Wales vs Russia match report: Team effort ensures Dragons seal top spot ahead of England
Wales 3 Russia 0: Aaron Ramsey, Neil Taylor and Gareth Bale take Wales top of Group B
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Your support makes all the difference.They will talk about this for years to come. From Cardiff to Caernarfon, via Merthyr, Aberystwyth and Machynlleth. They will talk about until their memories are faint and everyone they know has heard it a thousand times. And still they will say, ‘I was there’.
Max Boyce, get writing, and this time it is about football.
It was only a group stage game, but so was England’s defeat of the Netherlands at Euro '96 and that still gets talked and written about, 20 years on. As then the margin was only three goals, but the victory was even more comprehensive. But for Igor Akinfeev, the only Russian to emerge with any credit, it would have been a rout. Wales are nevertheless the tournament’s top scorers, and Gareth Bale is the individual top scorer.
He scored his third goal in as many games but this was by no means a one-man performance. Aaron Ramsey was superb, Joe Allen too, and plenty of others. Ramsey and Neil Taylor scored the opening goals, after 10 and 20 minutes, and the game was over as a contest long before Bale wrapped it up midway through the second half.
Afterwards the Welsh and their fans celebrated long on the pitch. They now have a knock-out tie in Paris on Saturday to look forward to. At the other end Akinfeev went to apologise to the Russian support who looked more likely to assault their own players than any opposition fans. It is to be hoped it stayed that way as the joyous Welsh went into the ‘La ville rose’ - the pink city as Toulouse is named, for its brickwork - to paint it red.
A huge security operation was in place for the tie in an attempt to avert a repeat of the scenes in Marseilles and Lens involving Russian, English and, in the latter case, Welsh supporters. Around 2,000 police were on duty with a very visible presence in the city and around the ground which, being on an island, is relatively easy to secure.
Nevertheless, many Welsh supporters enjoyed a boisterous pre-match preparation occupying several city-centre bars in huge numbers. Russian supporters were less apparent, but they also had strong support in the stadium. For the first time at this venue the main supporters blocks were segregated by stewards, with the Russian ‘end’ stewarded in numbers.
There was one unexpected change in the Welsh XI, Chris Coleman bringing in Sam Vokes, of newly-promoted Burnley, to lead the line in place of Hal Robson-Kanu. The latter is more mobile but it soon became clear that the switch was with a view to his superior hold-up play as Bale and Ramsey operated either side of him in a 3-4-3 set-up.
Russian coach Leonid Slutsky, in grave need of a result, gambled on the fitness of 34-year-old captain Roman Shirokov in an attempt to add creativity, if not pace, to his pedestrian side.
It failed, miserably. While Russia looked nervous Wales consciously subdued their own anxieties and made a point of trying to keep possession and build attacks. Initially Russia’s pressing meant the ball kept being passed back to Hennessey, but it was not long before their opponents’ lack of energy and belief, left the Welsh with time and space to control the game.
Coleman’s team could have led as early as the second minute. Joe Allen won possession on the right and released Bale, whose shot Igor Akinfeev could only parry. Vokes failed to score the rebound, but was offside anyway. Ben Davies made an important interception from Alexsandr Kokorin as Russia briefly threatened but the Welsh goal was not long delayed. James Chester cut out another Kokorin pass, finding Allen who advanced before releasing Ramsey with a perfectly timed ball. The dinked finish was immaculate.
Ten minutes later Davies made another interception, the ball went from Ramsey to Bale who ran at the Russian defence. Shirokov, tracking back, carelessly kicked the ball away from Bale and into the path of Taylor. The wing-back’s last goal was in the Blue Square Conference, for Wrexham against Grays six years ago, and it showed. He looked for someone to pass to, could see no-one, so shot, tamely - but the ball came back to him off Akinfeev and this time the Swansea player thumped the ball home with aplomb.
The Welsh hordes were ecstatic, but, briefly, Russia threatened. A long punt from Akinfeev was miscued by Ashley Williams, allowing Artem Dzyuba to steal in. He flicked the ball goalwards but Hennessey athletically saved.
It was a reminder - and there were a couple of other minor ones - that Wales needed a third to be sure, and they went hunting for it. Bale’s pace was petrifying the Russian defence and he went past defenders at will, but Akinfeev kept denying him. The Russian keeper also blocked a ferocious Ramsey drive.
He was beaten, however, midway through the second half. Ramsey was again the provider, sliding a pass through Russia’s static back four. Bale, stealing forward from an onside position, drew Akinfeev, then chipped it over him. Game over.
Coleman was able to give Allen, Ledley, then Bale a breather and still Wales played keepball doing a very good impression of Spain. It helped that Russia were so beaten they barely pressed. And when, after a lapse of concentration, Dzyuba did get a chance to offer the bear some balm, he missed from five yards.
In two years time Russia host the World Cup. It seems, as well as all the other issues dogging them, they have football team to find too.
Russia (4-2-3-1) Akinfeev; Smolnikov, Ignashevich, V Berezutski (A Berezutski, h-t), Kombarov; Glushakov, Mameev; Kokorin, Sirikov (Golovin, 51), Smolov (Samedov, 69); Dzyuba.
Wales (3-4-3) Hennessey, Chester, A Williams, Davies; Gunter, Allen (Edwards, 73), Ledley (King, 76), Taylor; Bale (Church, 83), Vokes, Ramsey.
Referee J Eriksson (Sweden)
Man of the match Ramsey
Match rating: 8/10
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