PRINCE OF WALES
Bale takes his side to the top
GARETH BALE led a breathtaking demolition job on Russia last night as Wales beat England to top spot in Group B.
While Roy Hodgson’s side stuttered to a 0-0 draw with Slovakia, Bale was inspiring his team-mates to a 3-0 victory in Toulouse.
Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor opened the scoring for Chris Coleman’s side in a superb first-half display before Bale became Euro 2016’s leading scorer with his third goal of the tournament in the 67th minute.
‘We knew everything was on this game, it was in our own hands,’ said Real Madrid star Bale. ‘We said before: “Let’s have no regrets”. It’s probably the best performance I’ve been involved in with Wales.’
A PINCH yourself night in France for the Welsh. This was not just a victory but a mark in history.
Another victory and top of Group B ahead of England. Whatever happens from this point on, they will talk about this for years.
The scoreline read 3-0 but in truth it could have been five or six. Chris Coleman’s side were so much better than Russia it was extraordinary to witness. Gareth Bale looked as though he could beat them on his own and Aaron Ramsey wasn’t far behind.
They said Coleman’s big players would have to turn up in Euro 2016 in order for Wales to have a chance. Well, here in southern France they set the tone and the rest followed to construct the most stunning Welsh performance since Italy were downed by Craig Bellamy and Simon Davies in Cardiff in 2002.
Russia, it has to be said, were cataclysmically bad. How did England not beat them? They are going home and we will not miss them or their supporters.
As for Wales, they head on to Paris on Saturday and who knows where the momentum and confidence of this stunning night will take them?
First, though, let them celebrate. Let them reflect on this, the perfect performance. They almost scored in the first minute and by the 21st they were two up and the game was essentially over,
One scorer, Ramsey, was predictable. The other, full back Neil Taylor, wasn’t. That summed up the Welsh, though.
Together Stronger, they say. Together Stronger, indeed.
And then it was Bale’s turn. He had to score eventually and with 23 minutes left he did to make it three goals in three games to be the tournament’s leading scorer.
Wales perhaps contributed to their own downfall a little bit against England in Lens. Here, they began as if they felt they had some making up to do to the legions that had made the journey south.
Wales embarrassed Russia from the start and it was Bale who set the tone. Just as he did against Slovakia 10 days ago and to a certain degree against England, he began as though he felt he could win this on his own. In the first minute Bale broke free through the middle and cut left to shoot low at goal from 20 yards. Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev parried and saved the follow up from Sam Vokes. The Burnley striker was offside as it happened but it did not matter. The pattern was set.
Ramsey was the next to break from deep and frighten a Russian defence that seemed to have little about it in terms of organisation. The Arsenal player should have shot but didn’t and the move fizzled out. Three minutes later, in the 11th minute, he atoned with a beautiful goal in every way.
The Wales central defender James Chester began it with a neat interception in his own half and when Joe Allen picked up play he turned adroitly to thread a pass to Ramsey. He had timed his run well and was just onside and he carried the ball across the final defender before lifting it over Akinfeev.
It was the perfect start and one that was greeted with hysteria by the Wales fans. Russia looked bewildered and Wales seized the opportunity to strike again.
This time the build-up had a slice of luck about it. Bale broke again from deep but seemed to lose his way 25 yards out until Roman Shirokov turned the ball wide to Taylor as he attempted the tacke.
How the Wales full back had so much space and time, even he didn’t seem to know. Momentarily stage fright struck him down and his first shot, saved by Akinfeev, was pretty weak. But the rebound presented with him a free hit and delivered it back into the net for his first goal since one he scored for Wrexham against Grays in nonleague football in 2010.
That was a remarkable story on its own but the bigger picture here was just how dominant Wales were. Every time they had possession, they looked to break straight at the heart of a Russian team that just could not cope when it didn’t have the ball.
Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey did have to advance to block when a clearance briefly allowed Artem Dzyuba in and also saved at the near post late in the first half from Fedor Smolov.
Despite that, the pattern was pretty unchanged throughout the opening half.
Bale ran two thirds of the length of the field on the half hour to leave Smolov for dead and when he squeezed the ball out to Vokes on the right he could have finished the game there and then only for Akinfeev to save with his right leg.
There were other scares for the CSKA Moscow goalkeeper, too, as Bale and Ramsey both drove shots his way from outside the area. On both occasions, Akinfeev shovelled the ball away like an uncertain beach volleyball player. He, like the rest of the Russian players, went off at half-time looking as though he was ready for a plane ride home.
Bale drew yet another save from Akinfeev immediately after halftime and then a sublime Ramsey pass to the overlapping Chris Gunter looked certain to result in another goal only for the cross to blocked.
Ramsey’s next pass, to the bombing Bale, was marginally over-hit but his team-mate still made Akinfeev work, the keeper saving again with his feet to concede a corner.
Such had been Bale’s influence it seemed strange he hadn’t scored. Midway through the half he put that right, moving on to Ramsey’s pass to score with the outside of his left foot.