Wales
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Wales
W
hile England suffered embarrassment at this year’s European Championships,
Wales enjoyed one of the finest moments in their footballing history as they
came from a goal down to defeat a fancied Belgian side 3-2 to reach the semi-final of the
competition.
Although they weren the beaten 2-0
by eventual winners Portugal in the semifinal it was a tournament to remember
with additional victories over Northern
Ireland, Russia and Slovakia highlighting
the progress that has been made under
Manager Chris Coleman.
The Belgium victory was the
culmination of his and his teams efforts
as they fought back from an early Radja
Nainggolan strike to level through Ashley
Williams. Hal Robson-Kanu then gave
them the lead, turning brilliantly away
from two defenders before keeping his
cool to slot past the keeper.
Belgium fought to get back into the
game but the spirit that epitomised the
Welsh campaign was evident as they held
firm before Sam Vokes made the game
safe late on.
Speaking after the match, Coleman
commented, “I said before we kicked the
ball today, we are not here to enjoy it, we
are here to compete.
“We defended like soldiers. All I can
do is reiterate to the players never to
forget what it took to get here. I know my
team are good enough to perform against
anybody.”
Coleman’s comments serve to
highlight the belief that he instilled into
his side, successfully moulding a team
with stars such as Gareth Bale and Aaron
Ramsey into an effective unit.
The job he has done at Wales is
undoubtedly the highlight of Coleman’s
“Wales performances at the European Championships were terrific,
highlighting what a team playing with passion and pride can achieve.
Having kicked off their World Cup Qualifying campaign with a convincing
4-0 victory there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Coleman and his
side are not done yet.”
16 Issue 65