2006 World Cup UEFA Qualifying Zone:
Wales v Austria
Sean O'Conor
FIFA 2006 World Cup Qualifier
Saturday 26th March Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 44,760
Wales 0-2 Austria
Wales' slim hopes of making the 2006 World Cup were all but extinguished
after they were sunk by two late Austrian goals at the Millennium
Stadium.
Coach John Toshack's first competitive game in charge ended in
capitulation to one of Europe's more mediocre outfits after a frustrating
day in Cardiff.
It had all seemed so hopeful before the match. The Welsh capital
was bathed in warm Spring sunshine and a healthy crowd of 44,760
gave the city a party atmosphere. It was after all only a week since
Wales had captured rubgy's Six Nations Grand Slam and the round
ball game was eager to tap in to the national feel-good factor.
The home side looked slightly on top in the first-half and certainly
the more technically gifted. A forward line containing Ryan Giggs,
John Hartson, Craig Bellamy and Simon Davies would not disgrace
most nations and it was the Manchester
United winger, captaining the side on his fiftieth appearance,
who was at the heart of Wales' early efforts, switching wings where
required to create chances for the two Carls, Robinson and Fletcher.
In the 34th minute Giggs took matters into his own hands, taking
on and beating two defenders before unleashing a shot from fifteen
yards which Helge Payer in the Austrian goal could only parry to
safety.
Austria did have a couple of chances themselves, Martin Stranzl
hitting the side netting after twenty-two minutes and Rene Aufhauser
drawing a save from Danny Coyne a minute later.
Eight minutes after the restart Coyne was employed again, tipping
over a shot from Roland Kirchler and fifteen minutes later the roles
were reversed when Payer saved at the other end from a Davies shot.
In between Wales had squandered their best scoring chance when
Fletcher cross from the left found Hartson in space with the defence
mistakenly trying to play offside. But the Celtic man opted to dribble
around the keeper rather than shooting and Payer's fingertips managed
to flick the ball away to safety, to the extreme annoyance of the
crowd.
With a quarter of an hour to go Toshack replaced Davies with an
extra striker, Robert Earnshaw, throwing caution to the wind. Unfortunately
for Wales the substitution saw the visitors utterlydominate the
closing period. Kirchler and Mario Haas had both come close before
substitute Ivica Vastic found the net with eight minutes remaining
after Aufhauser and Christian Mayrleb had combined cleverly in the
box.
Four minutes later the Austrians killed the tie as Wales' lack
of class at the back showed. Stranzl beat a hesitant Robert Page
to a bouncing ball and shook off the less than committed attentions
of Danny Gabbidon before poking the ball past Coyne to cap a miserable
ending for the home side.
Post-match none of Wales' Premiership players with the exception
of Mark Delaney would talk to the waiting journalists but Wales'
central defender Robert Page expressed his team's frustration at
having thrown all their hard work away in the space of a few minutes:
" I can't believe we have walked off the pitch having got beaten
2-0. We created a few chances but unfortunately could not finish
them. They got have a chance, put it in and the game turned on its
head."
At John Toshack's first press conference as Wales manager for
a competitive fixture a melancholy but familiar air pervaded the
vast conference room in the bowels of the Arms Park. "I'll
accept a large percentage of responsibility," he began, perhaps
with his mind's eye on the breathing space this defeat gives him
until the Euro 2008 qualifiers begin next year, since no-one really
expected Wales to qualify from the position from which Toshack picked
up the reins.
Outside a now deserted Millennium Stadium, Soccerphile spoke to
former Labour Party leader and Vice-President of the European Commission
and high-profile Welsh fan Neil Kinnock about another broken dream.
"I really thought we could do it today," he admitted,
but added ruefully with the hindsight of so many near-misses, "Sometimes
I think we are never going to make it." He went on to profess
faith in Toshack: "If anyone is going to take us there it is
this guy," before stating the eternal need for supporters to
believe as well: "If we did not have hope then we would not
be fans, would we?"
That Wales failed again, as they agonizingly have time after time,
only adds succour to those who claim that it is at heart a rugby
nation that has never treated soccer seriously.
This is unfair given the statistics that prove more Welshmen play
football than rugby and the list of great Welsh players that includes
Ivor Allchurch, Neville Southall, Ian Rush, Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs
and one of the world's all time finest players, John Charles.
Toshack's main problem is the same all Welsh national managers
face: A lack of resources in a country of only three million people.
Whilst the forward line was stuffed with stars from the English
and Scottish Premier Leagues, the goalkeeper, defenders and midfielders,
Mark Delaney of Aston Villa apart, were all drawn from the Coca-Cola
League Championship. Whilst the skills of an experienced coach like
Toshack are invaluable, there is only so much a great workman can
do with inferior tools.
Group 6 Results
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Wales v Austria © Soccerphile™ |
Related Links
John Toshack
Wales 2 N. Ireland 2
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