World Cup 2014 Opponents Profile: Wales

Wales’ only appearance at a World Cup came in 1958, where they reached the quarter-finals after a play-off game with Hungary to determine second place in Group 3 after Jimmy Murphy’s side drew their three group games. The 2-1 result remains Wales’ only World Cup win, and the team went on to lose 1-0 to Brazil – their only World Cup defeat – through Pelé’s first ever World Cup goal.

The current situation is a far cry from the days of Murphy, a man known more for his role as a coach, and subsequently caretaker manager of Manchester United following the 1958 Munich air disaster than leading Wales to their only World Cup tournament.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Wales were one of the perennial nearly men of European football, often coming close, but failing to achieve qualification for the European Championships with a solitary appearance at Euro 1976 (played on a home/away leg basis), where they were defeated 3-1 on aggregate by Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals, to miss out on a place in the tournament “finals”.

Wales came close to qualifying for the 1994 World Cup in the USA, but after that, the declivity of Welsh football has been clear for all to see, with managers coming and going without success, and crushing defeats to Europe’s elite, while suffering defeats to developing nations in Eastern Europe also built up, until Mark Hughes became manager, and finally there was hope of qualification again.

Under Hughes’ leadership, Wales again came agonisingly close to qualification, this time losing 1-0 to Russia in the play-offs for Euro 2004 in Portugal, despite Russia fielding an ineligible player in the first leg.

During that period, Wales were ranked as high as 49th in the world, fast forward seven years, and the FIFA Ranking reads 116th–the lowest ever.

A country which has produced footballers of the calibre of John Charles, John Toshack, Ian Rush, Neville Southall, Ryan Giggs, and to a lesser extent, Gary Speed, and Craig Bellamy, really should be ranked far higher than mingling with Europe’s part-timers Andorra, Liechtenstein, and San Marino.

The underlying problem, even during the “good times”, was lack of motivation and the importance of club over country, something Speed will no doubt have to overcome if Wales are to have any chance of avoiding last place in both the Euro 2012 qualifiers–where they currently sit–and the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

There is an argument that the 2014 draw was kind to Wales as they avoided world champions Spain, Holland, Germany, and England, but two of the three Balkan nations in the group–Croatia and Serbia–are favourites to win the group, ahead of Belgium, who are already proving to be a young side to be reckoned with in the coming years.

Wales are justifiably ranked lowest of the six nations, and it is difficult to say that Wales could beat even Macedonia, with perhaps Scotland providing the only glimmer of hope of a win, due to the added significance of beating one of the home nation teams. Should Wales face Scotland early in the qualification campaign, it could provide an impetus to cause a few upsets along the way.

The Manager

Despite only taking up his first managerial post with Sheffield United in 2010, former Wales captain, Speed, has been in charge for just three games after replacing John Toshack who resigned in September, with the world-renowned fitness coach Raymond Verheijen as his assistant. Speed lost his first game in charge against Republic of Ireland 3-0 in the Nations Cup in February, following that up with a 2-0 defeat to England a month later in their Euro 2012 qualifier leaving Wales bottom of Group G with no win in four games.

Possible Venues

Wales have often struggled to their 74,500 capacity Millennium Stadium even for World Cup and European Championship qualification matches. Despite a game against Scotland chances of a full house are slim, and if Wales’ qualification hopes are over, a significant reduced crowd is inevitable, and a smaller venue could be better suited to the occasion.

At almost 27,000, the Cardiff City Stadium should be too small for a game against a home nation rival, but in November 2009, Wales defeated Scotland 3-0 at the CCS with just 13,844, while the ground was also used for Wales’ Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria in October last year, attracting just over 14,000.

Wales’ Key Players

Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale has been a Wales international since 2006, and won over many new fans for his performances in last season’s Champions League against Inter Milan. While the 22-year-old’s heroics for Wales have been lower key, Bale’s pace, technical ability, and more importantly, his willingness to play for his country, make him more potent than Giggs, and indispensable to Wales’ recovery.

Arsenal youngster, and new Wales captain, Aaron Ramsey, was influential in Wales’ 3-0 win over Scotland in 2009, and despite a lengthy spell out with a broken leg, the 20-year-old bounced back earlier this year to show why Arsène Wenger has faith in him with some impressive performances at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield. Likely to start in the centre alongside Celtic’ Joe Ledley, Ramsey will be expected to pull the strings with an energy and ability that has been missing in recent years.

Wales’ best striker since the retirement of Dean Saunders in 2001, Craig Bellamy finds himself back at Manchester City having spent last season on loan at Cardiff City, and with enough strikers to name a starting XI at the Etihad Stadium, the 32-year-old is unlikely to be match-fit unless another club can snap him up before the end of the transfer window, but Bellamy still has the pace and accuracy of shot to strike fear into the heart of most defences.

Last Six Meetings

25/05/11 (Nations Cup): Wales 1-3 Scotland
14/11/09 (Friendly) Wales 3-0 Scotland.
17/02/04 (Friendly): Wales 4-0 Scotland.
26/05/97 (Friendly): Scotland 1-0 Wales.
09/09/85 (WC Qual): Wales 1-1 Scotland.
26/03/85 (WC Qual): Scotland 0-1 Wales.

Written by Gareth Llewellyn