Wales 0-0 Turkey (UEFA Nations League Group Stages)
Craig Bellamy’s first game in charge for Wales tonight and I’m up in the TV gantry working for UEFA and co, live recording in game data, the first match of a busy international week for me, whilst many dislike the domestic break, personally, I love it, as it’s a chance to cover the home nations and see some of the finest footballers on the continent in action.
Initially it was supposed to be Northern Ireland v Luxembourg on Thursday, Wales v Turkey on Friday, Ireland v England on Saturday, but logistically it’s been a bit of a nightmare, so I’ve opted for the latter two, before heading back to Ireland on Tuesday for their match with Greece, as the great meatloaf once sang, two out of three aint’ bad.
I’m down the road for mid-afternoon, Cardiff is a good three hour plus journey from Nottingham where I live, across the M42 south of Birmingham and down the M5, there’s roadworks on my normal route through Monmouthshire and down the M50 so I’m heading for Bristol and the Prince of Wales Bridge as the sunny midland skies disappear into a dark dull September afternoon which threatens rain from the heaven’s above.
After crossing the mouth of the Severn into Cymru, I’m in the traffic at Newport on the M4, passing the Celtic Manor Resort high up on the hill, I’m down the west side of Cardiff heading down the A4232 which takes me straight to Cardiff City Stadium, on the edge of town next to a retail park with a McDonalds, KFC, Nando’s and family franchise pub, the traffic builds around the ground as I head for car park D and pull up, just as the rain starts to pour down.
The Venue
I’ve literally switched the engine off as I’m sat opposite the huge cantilevered stand in front, suddenly the rain pelts down at a speed of knots which has me sat waiting for its finish, grey miserable skies above grey tarmac and a grey stadium outer body, square bowl liked in design and standing with plenty of space around it as young kids with Welsh bucket hats rush past trying desperately not to get too wet.
As the rain eases I chance the short walk across the car park to reception, where my accreditation is awaiting, ‘how do I get the gantry’ I ask, as a young member of the Welsh FA gives me solid directions, ‘up to level 4, turn right, through the glass doors and keep walking as high as you can get’… “Plenty of climbing” he says.
It’s plush as I walk through the Premier Lounge which opens out into the stadium, then up some ladders to where the TV cameras are sat, it’s a cracking view as the rain continues, three even blue seated sides all enclosed with the huge two-tiered Ninian Stand opposite which has red seats in the upper tier, some speckles of fans already here as I’m met by a fellow Data scout from Poland, Tomasz lives in Wiltshire and regularly does Welsh international games, his Futology shows me it’s his ninth appearance at this stadium before telling me “the curry’s good here” so he ushers me down to the Press Room for something to eat.
It's a long walk down the lift and stairs and damned if I would find it alone, but Tomasz watches me eat awkwardly (as he’s already eaten) before asking if I want a coffee, which we take back up to the gantry.
By now, it’s closing in on kick off, the players warming up, the seats filling up, the weather still no relinquish, as I do my final bits in going over the two team sheets.
The Game
A friend on my Whatsapp group sent me a picture of his coffee cup this morning which said… ‘remember to take a moment for yourself today’. I thought, my moment will be 7:43pm when the Welsh fans sing the National Anthem, quite frankly the best national anthem on the planet, and as the players come up, line up, and sing, it is spine tingling how in synch and loud the Welsh voices in the crowd are. Perfectly sung.
On with the game, that rendition along with an earlier few verses of Yma-o-Hyd which is another ‘recently adopted’ fabulous football anthem, sets up a frantic and frosty beginning where the Welsh play high tempo and control the ball as the Turks bite back their ankles in response.
The home side are good, a new Manager but same old players, trying to make an impression, trying to impress, trying to play out from the back, even though goalkeeper Danny Ward doesn’t always look comfortable in doing so.
Wales are nice on the eye and Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson look lively down each wing, Aaron Ramsey these days a false nine, going close, heading wide off his shoulder before the Cymru skipper plays a lovely first time ball to Thomas, he runs in and chips the keeper but his goal is chalked off correctly for offside.
The Score
Chances spurned, it’s the Turks time to tease and they do so by winding up their opponents, Yildiz takes a yellow card after fouling Wilson who responds by immediately fouling Yildiz for the same Refereeing outcome, there’s some pushing and shoving as Johnson then goes in the book, and a flare up between Ampadu and Yilmaz has the latter booked, suddenly it’s all kicking off as Tomasz tells me “this is how Turkey like to play” they certainly enjoy ‘ruffling feathers’. Coach Montella is also carded for arguing with the officials.
There’s actually more cards than chances created as we take a breather at half time, and the second half is no different as Wales continue to push against stern defence, Turkey sit in and look to break, they’ve had a few more niggles on opponents before the bleach blonde haired Yilmiz kicks out on the hour, he’s set himself up for that one and is rightly red carded following his second yellow of the match.
That card changes the complexion of the match as the away side begin to make tactical subs and pull false hamstring injuries in a bid to slow down the clock, Wales can’t find a way through despite making attacking changes, one of which Kiefer Moore receives a stamping on the head by Soyoncu, and in the end despite plenty of early promise, the longer the game goes, the less the Welsh look like scoring.
The Stars
Wales were lively in particularly in the first half where they pressed from the front, Aaron Ramsey and Harry Wilson dropping into the centre forward position at times, dropping back into midfield at others, they made the side tick with probing passes to wingers Sorba Thomas, largely, and Brennan Johnson, at times, who were effective out wide due to their blistering pace and positivity.
For Turkey, I was looking forward to seeing Real Madrid teenager Arda Guler but for some neat touches he was often on the periphery, Baris Yilmaz was a real handful but so much so he ended up crossing the line too far to get himself a silly couple of cards, and in the end might have hindered any chances his side had of snatching a win. Celik at right back was solid against a tough, speedy opponent, as was Mulder at left back who dealt with the dangerous threat of Johnson well.
The Verdict
It’s a long drive is Cardiff but the drive is worth it just to see that 28,000 strong bucket hat wearing Choir sing, their team perhaps playing better than the result they got, I like the way Craig Bellamy has set up his new look team but I’m concerned that playing out from the back with the players they have, may end up costing them more than it earns them in the long run.
Turkey were solid, irritable, finicky, but well drilled by their Italian Coach Vincenzo Montella, in a Nations League group that also contains Montenegro and Iceland, they’ll probably consider themselves favourites, especially after a point in Wales with ten men, to eventually top the lot.
The Teams
Wales: Danny Ward, Neco Williams, Ben Davies, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Harry Wilson, Aaron Ramsey (Kieffer Moore 72), Brennan Johnson, Connor Roberts, Jordan James (Oliver Cooper 88), Sorba Thomas (Lewis Koumas 72).
Turkey: Mert Gunok, Zeki Celik (Emirhan Topcu 90), Caglar Soyoncu, Orkun Kokcu (Hakan Calhanoglu 64), Arder Guler (Irfan Kahveci 90), Baris Yilmaz, Kenan Yildiz (Karem Akturkoglu 77), Abdulkerim Bardacki, Ismail Yusek (Okay Yokuslu 77), Mert Mulder, Kaan Ayhan.
7:45pm Kick Off. Friday 6th September 2024, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff (att: 28,625).
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