OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Keeper gets re-Ward:
WALES 1
SWITZERLAND 1
Danny Ward does not get many games in the spotlight – but he can expect plenty more for Wales on this form. The goalkeeper made only five appearances for Leicester this season as Kasper Schmeichel’s understudy.
But Ward showed why he has emerged as Wales’ No.1 with a superb display in Baku, making several fine saves against Switzerland as his side snatched a draw in their Group A opener.
It would have been easy for boss Rob Page to pick 96-cap Wayne Hennessey.
But Ward got the jersey after doing well in a 3-0 friendly defeat by France when he saved Karim Benzema’s penalty for the visitors.
He would ideally be playing more for his club but Ward used his experience of stepping in for the injured Hennessey at short notice in the opening 2-1 win against Slovakia at Euro 2016.
Ward said: “It is difficult because everyone wants to play.
“My dilemma at Leicester is that Kasper has been brilliant for a number of seasons so you can have no real complaints.
“You only have one shirt and you have to keep working hard.
“Five years ago against Slovakia it helped having not enough time to think about it. “It was the morning of the game and it was thrown on my toes that this is what is happening. You don’t have time to think about it.
“But I have experienced that pressure from within the group and it has helped all of us.” Switzerland took control but could not find a way past Ward in the first half.
They finally scored after the break as the impressive Breel Embolo headed in Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner.
But, with 16 minutes left, Joe Morrell’s cross found Kieffer Moore and he nodded home with Wales’ second effort on target.
Swiss substitute Mario Gavranovic then netted moments after coming on. But a VAR check disallowed the goal for offside.
Wales held on as the unflappable Ward produced a man-of-the-match display.
He added: “A lot of a goalkeeper’s game is in the mind. You can’t get too high if
Every time he plays for Wales he is brilliant
you make a save. Against Switzerland, I made a save and then they scored from a corner.
“Your job is to save shots but a lot of it is to do with temperament, concentration, organisation and decision-making – when to speed things up or slow things down and manage the game.”
Ward’s show may have surprised the Swiss but it was no shock to his team-mates.
Right-back Connor Roberts said: “We know Danny is a world-class keeper.
“He hasn’t played a whole load of games in his career but every time he plays for Wales he does really well. He is brilliant and the more performances he can put in like that the better.”
WALES (4-1-4-1): Ward 9; Roberts 7, Mepham 7, Rodon 7, Davies 7; Allen 6; Bale 6, Morrell 7, Ramsey 6 (Ampadu 90), James 8 (Brooks 75, 6); Moore 8. Goal: Moore 74.
SWITZERLAND (3-4-1-2): Sommer 7; Elvedi 7, Schar 7, Akanji 7; Mbabu 6, Freuler 6, Xhaka 7, Rodriguez 6; Shaqiri 7 (Zakaria 66, 6); Embolo 9, Seferovic 4 (Gavranovic 84). Goal: Embolo 49.