Gareth Bale said reaching the World Cup with Wales represents the “final piece of the puzzle” after they overtook Ukraine to qualify for the final of the competition for the first time since 1958.
Wales coach Robert Page, who praised the “world-class” performance of his goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, said he was looking forward to a Group B match against England in Qatar. the victory over the late Gary. Speed. Page said the jubilant scenes in the locker room after the game were amazing and praised the spirit of his team.
“Gary Speed started this 12 or 13 years ago,” Page said. “I also want to dedicate this to Gary. The culture started. There was a difference, there was a change in the environment. I inherited that. Chris Coleman took it to another level. Now we’re sure to get into the games. “We don’t expect to qualify for the European Championship or the World Cup now, we think we can do it, so there has been a massive change in mentality.”
On Hennessey, Page said, “I thought it was great, world-class, absolutely. I took Wardy out. [Danny Ward] and he showed her that respect by telling her he was starting out on Wayne. It was just because he played in the semifinals, he didn’t disappoint us and it would have been hard to drop him. There was no way to leave him out. He delivered as we know he can do. I thought I had moved on to another level. I thought his performance was excellent. “
Page joked that younger players on his roster have been “rotten” compared to experienced members such as Bale and Aaron Ramsey after qualifying for successive major tournaments. “I said a few words, I was proud of them,” Page said. “I said that the young players have been ruined by the consecutive classification for a European Championship and a World Cup. The senior boys have had to wait a long time for that. It shows the path we are on.”
After the defeat of Ukraine, Oleksandr Zinchenko called for an end to the war. Photo: Tom Jenkins / The Guardian
Ramsey said it was amazing that “Little Wales” was playing in a World Cup. Bale, the free kick of the first half of which was deflected in front of Ukrainian goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan by Ukrainian captain Andriy Yarmolenko, enjoyed the victory. “It’s what we’ve been working on all our careers and doing for our fans, the nation, ourselves and our families is an incredible achievement, and it will be something we will be proud of forever,” he said. “It means everything. It’s the last piece of the puzzle we all wanted and we’re going to celebrate it well tonight.”
Oleksandr Zinchenko said he and his comrades must continue to fight on behalf of their country. Ukraine displayed a flag given to them by soldiers defending Russian attacks on its locker room. “Everyone has to keep fighting, as footballers we have to represent our country as best we can,” said the Manchester City midfielder. “Everyone must live in peace and we must stop the war altogether. Today is Ukraine, but who knows tomorrow, we must stay together. I am sorry for our fans, but I wish Wales all the best for the future. World Cup “.
Ukraine’s head coach Oleksandr Petrakov chose his words carefully and was applauded before leaving the press conference room. Asked what his message would be to make sure Ukraine is not forgotten, he replied: “We have a war wreaking havoc across the country, we have children and women dying every day and our infrastructure. [is] ruined by the Russian barbarians. The Russians want to hurt us and the Ukrainians resist and defend their land. We just want your support. We just want you to understand what’s going on at home. “
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Petrakov said he could not criticize any of his players and hopes the Ukrainians will remember the efforts of his team, which will be completely different for their League of Nations match against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday in Dublin. “I think we did everything we could, but I really want the people of Ukraine to remember our team, our efforts,” he said. “I mean I’m sorry we didn’t score, but this is a sport and that’s how it goes. I don’t know what to say. “