Bale’s Qatar dream is at risk from Ukraine spirit
GARETH Bale may have kept the media waiting on the eve of the most important game of football on Welsh soil in 64 years, but he fully intends to turn up on time to deliver what is required to beat Ukraine in Cardiff today.
Nothing was going to shake the Welsh skipper out of his pre-match routine on the eve of the World Cup play-off final in the Welsh capital. So, he postponed his in-person press conference and opted to do it on Zoom from the team hotel on the outskirts of Cardiff.
A week after securing his fifth Champions League winners medal, and a few days after being made MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, the fans favourite ‘Prince of Wales’ said he was ready to help his side secure what would be a major scalp.
Playing at the World Cup is the one thing missing from Bale’s CV and he freely admits he’d love to finally make the grade.
‘It is missing and everyone wants to play at the World Cup. It’s no different for me or every member in this squad, so we’re all massively motivated,’ said Bale.
‘We know it’s going to be a difficult game against a difficult team for who we have the upmost respect for — it’s all on the line.
‘We just have to take it in our stride, even though we understand the game is massive. It’s a big game, but it’s difficult to say whether it’s the biggest I’ve ever played in.
‘We played in a semi-final of a European Championship, but we’ve only ever played in one World Cup. This is a stepping stone we want to take and we’re desperate to win to achieve our goal.
‘We have to focus on this difficult game and we’ve got enough experience in the squad to not get carried away. We can bring back down to earth the ones who try to sneak off.’
The fact the final qualifying game for Qatar is against war-torn Ukraine will add to the pressure and emotion. One of Bale’s finest footballing moments came in Kyiv when he scored his sensational overhead volley in the Champions League final win over Liverpool in 2018.
‘It’s surreal knowing that you’ve been to Kiev itself and Ukraine. Just seeing the pictures and reading about what’s going on is heartbreaking,’ he added.
‘We understand the awful things going on in Ukraine and our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine. We’ve all felt awful during this time and not been able to do too much. But come tomorrow it’s a game of football and we want to win. We’ll be the most popular team in the stadium, that’s the main thing.
‘We love playing at home and playing in front of our fans. It’s a cauldron for us and the atmosphere the fans create intimidates other teams. When we feel tired they sing the anthem and that give us the extra energy levels we need. It’s been amazing.’
While Bale and Co will have the Welsh fans to urge them on, Ukraine will be using the horror of what is going on at home to motivate them.
‘My team has received a flag from the soldiers In Ukraine which they have promised to hang in the dressing room,’ said Ukraine’s head coach Oleksandr Petrakov.
‘It’s really hard in Ukraine and not everyone has the chance to watch football. But we will try to concentrate on the game.’
z Wales midfielder Joe Allen will decide his future after today’s match, with Swansea City offering him a chance to return to the club a decade after he left to join Liverpool. Allen, 32, is currently out of contract at Stoke and they are keen for him to sign a new deal.