YOU MUST NOT RELAX NOW, VIRGIL
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WILD WELSH NIGHTS AT THE MILLENNIUM
Rarely was the Millennium so passionate as in this Euro qualifier. Craig Bellamy set up Simon Davies to beat Gianluigi Buffon after 12 minutes but Alessandro del Piero levelled through a deflected free-kick. With 20 minutes left, John Hartson slipped Bellamy through the middle and he raced between two defenders, rounded Buffon on the edge of the box, and slid home.
An extraordinary World Cup qualifier had more talking points in the first 21 minutes than most games have in 90. After eight minutes, Michael Hughes’ dreadful tackle on Robbie Savage earned him a red card, with Savage dismissed too for his reaction (above). Jeff Whitley put the visitors in front two minutes later and then David Healy nodded into an empty net after James Collins slipped.
It was Healy’s last touch – he was given two yellow cards, for an over-the-top celebration and an obscene gesture to home fans. John Hartson’s header offered Wales hope and with 20 minutes left, Robert Earnshaw rescued a point for the 10 men against nine.
A friendly, and so a crowd of just 47,124, but those who stayed away missed a milestone moment as Earnshaw (above) scored the only hat-trick in a Wales international at the Millennium for either home side or visitors. HOLLAND boss Ronald Koeman has warned skipper Virgil van Dijk that casual is not a good look if he wants to become the best defender in the world.
The Liverpool star (below) is lined up to tackle Germany and Belgium in the next week.
Koeman said: “On Monday, when he arrived in our training camp, he could see from the look on my face that I was thinking about the penalty he conceded when Liverpool played Manchester City on Sunday.
“Virgil realised that he had made the wrong decision. Not a lot, but he has to improve. I told him straight, sometimes he is a little too casual, too laid back. That needs to change.
“With his strength and pace, you know the level that he can reach.”