Goals either side of the interval from two captains Pernille Harder and Jess Fishlock proved decisive as Wales and Denmark played out a 1-1 draw at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Over the course of the match, both teams enjoyed patches of dominance. In the end, Wales found themselves seated behind the ball against a potent Danish frontline, however they typified defensive impermeability to keep the visitors at bay in the closing stages.
Here are the five key talking points from Tuesday evening’s encounter.
1. A monumental evening for Kayleigh Green
A ripple of applause emanated around the CCS minutes moments before kick off as Kayleigh Green was awarded her 50th Welsh cap.
Since making her debut against Norway in 2012, Green has gone on to score eleven times for the Red Dragons.
Green, who can operate in attack and defence, marked the occasion with an impressive performance, subduing the Danes to a difficult time with her physicality and strong willingness to instantly retain the ball.
At 33, Green is one of the more experienced players in Gemma Grainger’s ranks and will be looking to translate her wealth of wisdom to the younger core of the squad.
2. It’s just like watching Brazil!
Jess Fishlock’s enrapturing equaliser thirty minutes from time is bound to live long in the memory for players and supporters galore, and rightly so.
Quite simply, the move was a piece of sublime brilliance, and it was only fitting that it was rounded off with an all-important goal.
It had began in Wales’ half to begin with and, owing to some intricate passing, the Red Dragons quickly ventured into Danish territory.
Bearing the role of orchestrator and eventual goalscorer, Fishlock powered past Denmark midfielder Emma Snerle before playing it off to Angharad James, who emerged as one of her side’s finest performers throughout the affair.
James then found Natasha Harding out wide in an unmarked position and the winger dispatched a delightful first-time delivery, which Fishlock was first to react to as she volleyed the ball home emphatically.
From the observant eye, those goals are the ones which you crave to see. With an air of instinct, the Wales players instantly knew exactly what to do as they knocked the ball forward with speed, precision and in-sync telepathy to get back into the game in truly remarkable fashion.
3. Defensive solidity
Whilst rightful praise has been attributed to Wales’ showings in the final third, their backline was on song as, for large parts, they contained a potent Danish attack.
They needed to be; after all, Denmark are ranked 14th in the FIFA World Rankings and, at their disposal waits a catalogue of talented forwards.
Amongst those is Pernille Harder, who broke the Women’s football transfer fee last September and Everton winger Nicoline Sorensen, both of whom proved to be a real handful.
That said, Denmark did put Wales under the cosh, but organisation and astuteness would come to fruition upon the final whistle when a masterly defensive performance was ultimately rewarded.
Should they continue in that vein, Wales will be a very tough proposition to break down.
4. Invaluable experience
As Gemma Grainger explained in her press conference, games of this magnitude will certainly be vital preparation for her side heading into the World Cup qualifiers, which will see them try their hand against some of the most esteemed International outfits in the Women’s game.
The draw for the qualifiers is set to take place on April 30, whereas the campaign will commence in September.
Tuesday’s display has proved than when Wales are firing, they can mix it with the big guns and subsequently, a school of thought lingers that Wales could ruffle feathers aplenty if they can conjure more performances of that kind.
No doubt, it will have instilled an ambience of confidence into the Welsh ranks and is a beneficial platform to build upon, too.
5. The unfettered tempo
To go hand in hand with the quality they exhibited, Wales deployed a high tempo throughout to challenge their opponents’ favoured possession game.
Without fail, they continuously clocked up the high miles and pressed the Danes all over the pitch. That unfathomable energy transpired to be something of a blueprint for their performance in the process.
The half-centurion Green was the precise embodiment of their approach. The Brighton attacker was relentless as, time and time again, she pressed high up the pitch and cut off passing lanes into their midfield, leaving Denmark to revert as a result.
Leave a Reply