Wales vs. Kosovo preview: Jess Fishlock on the verge of history

As Wales prepare to face Kosovo in Llanelli on Tuesday night, Jess Fishlock could once again become a history maker.

After scoring against Croatia on Friday, Fishlock is one goal away from becoming Wales’ all-time record goal scorer, overtaking long time teammate Helen Ward in the process.

The Seattle Reign star scored her 44^th goal in a red shirt to get level with Ward, and celebrated in fine style as she equalled the record. However, Fishlock’s achievement at the time was lost on fellow midfielder Angharad James.

“I didn’t know! When she put four up, I didn’t see her other hand, so I didn’t know what she was doing, if she was thinking she had scored four in the game already or something! Afterwards, I got asked in an interview and I totally forgot about it! I made sure I congratulated her after and I’m sure she’s looking for the next one already.”

Fishlock has done so much for her country, and most of us have run out of superlatives for her. For James, Fishlock is still the same person as she was when they first met, and that is a quality that makes her one of the best.

“First of all, she’s a great friend. She was a great person when I came into camp when I was a youngster. She’s so welcoming, she makes sure everyone feels valued and appreciated, and that’s a huge part of this environment. Jess has changed the game for Wales, has changed the future for Wales, and she continues to do that. She inspires us all.”

It’s a feeling also felt by head coach Rhian Wilkinson. The Canadian cannot believe not everyone in Wales knows who Fishlock is and has urged fans to come out and see her before her career ends.

“I find it incredulous that not everyone in Wales knows who Jess is. I hope we pack out Parc y Scarlets, because Jess will walk away from the game when she feels it’s right, but I think even she would say she’s closer to the end than the beginning.

“Therefore, the opportunity to see her play and the influence she has the game itself here in Wales is hard to quantify. Coming in here to this role, I knew that part of the opportunity was to coach someone of her calibre, and it’s a huge honour.”

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Captain James

It’s going to be a big night for Angharad James as well, as she takes the captain’s armband for the third time in her career.

This will be the second time under Wilkinson’s tenure that James has been handed the armband, but this is not yet a permanent appointment. However, the head coach revealed she will announce a new captain soon.

“Angharad is someone that we know is an incredible leader and captain for this team. I’m very fortunate that we have an incredibly experienced team with a lot of potential captains and a lot of leaders.

“After this group stage, I will name a captain for this campaign who will work through into the Euros. It’s a good storyline we like to talk about, but internally, it doesn’t matter who wears the armband. Everyone leads in a different way, and they all have to show up on gameday.”

The fact that James will lead the side out in Llanelli could be the biggest indicator yet that she is the prime candidate to be Sophie Ingle’s successor.

If the honour of being Wales’ next captain does come her way, James said it’s something she wouldn’t have to think too long about.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to accept the captaincy permanently if I was offered it. It would be the biggest honour to be captain of my country, and it will be an honour to lead the girls out tomorrow night, something I will be able to do for the third time in my career.

“I’ve learned a lot from the leaders I’ve played under, Sophie Ingle being one of the biggest ones. The way she influences the group and still does that inspires me. I’ve been under Jess’ captaincy too before, and she leads in a different way, and that’s why it’s important we have a group of leaders.”

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Keep pushing

Wales head into their final group stage game after picking up a big win away to Croatia last week.

A 3-0 triumph is certainly a result that will please supporters, as it does the manager, but as ever, there are areas the team still need to work on.

“Perfection is unachievable, which is the best part of being a manager, because you always want to try and get better. I thought we did a good job at stretching the opposition, about pulling them and finding space in behind.

“I don’t think we used the full field as well as we could have. I say it all the time, as soon as this team is in full flow they’re unstoppable. My job is to continue to push them, give them options, and then leave them to make decisions on the field. We’re getting better and better every game.”

As well as a good performance on the pitch, there were plenty of good performances off of it, especially in the stands.

Wherever they go across Europe, Wales are always backed by a boisterous and passionate away following. James and the rest of the squad know how important those fans are and are incredibly appreciative of them.

“It’s so nice, and we hear them every away game, regardless of who we play. We know how hard it is to get to some of the stadiums, and they are always there in their numbers, and we always appreciate them. We always hear them, it makes us better and stronger, and hopefully that crowd will continue to grow too in the future.”

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Kosovo finale

Tuesday night will see over 4000 fans pack into Parc y Scarlets to watch Wales round out their group stage campaign against Kosovo.

Wales only need a point against the winless Kosovans to guarantee top spot in the group and promotion back to League A of the Nations League.

Wilkinson says fans should expect some rotation, but the expectation remains the same.

“From the beginning, I talked about this group stage campaign as an opportunity to test the depth of the team. I believe we’ve used 21 different players so far. We’ve scored a lot of goals, conceded a few more than I would have liked, but we still kept it pretty tight at the back.

“There will be changes, but I’ll be clear to the team again, I expect three points from this game, and even more importantly, a good performance so that we keep pushing our standards.”

Kosovo lost their last game 4-0 to Ukraine, meaning they’ve conceded 15 and scored none during this group stage.

That being said, Wilkinson was full of praise for what Kosovo are trying to do.

“When we played Kosovo away, we had to really work to break them down. In that first half they were tough, very organised, and we really had to stick to our gameplan and continue to do what Wales do, and we got a couple of late goals which really inflated the scoreline.

“I want to give huge credit to Kosovo and what they’re trying to do. I think they’re the lowest ranked team in League B, but I think a lot about the style of play they try an implement.”

(Featured Image: Ashley Crowden/FAW)