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David and Goliath
Football - European Cup Playoffs
On Saturday Wales went to the frigid lion's den of Moscow to play Russia away...
Russia had scored 15 goals at home in the last 4 games and apparently fully expected to steamroller the Welsh into submission.
When things weren't going according to plan, this great footballing nation with 100 times the population of Wales resorted to a string of increasing and ever more desperate dirty tricks and theatrics in an underhand and sordid attempt to swing the game in their favour including a particularly horrendous tackle against Ryan Giggs, numerous Oscar contenders for most farcical fouled player of the year and one of the worst displays of gamesmanship I have witnessed in a long time...
Even the Russian fans were underhand by trying to disrupt the Welsh players by throwing missiles and flares at them - the referee stopped play with Wales in possession because a flare had come onto the pitch, but at the drop-ball restart Russia refused to concede possession to the visitors!
This is one of those Cardinal unwritten rules of the sport...
Shame on Russian football!
Still, Wales have kept their cool and did not stoop to the same dirty tricks - as Robbie Savage again says for the return leg:
The return leg will be played here in Cardiff this Wednesday at a capacity Millennium stadium and is Wales' most important game for 10 years and although we drew against Russia away, I still have to say that in my view the Russians are still extremely dangerous - especially with the away goal rule. My heart says 'Wales Win' - my head says 'no comment!'...
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/0650wales/ Edit link (again!)...
No prizes for guessing what I'll be doing from 19:00 GMT!
After all, David is Wales' patron saint...
On Saturday Wales went to the frigid lion's den of Moscow to play Russia away...
Russia had scored 15 goals at home in the last 4 games and apparently fully expected to steamroller the Welsh into submission.
When things weren't going according to plan, this great footballing nation with 100 times the population of Wales resorted to a string of increasing and ever more desperate dirty tricks and theatrics in an underhand and sordid attempt to swing the game in their favour including a particularly horrendous tackle against Ryan Giggs, numerous Oscar contenders for most farcical fouled player of the year and one of the worst displays of gamesmanship I have witnessed in a long time...
Even the Russian fans were underhand by trying to disrupt the Welsh players by throwing missiles and flares at them - the referee stopped play with Wales in possession because a flare had come onto the pitch, but at the drop-ball restart Russia refused to concede possession to the visitors!
"In those circumstances you always give possession back to the opposition," said Wales midfielder Robbie Savage. "If the Russians had scored from there we would have been absolutely furious, it was grossly unfair.
Shame on Russian football!
Still, Wales have kept their cool and did not stoop to the same dirty tricks - as Robbie Savage again says for the return leg:
"Let's not only look to win, let's look to win playing fairly, squarely and the right way."
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/0650wales/ Edit link (again!)...
No prizes for guessing what I'll be doing from 19:00 GMT!
After all, David is Wales' patron saint...
Russia
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