Wales breathed a sigh of relief as Jordan James netted his first international goal to secure a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein, keeping their hopes alive of securing a second-place finish in their World Cup qualification group.
The home side dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances against the resilient Liechtenstein defense. However, Nathan Broadhead's pressing forced an error, which James capitalized on by scoring from close range after Benjamin BΓΌchel's weak punch fell to him at the edge of the box.
Despite the breakthrough, Wales' celebrations were short-lived as Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon picked up late red cards in the final minutes of the game, leaving them both suspended for Tuesday's crucial match against North Macedonia. The loss was compounded by manager Craig Bellamy's touchline ban after receiving a second yellow card in the competition last month.
Crew member Piet Cremers, who took over as interim manager, acknowledged that injuries and suspensions are an inevitable part of the game, but praised his team for their resilience and quality depth. "We've got a really good squad," he said, adding that they will focus on taking care of the present and then shift their attention to North Macedonia.
Wales ultimately prevailed 1-0 despite a stiff challenge from Liechtenstein, who had not scored in six qualifying defeats and conceded at an average rate of nearly four per game. The visitors' low defensive block allowed Wales to dominate possession, but they struggled to create chances until James's breakthrough.
Cremers warned that the next match against North Macedonia would be another tough test for Wales, citing the team's well-organized defense and ability to limit scoring opportunities. Despite this, he remained optimistic about their chances in Cardiff, where they will look to turn a difficult game into a positive result with their passionate fans backing them every step of the way.
The home side dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances against the resilient Liechtenstein defense. However, Nathan Broadhead's pressing forced an error, which James capitalized on by scoring from close range after Benjamin BΓΌchel's weak punch fell to him at the edge of the box.
Despite the breakthrough, Wales' celebrations were short-lived as Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon picked up late red cards in the final minutes of the game, leaving them both suspended for Tuesday's crucial match against North Macedonia. The loss was compounded by manager Craig Bellamy's touchline ban after receiving a second yellow card in the competition last month.
Crew member Piet Cremers, who took over as interim manager, acknowledged that injuries and suspensions are an inevitable part of the game, but praised his team for their resilience and quality depth. "We've got a really good squad," he said, adding that they will focus on taking care of the present and then shift their attention to North Macedonia.
Wales ultimately prevailed 1-0 despite a stiff challenge from Liechtenstein, who had not scored in six qualifying defeats and conceded at an average rate of nearly four per game. The visitors' low defensive block allowed Wales to dominate possession, but they struggled to create chances until James's breakthrough.
Cremers warned that the next match against North Macedonia would be another tough test for Wales, citing the team's well-organized defense and ability to limit scoring opportunities. Despite this, he remained optimistic about their chances in Cardiff, where they will look to turn a difficult game into a positive result with their passionate fans backing them every step of the way.
wales just pulled off the biggest scalp in qualifying and i'm low-key hyped 
james' goal was pure class, that guy's gonna be a star for yrs to come 
οΈ now we gotta get behind the squad and support them like crazy... those red cards were mental tho 
ampadu & rodon just gift-wrapped 2 suspensions for north macedonia 
anywayz, crew member cremers seems legit, his positivity is infectious 
fingers crossed for cardiff, let's go wales! 
οΈ
2 red cards in one game is insane 
i mean im happy they got the win but suspensions are gonna hurt next match against north macedonia 
anyone think its time for a change at the helm?
Jordan James's first goal is like 
fireworks for Wales' fans! 
But, oh noooo 
That's like 
a big fat X on their World Cup hopes. 
and hope Piet Cremers's words are true 
about having a "really good squad" 
... fingers crossed 
!
so like wales just won against liechtenstein but they also lost some players which is super bad news for their next match against north macedonia 
hopefully crew member cremers can lead them to victory in cardiff 
The only thing that worries me now is those suspensions... losing Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon for the North Macedonia game could be a huge blow. But Piet Cremers seems like the right man to turn things around, he's got that no-nonsense attitude I love! 
First, James gets that sweet first international goal 
, but then Wales' party's over and it's all about suspensions and red cards 
.
, but sometimes you just wanna throw caution to the wind 
.
. And can we talk about those passionate fans in Cardiff? They're going to be EVERYTHING