A VERY LONG WAIT... BUT WELL WORTH IT
SIXTYFOUR years. 23,531 days.
From one gut-wrenching blow to another. Toil. Agony. Desperation. Those brutal doldrums.
This doesn’t happen to Wales. It doesn’t. It goes wrong. Every single time.
But we’ll always be here. Yma o Hyd. Being Welsh has always meant the world to each and every one of us blessed to be from the land of our fathers.
From the outset in Qatar, every single moment meant the world to the Red Wall. The chants, the songs, the team news announcement and the magical anthem. Yes, that one. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau belted out by the bucket hat brigade. And suddenly it all felt so real.
Ethan Ampadu ploughed through Sergino Dest, and the Wales fans loved it. But the mood turned following an impressive start from the Americans.
Joe Rodon was relieved to see his header scooped away by Wayne Hennessey moments before Josh Sargent headed against the outside of the goalkeeper’s post after being picked out by the lively Christian Pulisic.
Dest and Weston Mckennie were both booked for fouls on Neco Williams, and even a speculative Ampadu strike did little to calm those wearing red.
This is what the big stage is all about, like nothing ever experienced. Wales were rapidly learning the hard way that relentless sloppiness won’t cut it at this level.
And Wales’s abject start was punished with a moment of quality from Chelsea’s Pulisic, who burst through the middle of the pitch before threading through to Tim Weah, who coolly slotted beyond Hennessey.
Rob Page’s troops were being taught a lesson, and the confidence oozed through USA’S ranks. It wasn’t meant to be like this.
The first moment of genuine quality from the Welsh came as Aaron Ramsey, who had been worryingly off colour, even with bright blond hair, played a neat one-two with Gareth Bale before winning a corner from which Ben Davies could only head wide.
Bale and Chris Mepham duly collected yellow cards before a wayward Neco Williams pass typified a grim opening 45.
Coldplay’s A Sky Full Of Stars echoed around the 40,000-seater venue at the break, with the lights of mobile phones illuminating the stands, minus the section containing the largest contingent of Wales fans who could scarcely believe how off it their beloved stars had been.
Rhydian Bowen Phillips, an orchestrator with the microphone, was unable to rouse the Red Wall at halftime, the same Red Wall that, prior to kick-off, collectively pulverised their own tonsils through roaring at every opportunity.
Enter Kieffer Moore.
The striker was prematurely summoned from the half-time warm-up, collecting his Wales jersey from the dugout before heading down the tunnel.
He replaced Daniel James ahead of the second half and took just two minutes to reinvigorate those hurting Welsh supporters with hold-up play that was badly lacking in the firsthalf.
At last, there was life. Na na na na na na na na na na na, Kieffer, Kieffer
Moore was belted out by Wales fans who saw their side show confidence.
Not on the ropes, but USA certainly had their guard up, and chances finally came for Wales.
Davies hurled himself at the ball from six yards out, although his header was tipped over by Matt Turner, who then breathed a sigh of relief as Moore headed just over from the resulting corner. It was miles better.
The tension grew, though, and, with every passing second, Wales’s hopes of a comeback faded. The frustration was irritatingly aggravating.
And then. The chance. Bale was clattered by Walker Zimmerman. Referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim hurled his right arm in the direction of the penalty spot.
An age passed. Pedantic refereeing ensured the talisman faced an agonising wait. But it mattered not one jot. The Los Angeles ace rifled into the top corner to send the the Red Wall into raptures, and the eruption was off the scale.
Er gwaethaf pawb a phopeth echoed around Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. And it almost got better in sublime fashion. Moore, the man who was transforming Wales’s World Cup hopes, controlled the ball expertly and back-heeled into the path of Brennan Johnson, who charged down at goal. The angle grew narrower, and his driven strike was straight at Turner.
The monumental shift was taking its toll. Harry Wilson and Ampadu hit the deck in agony, with Sorba Thomas and Joe Morrell being summoned following the announcement of nine additional minutes.
The iconic claps accompanied Men of Harlech as added time threatened to become a non-event due to the endless disruptions. Although, there was a collective gasp as Turner’s headed clearance fell to Bale.
The captain took it under his control, the trigger ready to be pulled. Cue a crunching foul from Kellyn Acosta, one that ensured Bale, who was later named Player of the Match, was unable to produce any further magic.
And that was to be that. Page wasted no time in embracing his coaching staff while the applause from the Red Wall typified how thankful they were to see such an improved second-half showing.
Where does it leave Wales? Only time will tell. But the Spirit of ‘58 was there for all to see, and the Welsh supporters were truly grateful.
Bale led the applause with Welsh fans, and Neco Williams plummeted to his knees and pointed to the skies as tears streamed down his face. It means the world.
The emotional rollercoaster of it all was finally hitting home.
Wales had done themselves proud on their return to the big time with the eyes of the world on them. Iran and England lie in wait, and Wales have given themselves the opportunity to once again achieve something special after proving that they will always be here.
You won’t get rid of them that easily. Yma o Hyd, indeed.
WALES: Hennessey; Mepham, Rodon, B Davies; Roberts, Ampadu (Morrell 90+3), Ramsey, Wilson (Thomas 90+1), N Williams (Johnson 79); James (Moore 46), Bale (capt). Subs not used: Ward, A Davies, Gunter, Allen, Lockyer, J Williams, Harris, Levitt, Cabango, Colwill, Smith.
Yellow cards: Bale 40, Mepham
45+2.
USA: Turner; Dest (Yedlin 74), Zimmerman, Ream, Robinson (Acosta 74); Adams (C), Musah; Weah (Morris 87), Mckennie (Aaronson 66), Pulisic; Sargent (Wright 74). Subs not used: Horvath, Johnson, Reyna, Ferreira, De La Torre, Long, Roldan, Moore, Carter-vickers, Scally.
Yellow cards: Dest 11, Mckennie 13, Ream 51, Acosta 90+7.
Referee: Abdulrahman Al Jassim. Attendance: 43,418.