
Just realised the Wales game is at 10am which is annoying, on a Friday. Late start to work that day then.Comment
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Who are Wales? Introducing the USMNT, England and Iran’s World Cup opponent
CARDIFF, WALES - JUNE 05: Daffyd Iwan sings Yma O Hyd before the FIFA World Cup Final Play-Off at Cardiff City Stadium on June 05, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)
By Jacob Whitehead
Jun 5, 2022
31
England and the United States now know their final opponent at the 2022 World Cup — Wales.
Gareth Bale’s deflected strike saw Wales past Ukraine in an emotional UEFA World Cup playoff, with the 1-0 win ensuring that the Celtic nation of just over three million inhabitants has qualified for the tournament for the first time in 64 years.
The first opponents for their long-awaited return will be the United States, with the two sides meeting on November 21 at the Al Rayyan Stadium.
With five months to go until that clash, can you tell your Dafydd Iwan from your daffodils? This is The Athletic’s quick guide to Welsh football.
Gareth Bale — superstar
Gareth Bale is one of the most successful club footballers of all time. He has won five Champions League titles at Real Madrid, scored one of the great European Cup final goals, and won three La Liga titles. Like Michael Jordan in the final seconds of a play-off series, Bale turns his level up when the pressure is highest.
But strangely enough, he will not be remembered for that by many. Instead, Bale’s legacy will be that of a man who spearheaded Wales’ return to footballing relevance.
His passion for Wales became a bone of contention at Madrid, when a tongue-in-cheek fan banner displaying the slogan “Wales, Golf, Madrid — in that order,” which Bale was photographed with alongside his Wales teammates, was construed as a lack of commitment to his club side.
Of late, he has scarcely featured in La Liga, out-of-favour under Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, and is now a free agent.
It would be understandable if recent international appearances showed a level of rustiness. But it has never been thus.
Some thought his time might have come and gone, and what a time it would have been — inspiring Wales not only to two European Championships, but leading them to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
But no. In March’s World Cup semi-final against Austria in Cardiff, Bale’s incredible brace took Wales to within one game of the World Cup. On Sunday, not even Ukraine’s remarkable resistance could stand in his way.
In the same week he was awarded an MBE for services to football and charity, Wales’ record goalscorer sent in a free-kick which Andriy Yarmolenko flicked into his own net, delivering Wales their first World Cup slot in 64 years.
Wales has two famous kings: Owain Glyndŵr, who fought off the English occupation in the 15th century, and another, who now needs no introduction.
A long-term caretaker managing day-to-day
Welsh football faced a mini-crisis in April 2021. They had qualified for the summer’s Euros, but were without a manager.
Ex-Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, who took over from Chris Coleman in 2018, was suspended after being charged with domestic violence-related offences. He is still awaiting trial, and is next expected in court this August.
The Welsh FA turned to little-known assistant Rob Page, who had never previously managed either an international or top-flight team.
Despite the turmoil, and given only three months to prepare for the Euros, Page forged a side bound by an exceptional togetherness, whose defensive solidity saw them emerge from a tricky group including Italy, Switzerland and Turkey.
Still without any assurances over his future, Page told The Athletic that he expected himself to be unemployed if Wales lost to Austria in the play-off final.
He has a future to look forward to now — Rob Page, Wales’ first World Cup manager in 64 years.
Wales manager Rob Page celebrates after qualifying. (Mark Leech / Offside via Getty Images)
Key players ignored by their club sides
Many of Page’s squad resemble the manager himself — undervalued, unhyped, but with fortitude missed by many.
Take Wayne Hennessey, the 35-year-old goalkeeper who made nine saves against Ukraine — the most shots on target any side have had on target without scoring during qualifying. He has not played since January 2, kept out of relegated Burnley’s XI by England goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Or giant striker Kieffer Moore, appearing for just the fourth time since New Years Day. He has already made one sizable contribution in recent weeks, scoring the goal which confirmed Bournemouth’s automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Eighteen months ago, winger Sorba Thomas was playing in the fifth-tier National League for Boreham Wood. At the other end of the football pyramid, centre-back Ethan Ampadu has been sent away by Chelsea on three separate loans since joining the west London club, while the sizable talent of Harry Wilson could never force his way into Liverpool’s first-team.
Aaron Ramsey, who has struggled in recent spells at Juventus and Rangers, is revitalised with a dragon on his chest.
Fans who are making football the new national sport
Page paid homage to “the best fans in world football” after full-time. It would be hard to disagree after recent European Championships, coloured and soundtracked by hordes of travelling Welsh support.
On the sporting stage, Wales has been predominantly known for rugby, with the national side punching above their weight on a consistent basis to claim some famous scalps. Now that their football team is doing the same, the weight of support behind Page’s side has led many to reconsider their characterisation of Wales as a rugby country.
A poll last month revealed 47 per cent of respondents named football as their favourite sport, a two-point lead over rugby’s 45 per cent.
There have been cultural changes too. Welsh football has previously had an uneasy reputation with the Welsh language, with several players unable to sing the country’s inspiring national anthem, ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (‘Land of My Fathers’).
Those days were consigned to the distant past in Cardiff. At full-time, the entire squad sang along to folk singer Iwan Dafydd’s surprise hit ‘Yma o Hyd’, loosely translated as ‘We’re Still Here’, celebrating the survival of the language.
The tears in a thousand pairs of eyes showed the emotion of a moment more about Wales than Welsh football.
