International Break | Vital Football

International Break

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
And so we reach another International break, the last one was 8-20 November.

We played Norwich away just before on 7 Nov and lost 1-0 after Ayew hit the post and Naughton picked up a hamstring injury. Swans had 11 corners and 19 shots, sound familiar?
I said after the match “We badly need someone who can score goals, relying on Ayew all the time is no good. But we knew this in the transfer window, the owners wouldn’t spend, and the answer was the cheapest option, an inexperienced loanee striker from Brighton”.

Yesterday we lost 0-1 after Ayew hit the post and Hourihane picked up a hamstring injury. Swans had 11 corners and 23 shots, sound familiar?
I said after the match “How can you go a whole season without a recognised striker/goal scorer, ask the Swans and the club owners. Their answer in January was to bring in a young player Derby didn’t want and then Cooper never played”.
 
Norwich manager Daniel Farke’s view on the international break:
"I'm scared because you never know what the outcome will be in the end when they come back because they have to travel around. It seems crazy, living in the pandemic it is not possible to see your family, sometimes your children or your parents or grandparents, and we send our national team players away. If it is competitive games I can accept it. For friendlies it is difficult to accept. I think it is a questionable decision."
 
Last season’s final league table:
Leeds Utd P46 Pts93
West Brom P46 Pts83
Brentford P46 Pts81
Fulham P46 Pts81

This seasons’s league table to date:
Norwich P38 Pts83
Watford P38 Pts75
Swansea P37 Pts69
Brentford P37 Pts68

Friday 2 April Birmingham v Swansea 20:00
Friday 2 April Watford v Sheff Wed 15:00

Monday 4 April Swansea v Preston 15:00
Monday 4 April Middlesboro v Watford 12:30

Friday 9 April Watford v Reading 19:45
Saturday 10 April Millwall v Swansea 12:30

Tuesday 13 April Sheff Wed v Swansea 18:00

Saturday 17 April Swansea v Wycombe 15:00
Sat 17 April Luton v Watford 15:00

Tuesday 20 April Swansea v QPR 19:45
Tue 20 April Norwich v Watford 19:45

Saturday 24 April Reading v Swansea 15:00
Sat 24 April Watford v Millwall 15:00

Saturday 1 May Swansea v Derby 15:00
Sat 1 May Brentford v Watford 15:00

Saturday 8 May Watford v Swansea 15:00
 
Belgium 3 Wales 1
Wales were without Ramsey, Lockyer and Davies going into their first match of the World Cup Qualifiers and suffered another injury blow after only seven minutes Joe Allen going off with a leg injury, Morrell replacing him.
Despite this setback Wales scored a brilliantly worked goal to take the lead through Wilson after 10 minutes. Belgium were stung into action and bounced back to score three goals. The first saw De Bruyne with far too much space hit an unstoppable shot from 25 yards after 22 minutes. The second came 16 minutes later when a cross was headed in by Thorgan Hazard after his marker Roberts slipped on the poor playing surface. Lukaku fired the third goal in the 78 minute from the penalty spot after a Mepham foul on Mertens. It was a tough ask for depleted Wales to take on the World’s top ranked side, who were unbeaten at home since 2010.
So we move on to the next qualifier against Czech Rep on Tuesday, with a Mexico friendly sandwiched in between on Saturday, where wholesale changes are expected.
 
A great 1-0 win for Wales last night in their home ‘friendly’ against Mexico, with an early goal on 11’ by Kieffer Moore settling the match.
There were eleven changes from the Belgium defeat, with players being rested for Tuesday’s crucial match against Czech Rep.
A surprise selection was midfielder Jonny Williams and forward Tom Lawrence playing as wing backs in a 3-4-2-1 formation, and it was Williams who laid on a low cross for Moore to cleverly slot home for the winner.
Mexico, with only one defeat in the last 22 games and 9th in the World Rankings (Wales 18th) were a big scalp.
Wales fielded an experimental side, here are the squad players details -
Team:
1 Wayne Hennessy - goalkeeper Crystal Palace
2 Chris Gunter - right back Charlton
5 Ben Cabango - centre back Swansea
4 Rhys Norrington-Davies - left back Stoke
8 Jonny Williams - midfielder Cardiff
10 Dylan Levitt - midfielder Man U (on loan to NK Istra 1961, Croatia)
19 Matthew Smith - midfielder Man City (on loan to Doncaster)
7 Tom Lawrence - winger Derby County
18 Tyler Roberts - striker Leeds
17 Rabbi Matondo - winger Schalke 04 (on loan to Stoke)
13 Kieffer Moore - forward Cardiff
Subs:
14 Connor Roberts - right back Swansea - 86' sub
21 Tom King - goalkeeper Newport
23 Brennan Johnson - midfielder N.Forest (on loan to Lincoln) - 65’ sub
20 Josh Sheehan - midfielder Newport - 45' sub
3 Neco Williams - right back Liverpool - 65' sub
22 Brandon Cooper - centre back Swansea
15 Ethan Ampadu - midfielder Chelsea (on loan to Sheff U)
11 Gareth Bale - winger Real Madrid (on loan to Spurs) - 81’ sub
6 Joe Rodon - centre back Spurs
12 Adam Davies - goalkeeper Stoke
9 Hal Robson-Kanu - forward West Brom - 45’ sub
16 Joe Morrell - midfielder Luton
 
Wales 1 Czech Republic 0
Wales pulled off a crucial win in Cardiff last night against unbeaten Czech Republic, Dan James heading the winner on 81’, with a pin point cross from Gareth Bale for the assist.
Jakob Jankto missed several chances as the Czech’s, who had drawn with Belgium a few days previous, dominated the first half, with Bale having the best chance for Wales, his shot tipped over by goalkeeper Vaclik.
Patrick Schlick was sent off on 48’ after appearing to strike Connor Roberts, but still the Czech’s kept driving forward and were looking the better team.
On 77’ Roberts was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, harshly adjudged to have elbowed Tomas Soucek in the face in an aerial challenge.
Wales hung on but had a scare in injury time when Ondrej Celustka’s, shot was goal bound, but Joe Rodon sliding block tipped the ball over the bar.
So the table looks like this:
1 Belgium Pl 3, Pts 7
2 Czech Pl 3, Pts 4
3 Wales Pl 2, Pts 3
Only the group winners goes through, second placed team enters a play-off to qualify.
 
With defenders Tom Lockyer and Ben Davies injured, Wales finally managed to get James Lawrence back with the squad before the Czech match. Having played well against Belgium he initially had to return to Germany because of Covid-19 rules there.
Formerly with Anderlecht of Belgium, centre-back James Lawrence presently plays in the German 2. Bundesliga with mid-table FC St Pauli, Hamburg. He started his career with Arsenal youth at the same time as Harry Kane.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.