Bodin's Left Boot

Despite having severe reservations about Wales' tussle with world football's answer to the Harlem Globetrotters, the end result wasn't quite as terrifying as most, me included, had feared.

That we held the likes of superstars Ronaldinho, Kaka and Julio Baptista to a 0-0 scoreline at half-time was an achievement in itself, but if Earnie had tucked away the best chance of the first half when through on goal, then who knows what the end result may have been.

As it was the Welsh goal drought continues and Wales were to rue their scant missed opportunities.

Still, the game wasn’t the wasted opportunity it first threatened to be, there were some performances as illuminating as Ronaldinho's pearly whites. Gareth Bale made his first full start and did everything to justify is tag as the most talked about teenager in Britain, with a performance full of poise, control and brim full of a maturity belying his 17 years.

The highpoint of his night came when Ronaldinho tried twice to turn him inside out with the sort of bedazzling moves that usually tie defenders in knots, only for the goofy Brazilian to find himself having the ball nickedd off his toes, to huge cheers from the travelling Welsh fans.

By the time he made his half-time exit, no doubt because it was way past his bedtime, there was no one in the ground or watching on TV who would have doubted that Bale has the sort of future that fairytale scripts are written about. While not quite the Billy Elliott of football, if he progresses as quickly as he threatens to do, the Premiership could come calling sooner rather than later.

The Cardiff-born Southampton star wasn’t the only teenager to impress, Lewin Nyatanga, the former holder of the the youngest ever Wales international title, before he flicked it off his instep to Bale, put in another sterling show. One small blip in the the first half, was the only minor indiscretion from the young Derby centre-half who appears to have that fluidity of movement, class pedigree and the ability to find that extra time on the ball as fellow stylish centre-half Danny Gabbidon.

Just to underline young Lewin's confidence, a spate of backtracking and a crucial tackle by Ryan Giggs - the elder statesman of the side - was met with a word of encouragement and a cheeky pat on the Welsh captain's bottom by the disciplined and dedicated defender.

You had to smile. Bu tif that's the sor tof confidence JohNToshack si instillign in hsi young charges, then long may it continue.

In Bale and Nyatanga, as well as the equally impressive Portsmouth right-back Richard Duffy - who made some storming charges down the right flank, Wales have talented youngsters that could form the nucleus of the Wales backline for years to come.

If the Welsh players pitting their footballing wits with Brazil taught us anything it's that age old adage, if you're good enough, you're old enough.

While not quite Brazilian class, Tosh's youngsters are both good enough and old enough.

Tsk, kids today, eh...

Posted by Juan Estupendo at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So who thinks tomorrow evening's international friendly match up at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane between Wales and the footballing superstars of Brazil is an exercise in ultimate futility put in place for one reason and one reason only - money.

Money walks and bullsh*t talks goes the saying and FAW Secretary general David Collins has been spouting enough of it in a vain attempt to talk up this poorly timed match.

This encounter has only one winner and it's not John Toshack's men - lest it be forgotten a team still licking its wounds and coping with the depressive hangover of a cruel defeat in Teplice.

There probably isn't any right time to face Ronaldinho and the rest of football's equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters, but with the players having to lift themselves out of their Czech inertia and Tosh on record as saying he'll be throwing the youngsters into the mix, I'm hoping and praying that Wales can rise to the occasion, excel at damage limitation and keep the score respectable.

No one wants to see us humiliated and our fragile confidence torn to shreds.

However, anyone who has a videotape of Brazil turning over Argentina at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday would be wise in keeping it away from the Welsh team.

Posted by Juan Estupendo at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's hard to imagine what terrible fate has befallen Welsh football for it to be so miserably conspired against by Lady Luck.

She really must hate us.

We as Welsh fans are used to bitter disappointment - the inevitable near misses, the false dawns and the raised expectations, but as the Czech Republic snatched a late, late winner from what looked like a wonderful point for Wales, my stomach experienced that same old feeling. Pain, angush and disconsolation all knotted and twisted, playing keepy up with my fractured emotions.

It certainly doesn't get any easier supporting your country.

Even now, two days later, I'm still replaying that final minute winner in my head, wondering just how it sneaked past 'keeper Paul Jones, bobbling all over like it was struck by a playground player rather than a Czech international. However many times I think of it, sadly the ball still ends up nestling in the back of the net.

Saturday's Euro 2008 opener in Teplice may have been peppered with the sorts of incidents that have us, as fans, reaching for the Prozac - the first Czech goal was clearly offside and the second came from a free kick taken while the ball was still in motion, but when the red mists and clouds of depression clear, Wales and its supporters can still take heart from this defeat.

Although performing what appeared to be a re-enacment of the footballing Alamo in the first 20 minutes when Toshack's players overly unnerved by the occasion, Wales soon stepped up a gear and were able to easily soak up the inevitable pressure that the Czechs applied - Collins, Gabbidon and the hugely impressive Nyatanga trojans at the back in an impressive defensive display.

Despite conceding so much territotial advantage the undeniable fact was that Wales carved out the clearest cut chances of the game, both falling to Craig Bellamy, who by his own admission was culpable for glaring misses when offered gilt-edged goalscoring opportunities.

If those chances had gone in it would have been a different game. It's all ifs, buts and maybes, but with two minutes left and Wales still in the hunt at 1-1, we were all readying ourselves for a massive boost. As it was fate conspired against us once again.

With the Czechs benefitting from the linseman's ineptitude gifting them their opening goal, Toshack has to be applauded for acting decisevly (something we were not used to seeing from his predecessor Mark Hughes) and bringing on Earnie and David Cotterill. The two combined to force Czech defender Jaronik to put through his own net and bring Wales back into the game.

Then as time was running out, the tannoy announcer attempted to offer some vocal encouragement to the crowd - illegal under FIFA laws. Seemingly distracted by this impromtu PA indiscretion, the referee missed the rolling ball incident after awarding a free kick. Paul Jones made an ill-advised punch when surely catching the ball was the safer option, the ball was knocked back into the box, two Welsh defenders switched off, Czech player Lafata applied the flakiest of touches and the ball bobbled agonisingly into the back fo the Welsh net.

Cue delirious Czech celebrations and another knife in the heart for the Welsh football team and its fans.

Let's hope fortunes change and that fraught relationship with Lady Luck is repaired quickly, because I hate feeling this way.

It's only the first game and anymore matches like Saturday's will have us jibbering like nervous wrecks. And no one wants to see that, least of all my long-suffering wife!

Posted by Juan Estupendo at 1:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)