Wales brush aside Liechtenstein to maintain Bellamy's unbeaten reign
The unbeaten reign of Craig Bellamy continued as his Wales side propelled themselves to the top of their World Cup qualifying group with a thumping win. Bellamy was appointed head coach in July 2024 and the national side have drawn four and won five under him.
Wales leapfrogged North Macedonia, who drew 1-1 to Belgium on Friday. The Red Devils are only just getting their qualifiers under way because they were involved in Nations League playoffs in March.
Advertisement
Related: Squad goals: Toney's inclusion offers window into Tuchel's England approach
Belgium are the favourites to top the group with the prize for doing so automatic qualification. But Wales's great run has put them in a good position to challenge Domenico Tedesco's Belgium, who they play on Monday and have a history of upsetting with that famous 3-1 win in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.
Wales were firmly focused on the opposition in front of them and on Friday Liechtenstein made their presence known. While the visiting fans were heavily outnumbered, they were the ones in the car park pre-match who could be heard singing songs and shouting chants. They made the trip to see if their side could end a 35-game losing streak, which has lasted five years.
The two countries have met three times before with Wales victorious on all three occasions and Liechtenstein were winless in their past 43 World Cup qualifiers. The hosts were undoubtedly huge favourites and under cloudy conditions they ensured Liechtenstein's wait for a win continued.
Advertisement
Whistling, boos and chants of 'Wales' drowned out Liechtenstein's national anthem before the spine-tingling Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau began. The music was cut to allow the Wales supporters to belt out the anthem. They played their part and it was the players turn to perform.
Harry Wilson, who returned after missing the March qualifiers with injury, took an early free-kick and went for goal but his attempt was fired wide. Wales kept up the pressure, particularly through the attacking spark of Sorba Thomas, but the visitors soaked it up.
While it was all Wales in the early stages, it was not all good news for the hosts as they were forced into an early change with Neco Williams off with injury. He needed a stretcher with a suspected hamstring problem and was shaking his head as he was wheeled along the touchline.
Kieffer Moore and Ben Davies had close chances but Brennan Johnson, the Spurs hero from the Europa League final, came closest with a deft touch.
Advertisement
Benjamin Büchel, who has won Liechtenstein's player of the year three seasons in a row, made an incredible save. Ethan Ampadu, also returning to the side, was the next to take a shot with a bicycle kick almost beating Büchel but the Vaduz keeper nudged it over the bar.
Liechtenstein had been well-drilled in defence but the simplest of set pieces unpicked the deadlock. A good delivery from Thomas allowed Joe Rodon to head home and so the half-time score stood at 1-0.
Wales continued with their relentless attack but the visitors reverted to a brick wall with chances continually repelled. That was until Wilson headed an excellent shot, his fifth goal in seven games under Bellamy. The Fulham forward is the top scorer under the head coach.
Moore then got his goal with a tap in before a ripple of applause came over the crowd in the 68th minute in memory of The Alarm's Mike Peters, who sang Wales's Euro 2020 anthem. He was an avid supporter of the team who died in April. The 68th minute was chosen in honour of The Alarm hit 68 Guns.
Advertisement
The pace of the game slowed but the result was already sewn up with it equalling the best win under Bellamy after a 4-1 victory against Iceland in the Nations League in November.
Wales face their toughest test against Belgium in a few day's time and they will have to make history if they want to come away with maximum points as they have never won a match in Belgium.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
England's Dawson relishing return from international wilderness
England's Liam Dawson (C) celebrates with team-mates after dismissing West Indies' Johnson Charles during the 1st T20 at Chester-le-Street (Oli SCARFF) Liam Dawson is determined to make the most of his surprise recall to international duty after believing his England career had come to an end. The 35-year-old left-arm spinner had won just 20 caps across all three formats since making his debut in 2016. Advertisement He appeared surplus to requirements as England selected a succession of other slow bowlers in red and white-ball cricket, many of whom had inferior county records to Hampshire mainstay Dawson. But he produced a reminder of his quality with 4-20 and a player-of-the-match award as England marked Harry Brook's first T20 as captain with a 21-run win over the West Indies at Chester-le-Street on Friday. "I had got to an age where I probably thought international cricket was gone," said Dawson after taking his best figures in T20 internationals. "In my domestic career, I've tried to go out there and just enjoy playing for whoever I'm playing for. It was about going out there and not worrying about playing for England. Advertisement "I think that can hamper you sometimes so I've not really worried about that. I'm at an age now where I know that I'm close to finishing." Brook gave Dawson the new ball in Durham, a sign of his confidence in the bowler, and perhaps a marker for next year's T20 World Cup on turning pitches in India and Sri Lanka. "Personally, I think he's been knocking on the door for years to try and solidify that spot and the performance we saw from him was awesome," said Brook of Dawson. "Him and Adil Rashid working in tandem at both ends is going be good to watch in the coming years. He can also help the younger lads along the way, to have him in the inner circle when they are bowling is going to help us a lot." Advertisement The three-match series continues in Bristol on Sunday before finishing at Dawson's home ground in Southampton on Tuesday. Well though he bowled in Durham, Dawson is taking nothing for granted. "I know how cricket works, you've got to be consistent and it's only one game," he said. "So I'll park this and go again. It would be nice to play at my home ground, if selected." jdg/pb
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The impact of Trump's travel ban on 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games in US
