Jordan James fires the Welsh team to vital World Cup victory against Liechtenstein.
The Welsh side earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to maintain their aspirations of World Cup finals qualifying.
The young midfielder scored his debut goal for Wales from inside the box after Liechtenstein’s group of professionals, amateurs and students had defended for the majority of the match. James celebrated in delight with his visible excitement mirrored by the three thousand Welsh followers filling most sections of the Rheinpark Stadion in the capital.
Soon afterwards, though, James was booked and a further booking for his midfield partner resulted in the two players are suspended for Tuesday’s crunch tie with their next opponents through suspension.
The Cardiff City Stadium fixture is a encounter Wales need to win to leapfrog their rivals and guarantee a better seeding in the final round in next spring.
Bellamy had an different vantage point from the dugout, Bellamy completing a touchline ban after receiving a additional booking in the competition previously.
Bellamy’s deputy Cremers stood in in the technical area and several key players – Jordan James, Ampadu, Rodon, Neco Williams – were at risk of suspension from being absent for the concluding match. Two of them came unstuck in incidents that could really hurt Wales.
Liechtenstein, ranked near the bottom in world football, had failed to score in their six qualifying defeats and allowed twenty-three times at an rate of nearly four per fixture.
The visitors predictably had most of the play as Liechtenstein employed a compact shape and defended in numbers.
The home goal remained unthreatened until the forward's pressing won possession and Jordan James saw his attempt from the 18-yard line saved by the goalkeeper.
A similar move crafted an opportunity, James picking out Broadhead on this occasion with a accurate pass behind the defence.
Broadhead’s superb first touch evaded Büchel but the attacker was unable to score from a narrow position.
The Welsh team thought they had broken the deadlock after the opening period when Jordan James headed a deep Thomas set-piece back into a congested six-yard box.
Büchel was under pressure by Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his poor clearance reached Broadhead who scored decisively. But Wales' joy were cut short when the match official was instructed to the pitchside monitor and decided that a player of the Welsh defenders was in an offside position from James’s header.
Wales raised the tempo after the half-time and Thomas sent in a centering pass to the opposite side which James struck the crossbar.
Neco Williams then directed his header off target from within the goal area as it appeared like one of those nights for Wales.
Yet, with the game having entered its 61st minute, Williams delivered a shrewd assist for his teammate to break behind the home defence.
James cut out the goalkeeper with a excellent cross along the six-yard box, and his teammate Jordan had the straightforward opportunity of relieving Welsh tension.