Euro 2020 Qualifiers and associated friendlies

[Patrick Thistle]

Yes! From out of nowhere

[Patrick Thistle]

Don't know if Wales deserve to get a point out of this but it would be great if they did.

[Bored Of Education]

<cough>Genius substitution from Giggs<cough>

[Bored Of Education]

Fucking hell, this last 10 minutes has being nail biting

[Patrick Thistle]

I'd be interested in Ray's opinion on what that looked like live but on TV it looked like Wales showed effort but lacked poise and finesse. Gareth Bale is a shadow of the player he was. He needs to get out of Madrid and start playing again so he can develop into a different player. The game changed with Brooks and Ampadu in the field as Croatia tired. Wales also need a midfield enforcer. Allen is too small and kickable.

And they have got to stop giving the ball away just outside their own area.

[Bored Of Education]

As ever, Ramsey's absence was notable and it is starting to look like he is more important to us than Bale with the latter being out of sorts. I was a bit disappointed to see Bale's head go down a bit after an attack just before the 90 minutes broke down. The lack of playing time at Real Madrid seems to have had as much an impact on his authority as captain as his play which is a shame as we really need a strong inspirational captain with this young team. Having said that, it was a promising last period after the substitutions that, along with the goal, should be grasped upon as some sort of momentum going to Hungary.

[Patrick Thistle]

I think the Euro semi final was when I realised that Ramsey was more important to the team than Bale but he's much better when Bale is playing because Bale often has 3 men on him giving Ramsey more space.

Duff own goal and a defensive balls up did for them today.

[3 Colours Red]

Couldn't watch due to work. Seems like I should be thankful for missing it.

At least we've got the most difficult game out of the way already.

[Tony C]

Scotland - Cyprus has been excrutiatingly poor so far. McGregor very lucky to only get a yellow for a particularly nasty foul just before half time.

[Tony C]

Turkey apparently playing France off the park. 2-0 at half time.

[Lang Spoon]

Thanks be tae fuck for Robertson.

[Lang Spoon]

Oh for fuck sake

[Lang Spoon]

Never in doubt.

[Ray de Galles]

I wasn't too downhearted about the Wales performance and result today, to be honest, We ran close the World Cup finalists who have never been defeated at home in Euros qualification and are unbeaten in, I think, 23 home qualifiers. This was in 30 degree heat and, in reality, well in to the close season.

The fact that all the Croatia players dropped to the floor at the final whistle proves how hard a game it was for them and how grateful they were for their narrow win. I'll agree that we played the final third of the game far better than the opening hour and finished with a far more impressive side than we started after substitutions but I think the conditions dictated a lot of that. Had we gone all out from the start then we would have been spent well before ninety minutes and finished poorly.

If if we start against Hungary (crucially an evening game in lower temperatures) like we finished today then we should have a good chance of winning and a decent points return for the trip. It could have potentially even better had the late Brooks chance gone in and a draw might have been warranted for our late pressure and overall better goal chances than the hosts.

Osijek was a great host city but the ground is antediluvian and shouldn't be hosting internationals, that's before you confiscate water and sun cream off supporters who have to stand in baking sunlight with no cover for two hours. Still, a great trip so far and we head to Budapest in good spirits.

[Bored Of Education]

I agree that conditions probably bolstered our livelier finish after the substitutions -I was thinking that after the game. The ground did look terrible - sort of Woking/Weymouth-esque - but I did just wonder whether that was the impression from TV. The running track certainly didn't help.

[jameswba]

I went to Slovakia's friendly vs Jordan on Friday night. Slovakia are copying what Wales did ahead of the March game in Cardiff ; picking a 29-man squad for the friendly preceding the qualifier so that you can leave out all those likely to start the more important game and, at the same time, have a look at some young players. For Slovakia, the big game is Azerbaijan away on Tuesday, and they can't afford not to win it.

Jordan were tricky opponents in the first-half on Friday, and led 1-0 at half-time. Their own coaching staff had predicted they'd start to tire around the 60th minute due to the effects of Ramadan, among other factors. In fact, some stern half-time words and four substitutions saw Slovakia turn the game around even before that. They eventually won 5-1. Debutant Lukas Haraslin scored the first, had a hand in two others, and was a clear man of the match. Jordan's goalscorer and only Europe-based player, Musa Al-Taamari, was impressive. Goalkeeper Amer Shafi was making his 145th appearance and made several good saves, even if some of them looked a touch unorthodox.

[Diable Rouge]

McGoldrick finally puts Ireland ahead.

[anton pulisov]

It seems that being a stubborn bastard stuck in the stone age is the defining feature that the FAI look for when appointing a manager.

[Sporting]

Sergio Ramos is a good penalty-taker.

[anton pulisov]

Shit goal celebration though

[Satchmo Distel]

I wonder if Montenegro will show up for their return game in Kosovo in October?

[Diable Rouge]

Undoubtedly the greatest competitive scalp in the latter's ephemeral history.

[Patrick Thistle]

Anyone watching the Wales game? It's on S4C. It's 0-0 after 55 minutes.

Wales seem to be developing a few flair players with Brooks and Ampadu, and maybe Dan James.

[Patrick Thistle]

Oof. Contender for worst ever "cic cornel" there

[Diable Rouge]

Looking like a brilliant evening for Finland so far, with Armenia winning away to Greece, and Bosnia holding Italy to stalemate.