Karol Swiderski celebrates scoring the match winnerA much-changed Wales aspect ready for Sunday’s World Cup play-off closing with a commendable point out in defeat against Poland within the Countries League.
With first-selection gamers comparable to Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey rested in Wroclaw, Wales’ 2nd string applied themselves successfully in a goalless first half of against a stout-energy home aspect.
Piotr Zielinski and Robert Lewandowski missed probabilities for Poland, while the destructive Daniel James came closest to scoring for Wales.
Jonny Williams gave the visitors an unexpected lead with a amazing low strike early within the 2nd half of, sooner than Jakub Kaminski equalised with a sexy attain and fellow substitute Karol Swiderski bundled in a gradual winning perform from shut differ.
No matter the extinguish outcome, Wales’ chief area for this fixture became retaining the squad intact for a increased perform on Sunday, and they performed that concentrate on.
Wales can now focal level on the significant tournament, a World Cup play-off closing against Scotland or Ukraine which manager Robert Page has described as the “greatest match in Welsh history”.
Wales’ 2nd string impressAlthough this became Wales’ first type of the head flight within the Countries League, there became no doubting their priorities lay in assorted areas.
The stakes may perhaps perhaps scarcely be increased for Wales when they host Scotland or Ukraine within the one-off tie, hoping to full their 64-year absence from football’s showpiece tournament.
Due to this, Page rested the grand majority of his first-team gamers in Poland, with Bale, Ramsey, Joe Allen and Ben Davies neglected of the squad utterly.
The choice represented its fetch risks against seasoned opposition who had already licensed for the World Cup and had been led by document scorer Lewandowski – however Page had shrimp selection with the scale of the prize on offer on Sunday.
His fringe gamers stepped up to the catch 22 situation admirably, retaining possession with alter and troubling Poland on the shatter.
The hosts created the better probabilities within the first half of, squandering the fitting within the fourth minute as the unmarked Zielinski headed huge from Mateusz Klich’s tainted.
Lewandowski then bought his first evaluate on perform, bursting sure on the left sooner than reducing internal and forcing Danny Ward correct into an excellent low attach.
Poland 2-1 Wales – as it came about and reactionWales posed a possibility too, most in overall thru the crawl and whine working of the irrepressible James.
Poland struggled to appreciate the Leeds United winger, who created opportunities for team-mates and missed one of his fetch as he shot huge from a promising space.
His half of-time replacement Rabbi Matondo endured within the the same vein, stretching the Polish defence early within the 2nd half of to characteristic up Williams, who fired in from 20 yards.
The perform sparked Poland into existence and they scored a deserved equaliser when Kaminski became given an excessive amount of time and build of abode contained within the Wales penalty space to shift the ball on to his correct foot and build into the far nook.
Then with 5 minutes left, Lewandowski’s shot took a pleasing deflection, Wales did now not sure and Swiderski scored on the rebound to full Poland’s comeback.
Wales boss Robert Page says he is happy with his originate-shift sideJob finished for PagePage will already grasp a clear blueprint of the team he’ll fetch out for the World Cup play-off and, while this sport is no longer more seemingly to grasp changed his thoughts, the Wales manager will had been impressed by a range of performances.
Ipswich Metropolis’s Wes Burns checked out home on his debut at left fly-aid, midfielder Dylan Levitt produced arguably his most nice looking point out but in a Wales shirt and a recent-evaluate aid three of Chris Gunter, Chris Mepham and Rhys Norrington-Davies coped admirably against quality opposition.
The electrical James became substituted at half of-time along with striker Kieffer Moore and goalkeeper Ward, with all three expected to play some fragment on Sunday.
Managing gamers’ minutes and retaining his key men match for the weekend became Page’s aim in Wroclaw. In explain to enact so while claiming a considerable victory would grasp represented a job finished to perfection.
Salvage, blueprint or lose, this sport don’t grasp had a pertaining to Wales’ space in history. Triumph in Sunday’s date with destiny, and this can grasp all been value it.
Line-upsPolandFormation 4-3-1-2
1Grabara
18Bereszynski15Glik5Bednarek19Puchacz
14Klich10Krychowiak6Góralski
20Zielinski
9Lewandowski7Buksa
1Grabara18BereszynskiBooked at 61minutes15Glik5Bednarek19PuchaczSubstituted forZalewskiat 73’minutes14KlichSubstituted forZurkowskiat 60’minutes10KrychowiakSubstituted forGrosickiat 81’minutes6GóralskiSubstituted forKaminskiat 60’minutes20Zielinski9Lewandowski7BuksaSubstituted forSwiderskiat 73’minutesSubstitutes2Kaminski3Wieteska4Kedziora8Zurkowski11Grosicki12Skorupski13Pestka16Swiderski17Szymanski21Zalewski22Dragowski23PiatekWalesFormation 3-5-2
12Ward
2Gunter5Mepham17Norrington-Davies
7Smith22Levitt16Morrell18Williams9Burns
13Moore20James
12WardSubstituted forHennesseyat 45’minutes2Gunter5Mepham17Norrington-DaviesBooked at 75mins7Smith22Levitt16MorrellBooked at 29minutes18WilliamsSubstituted forThomasat 77’minutes9BurnsSubstituted forN Williamsat 62’minutes13MooreSubstituted forM Harrisat 45’minutes20JamesSubstituted forMatondoat 45’minutesSubstitutes1Hennessey3N Williams4Denham6Rodon8Wilson10Thomas11Matondo14Roberts15Ampadu19M Harris21DaviesLive TextMatch ends, Poland 2, Wales 1.
2nd Half ends, Poland 2, Wales 1.
Strive missed. Matthew Smith (Wales) correct footed shot from the finest aspect of the sphere is simply too high following a nook.
Nook, Wales. Conceded by Kamil Glik.
Strive blocked. Matthew Smith (Wales) header from the centre of the sphere is blocked. Assisted by Rabbi Matondo with a tainted.
Obnoxious by Robert Lewandowski (Poland).
Chris Mepham (Wales) wins a free kick within the defensive half of.
Offside, Wales. Chris Gunter tries a thru ball, however Mark Harris is caught offside.
Strive missed. Chris Gunter (Wales) correct footed shot from beginning air the sphere misses to the left. Assisted by Matthew Smith.
Obnoxious by Piotr Zielinski (Poland).
Joe Morrell (Wales) wins a free kick within the attacking half of.
Obnoxious by Karol Swiderski (Poland).
Rabbi Matondo (Wales) wins a free kick on the finest fly.
Obnoxious by Kamil Grosicki (Poland).
Neco Williams (Wales) wins a free kick on the left fly.
Goal! Poland 2, Wales 1. Karol Swiderski (Poland) correct footed shot from very shut differ to the centre of the perform.
Strive blocked. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) correct footed shot from the left aspect of the sphere is blocked. Assisted by Jakub Kaminski.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland) wins a free kick within the attacking half of.
Obnoxious by Chris Mepham (Wales).
Strive missed. Piotr Zielinski (Poland) left footed shot from beginning air the sphere misses to the left. Assisted by Szymon Zurkowski with a headed pass.