Donald Trump has often stated his excitement for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, claiming they are among the events he looks forward to most in his second term. Trump himself will present the tournament's winner with the trophy after the final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey on 19 July. However, there is growing uncertainty surrounding visa policies for foreign visitors planning to attend these major sporting events in the US. Trump's recent travel ban on citizens from 12 countries has raised concerns about the potential impact on the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, both of which rely on hosts welcoming participants and spectators from around the globe. The travel ban has cast a shadow over the feasibility of hosting these international events. Here's a look at the potential effects of the travel ban on those events. When Sunday ticks over to Monday, citizens of 12 countries should be banned from entering the US. They are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Tighter restrictions will apply to visitors from seven more: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Trump said some countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting processes or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. Iran, a soccer power in Asia, is the only targeted country to qualify so far for the World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico in one year's time. Cuba, Haiti and Sudan are in contention. Sierra Leone might stay involved through multiple playoff games. Burundi, Equatorial Guinea and Libya have very outside shots. But all should be able to send teams to the World Cup if they qualify because the new policy makes exceptions for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' About 200 countries could send athletes to the Summer Games, including those targeted by the latest travel restrictions. The exceptions should apply to them as well if the ban is still in place in its current form. The travel ban doesn't mention any exceptions for fans from the targeted countries wishing to travel to the US for the World Cup or Olympics. Even before the travel ban, fans of the Iran soccer team living in that country already had issues about getting a visa for a World Cup visit. Still, national team supporters often profile differently to fans of club teams who go abroad for games in international competitions like the UEFA Champions League. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are often from the diaspora, wealthier, and could have different passport options. A World Cup visitor is broadly higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Visitors to the Olympics are often even higher-end clients, though tourism for a Summer Games is significantly less than at a World Cup, with fewer still from most of the 19 countries now targeted. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly built close ties since 2018 to Trump — too close according to some. He has cited the need to ensure FIFA's smooth operations at a tournament that will earn a big majority of the soccer body's expected $13 billion revenue from 2023-26. Infantino sat next to Trump at the White House task force meeting on May 6 which prominently included Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. FIFA's top delegate on the task force is Infantino ally Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner whose two-year run as US Soccer Federation president ended in controversy in 2020. Any visa and security issues FIFA faces — including at the 32-team Club World Cup that kicks off next week in Miami — can help LA Olympics organizers finesse their plans. 'I don't anticipate any, any problems from any countries to come and participate,' LA Games chairman Casey Wasserman told International Olympic Committee officials in March. He revealed then, at an IOC meeting in Greece, two discreet meetings with Trump and noted the State Department has a 'fully staffed desk' to help prepare for short-notice visa processing in the summer of 2028 — albeit with a focus on teams rather than fans. 'Irrespective of politics today,' Wasserman said in March, 'America will be open and accepting to all 209 countries for the Olympics.' FIFA and the IOC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment about the new Trump travel ban. The 2018 World Cup host Russia let fans enter the country with a game ticket doubling as their visa. So did Qatar four years later. Both governments, however, also performed background checks on all visitors coming to the month-long soccer tournaments. Governments have refused entry to unwelcome visitors. For the 2012 London Olympics, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko — who is still its authoritarian leader today — was denied a visa despite also leading its national Olympic body. The IOC also suspended him from the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Cristiano Ronaldo says he does not plan to play in FIFA Club World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo says he does not plan to play in FIFA Club World Cup Show Caption Hide Caption Timing of FIFA Club World Cup problematic for teams across the globe Seth Vertelney explains why the timing of the FIFA Club World Cup is sounding alarms for franchises across the globe. Sports Seriously Al-Nassr and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo said on Saturday he did not plan to play at the Club World Cup in the United States, despite being courted by clubs participating in the expanded 32-team tournament. Speculation over the 40-year-old's future intensified last month when FIFA President Gianni Infantino said discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the Club World Cup, despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify. Al-Nassr's sporting director Fernando Hierro said last month they were negotiating with Ronaldo over a contract extension but faced competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo himself added to the uncertainty after Al-Nassr's season-ending match at Al-Fateh, posting on social media: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written." Asked about the possibility of signing for another club in the coming days in order to play at the Club World Cup later this month, Ronaldo told reporters: "It's irrelevant, at the moment it doesn't make sense to talk about things other than the national team. "There has been plenty of contact (from clubs), I see things that make sense, others that don't. You can't go to all of them (clubs), you have to think short, medium and long term. "It's something that's practically decided on my part, which is not to go to the Club World Cup, but I've had plenty of invitations." On Wednesday, Ronaldo scored the winner as Portugal beat Germany 2-1 to go into the Nations League final, where they will face Spain. Many have labelled Sunday's final as a face-off between Ronaldo and 17-year-old Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal but the Portuguese forward said he did not see it as such. "It's always been like that, whenever I've played football, whenever I've played a big game it's always been Cristiano against this one, against that one," he said. "It's been 20-something years and it's still the same, it doesn't keep me up at night anymore, it's a normal thing. They're completely different generations, a generation that's starting out, another that's finishing, which is my case. "In reality it's not like that, it's a team against a team. It will always be like that... What I want most is for Portugal to be at a good level, confident that things can go well, that we can play a great game and win against a very good team, possibly the best in the world."
