Welsh dragons ready to roar after 64-year slumber

There’s a value in rarity. When it comes to my small nation of Wales, World Cups are rare indeed, second only to Englishmen that don’t mention the 1966 final, and the availability of Spirit of 58 bucket hats, the must-have accessory for any Welsh soccer fan.

But here we are. On the eve of our first World Cup finals in 64 years. I’ve waited my whole life for this moment, enduring the heartbreak of many near misses over the decades.

I was too young to remember the Joe Jordan handball that allowed Scotland to net a contentious penalty and qualify at Wales’ expense in 1977. Another cruel defeat to the Scots at Ninian Park in the Welsh capital, Cardiff, in 1985 was my first taste of such crushing disappointment.

Many more nights like that would follow, as we failed to qualify for European championships and World Cups with monotonous regularity.

The most famous is, arguably, Nov 17, 1993, when Paul Bodin, Wales’ penalty ace back then, missed one against Romania, near-stacked ly breaking the crossbar — and breaking 2.5 million hearts in the process. Minutes later, Gheorghe Hagi tore upfield and put Florin Raducioiu into the box, where he landed the decisive blow.

In 2003, it was a loss to Russia in front of a full house at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff that put paid to yet more hope of reaching a major tournament, this time Euro 2004.

However, as the saying goes: “It’s like London buses. You wait so long for one, then two turn up at once.”

In 2016, Wales debuted at the Euros — and made the most of it by topping the group and going all the way to the semifinals, where we lost out to eventual champion Portugal.

Then, in 2019, we qualified for Euro 2020, which ended up being postponed until 2021. Scattered across 60 venues throughout Europe, the tournament seemed in favor of nations with home advantage. Despite some brave performances, the travel and lack of supporters — the famous “Red Wall” — took their toll, and we bowed out to a rampant Denmark in the last 16.

But, the World Cup... well, that’s a different animal altogether. That’s the big one. And, in June this year, in yet another nail-biting winner-takes-all encounter, this golden generation of Welshmen had their chance to shake off the shackles of the past.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t confident. I had been here too many times before.

We couldn’t. Could we? Well, as it turns out, yes! Yes, we certainly could.

Ukraine was the better team on the night but was undone by a few Herculean displays on the Welsh side. Not least by Wayne Hennessey who produced the greatest Welsh goalkeeping performance since Neville Southall only conceded seven goals, while stopping about 20 others, against the Netherlands in November 1996.

And so, here we are. On the eve of our first World Cup finals in 64 years.

I’ll admit, I shed a tear last week, watching the team depart Wales for Qatar. It wasn’t England, Scotland or Ireland. It was Wales. Little old Wales. Off to face the United States, Iran and old rival England.

I wept, not just tears of pride and joy, but for all those that couldn’t stick around long enough to finally see it. To revel in this moment of national unity, and to see a dream fulfilled.

Of course, I’ll tell myself, “I’m just happy we are there; to hear our national anthem finally played at a World Cup.”

I will value the rarity of the occasion. But, after the heroics of 2016, there’s a part of me that wants more — to get that first goal, that first win, maybe even top the group. After that, who knows...?

What I do know is that as the boys, with the Welsh dragon emblazoned on their chests, take to the field tonight against the US, after 64 long years, the whole world will see that, as they say in Welsh, yma o hyd — we’re still here.