Sport
Wales deserve plaudits for making footballing history
Wales deserve plaudits for making footballing history. Before the European Championship began, Wales were ranked 26th in the world. Wind forward three weeks and Wales climb above England into the top 15 for the first time in history. If that doesn’t scream an unprecedented success, I don’t know what will.
In Group B, Wales accompanied England, Russia and Slovakia, in which two progressed into the knockout rounds. It wasn’t a taxing group – on paper – and pundits, fans and the media thought it was wholly possible that the Dragons could progress in second place.
How naive. The England football team had a strong sense of entitlement and it showed throughout the whole tournament. They thought they could flash their boots, waltz around and sail through an easy-ish group. Wrong. They are not footballing royalty.
The Welsh played with pride, they played with their hearts on their sleeve, they played with no sense of entitlement and most importantly, they played with no fear. England should watch closely and take note. Wales were a breath of fresh air. In a season where Leicester City trumped the Big Four and won the Premier League, Wales had the bigger countries – in population and reputation – on their toes and treading water.
There was plenty of talk about Chris Coleman’s team being heavily reliant on one man. And that man being one of the best player’s in the world. Yes, Gareth Bale played his part in Wales’s success, but let’s not forget that Aaron Ramsey, Joe Ledley, Chris Gunter and Ashley Williams weren’t a monumental factor also.
When Wales were drawn against Belgium in the Round of 16, many thought the Dragons had overstayed their welcome and this would be the end of an impressive journey. If they had fallen short against the Red Devils, everyone would’ve said it was still remarkable how far they’ve come, but that wasn’t the case.
However, Wales won. Yes, they beat the country that was ranked second in the world coming into this game. Euphoria is an understatement when the final whistle blew after the 90 minutes. It wasn’t just a scraping past, either, after Belgium scored, the Dragons awoke and played some of the best football they’ve played in this tournament. It was spectacular their ability to transition from defence into attack – a truly wonderful performance.
Chris Coleman said “I’ve had more failures then I have success but I’m not afraid to fail… don’t be scared to dream,” after that incredible win over Belgium. And he’s right – don’t be scared to dream, because, like Wales, you can achieve those dreams with diligence, hard work and belief.
Some won’t understand what Wales’s achievement means for football in Wales, but for a nation thats football has always been shadowed by its Rugby, this sends the right noise throughout the valleys.
Reaching a semi-final in a major tournament is not to be undermined, the last time England achieved the same result was back in 1996. Wales may not have beaten Portugal, but they sure as hell inspired a nation and further generations for decades to come. It’s been inspiring to watch and we thank Wales for their commitment and valiant performance to get as far as they could.