World Cup trauma — healed
Of course, in 64 years without a World Cup, there has been heartbreak along the way. Controversial penalties cost them a place in both the 1978 and 1986 World Cups, but worse was to follow.
In November 1993, Wales were on the brink of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Qualification would have been made even better because England had failed to qualify.
All Wales needed to do was draw. With the score at 1-1, Swindon defender Paul Bodin was faced with a second-half penalty which would confirm Wales’ place at the tournament. He had not missed any of his previous three penalties for Wales.
The spotkick hit the bar so hard that the reverberations are still shaking Welsh football after 29 years.
After the miss, Romania scored an 83rd minute winner, securing their place at the tournament at Wales’ expense. The wait continued.
Wales in that World Cup qualifier in 1993 (David Davies / Offside via Getty Images)
Capable of a sneaky tournament run
Like an old friend who only occasionally returns to town, Wales might not make it to many parties, but they sure have an impact when they rock up.
At Euro 2016, Wales won their opening match against Slovakia, were seconds away from a famous draw against England, and then thrashed Russia to finish top of Group B.
This was already quite the run, but they were not done yet. Wales then beat Northern Ireland in the round of 16, before running up against Marc Wilmots’ much-fancied Belgium side, who boasted Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku.
No matter for Wales. Hal Robson-Kanu pulled off the most-famous turn not named after a man called Johan, and Wales overcame a 1-0 deficit to shock Belgium 3-1.
Their fairytale journey ended against eventual winners Portugal in the semi-final.
(For those who believe in such omens: Like Euro 2016, in Qatar Wales are again in Group B, pitted against England, having not played in this particular tournament for over fifty years.)
Built in the blueprint of Gary Speed
Former Leeds, Newcastle and Everton forward Gary Speed won the penalty in that infamous loss to Romania. An inspirational leader over a 14-year international career, he earned 85 caps for his country.
In December 2010 he succeeded John Toshack as Wales boss, tasked with ending Wales’ then 52-year drought for major tournament football. He led them to five wins in his first 10 matches, raising hope that dawn would break over Welsh football. Tragically, Welsh football never watched him fulfill that task.
Speed took his own life in November 2011, hanging himself in the garage of his family home.
“There’s not a day goes by when I don’t think of him at least him once,” his successor Chris Coleman told The Athletic on the 10th anniversary of Speed’s death. “I think about him laughing – that big smile, always with a joke.
“Mostly, I think about him as a young boy back in Wales, when we first met, that mop of hair, such a great vibe about him. We miss you, man.”
This Welsh side remembers him too — that much is clear from the professionalism, spirit, and bravery which courses through the current team.
For all the simplicity of this guide, Wales are still much more than one thing, just as they are more than Gareth Bale.
They are a side whose grandparents have waited for this day to arrive. They are a side of undervalued individuals who swell in the yeasty and febrile atmosphere of the national team. They are a side who have transformed attitudes towards football in their country.
Hiraeth is a Welsh word, difficult to translate into English, which can be characterised as a deep longing for home.
Welsh football has had its own unsated longing. The prodigal day has now arrived.
https://theathletic.com/3350376/2022...and-world-cup/.....
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Supporting Team Melli
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Unfortunately this is the outcome for Iran- 3 games, 3 losses.
Iran- England - 0-2
Iran= Wales - 0-1
Iran-USA- 1-2
I will be very very happy to be wrong. With the preparation we are having this is more than reasonable. More than ever I wish CQ was the coach.Comment
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You have to look at this way, we are in world cup and the excitement is far more important than results.Originally posted by Bijans View Post
There is nothing unfortunate about anything here! So, we lose! let it be and be happy!
On the contrary, I say;
Iran 0 - England 1
Iran 1 - Wales 1
Iran 1 - USA 0Comment
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We generally don’t do well with teams have that a superstar / dangerous player (Messi, Zlatan, Ronaldo, Dzeko, Diego Costa, Son Heung-Min) have all scored against us when we played their teams. Therefore I’m much more worried about the group now that Whales has qualified. On top of that, I’m just not sure about our coach yet. Yes I’m aware we qualified on paper very well, but everyone saw how often we struggled in those matches. I keep hoping that he can pull something together but our preparation has so far been non existent.
It is hard to be hopeful, but all the teams in our group are inconsistent and none are unbeatable. I do believe that Taremi and Azmoun can score against any team in the world. I hope we can have some good friendlies and camps so at least our players can have the option to give it their all.--------------------------Beiranvand-------------------
--Moharrami----Hosseini--Kanaani----Amiri--
------------------Ezatolahi-----Ebrahimi--------------
--Jahanbaksh---------Ghoddos------------Taremi--
---------------------------Azmoun----------------------
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Comment
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And then there’s Iran, which may not be among the world’s elite powers, but it performed better than any other side in Asia’s qualification tournament and gave Spain and Portugal all it could handle in Russia in 2018, narrowly missing out on the knockout stage. Team Melli is the strongest “weakest link” in any of the eight groups at the World Cup. This may not be a true group of death, but in a lot of ways it’s also the most difficult and balanced group the U.S. could have drawn.
Source: https://www.si.com/soccer/2022/06/07...and-iran-qatar
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This was Iran under CQ, those days are goneOriginally posted by O-ZoNe View Post
You just got Caged
K.C McElroy's FanComment
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Hopefully better days ahead and we can build upon the past experiences.Originally posted by CAGE View PostThis was Iran under CQ, those days are gone
Interesting read on USA weakness...particularly in attack.
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/usm...073523836.html
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