Open draw offers Wales, N. Ireland chance of a lifetime
Print Edition
TWO small British nations clash for the momentous prize of a Euro 2016 quarterfinal berth today when Gareth Bale’s Wales meets Northern Ireland in a post-Brexit clash in Paris.
Wales (population 3.1 million) and Northern Ireland (1.8 million) have never appeared at a European Championship finals, but they find themselves in the last 16 with the eyes of the continent upon them.
Having qualified above England as Group B winner, Wales enters the game as slight favorite and Bale admits that the team’s new status is still sinking in.
“We’ve come through a massive journey,” said the Real Madrid forward, who is the tournament’s joint top scorer with three goals. “We’ve been in some bad places. We were 112th in the world and now we’re in the last 16 of the Euros. These are the days to enjoy.”
While the teams qualified in very different ways — Wales striding into the knockout phase as group winner, Northern Ireland squeezing through as the fourth of the four best third-placed teams — both had reason to thank their lucky stars for the serendipity of the draw. With no previous major competition winners among the eight teams in the top half of the tournament, the odds on a team emulating Greece’s underdog triumph at Euro 2004 have shortened considerably.
Today’s winner will play either Belgium or Hungary and there is unlikely to be much trepidation in either the Welsh or Northern Ireland camp about that prospect.
Wales took four points from Belgium in qualifying and Northern Ireland did likewise to Hungary. Indeed, both Bale and Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty have expressed belief that their respective teams can go all the way.
The supporters of both sides have captured French hearts — Welsh fans charming locals in Bordeaux, Lens and Toulouse; Northern Ireland fans creating the soundtrack to the tournament with their ubiquitous ode to striker Will Grigg.
But while Paris will be awash with beer and British song today — as well as talk about the implications of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union — there is much separating the two squads.
Northern Ireland’s terrace darlings are Wigan Athletic striker Grigg, who has not even played at the tournament yet, and goalkeeper Michael McGovern, who spent last season fighting relegation from the Scottish Premiership with Hamilton Academical.
Wales manager Chris Coleman, on the other hand, can call upon Premier League quality in the shape of players like Aaron Ramsey, Ashley Williams and Joe Allen, while in Bale he possesses a potential player of the tournament.
“On form, Gareth Bale is arguably the best player here,” said Northern Ireland’s 36-year-old defender Aaron Hughes.
“A player of Bale’s calibre is important. But you cannot stop one player on a man-to-man basis. The whole shape of the team has to be right and it takes a big effort from everyone.”
Both countries have produced football greats, but Northern Ireland’s George Best and Wales’s Ryan Giggs were condemned to the same fate of shining for Manchester United but never gracing a major international tournament.
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