GROUP A
Wales 1-0 Switzerland
Moore ‘81
Kieran O’Brien
Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan
Saturday 13th June
As the final whistle drew this crucial Group A clash to a close, Gareth Bale looked up and released a triumphant roar into the Baku sky. Anybody tuning in at this point could be forgiven for presuming that, as he has been so often over the past decade, Bale had proven to be Wales’ match winner. Few outside of Wales, where he already enjoys cult status thanks to his goalscoring antics during qualifying, will know much about Kieffer Moore. Indeed, he netted just seven times this season for relegated Championship outfit Wigan Athletic, spending much of the latter part of the season out of form and warming the bench. Yet it was Moore who proved the difference maker tonight, poking home in the 81st minute to send the travelling Wales fans into raptures. The look of disbelief on his face at full time reflected his remarkable upturn in fortunes and evoked memories of a club-less Hal Robson Kanu lighting up Euro 2016. By contrast, Wales boss Ryan Giggs’ full time expression gave little away, but inside he must have shared Moore’s disbelief. Not only had a soon-to-be League 1 journeyman popped up with a winner at a major tournament, but his ten-man Wales side had somehow won a game in which they were outplayed for large spells by a slick and well-drilled Swiss side.
Switzerland started the game on the front foot, with Fabian Schar heading just wide from a Xherdan Shaqiri corner, before Shaqiri himself forced a smart stop from Wayne Hennessey with a stinging low drive. Wales fans will be used to seeing their side under siege in the early stages of major tournament matches; in 2016 they faced early onslaughts from Slovakia and Belgium before seeing their team go on to outplay and ultimately prevail against both sides. As the first half unfolded in Baku however, there was little sign of such a revival. The Swiss continued to control the tempo of the game, largely through the poise and physicality of impressive midfield pairing Denis Zakaria and Granit Xhaka.
It was Zakaria who won the ball from Aaron Ramsey on the 20-minute mark, starting a flowing move which had seemingly put the Swiss in front. An assertive through ball put Admir Mehmedi into space on the left-hand touchline, where he crossed for Haris Seferovic to tap in at the far post. The Swiss team were over the advertising hoardings and celebrating with their cohort of travelling supporters, but they had not yet reckoned with VAR. Replays showed Seferovic had moved slightly too early and, despite animated protestations from Swiss Boss Vladimir Pektovic, the goal was chalked off for offside. This decision appeared to momentarily spark the Welsh into life; first some neat footwork from Ramsey released Daniel James, who took full advantage of the fourteen-year age gap between himself and Stephan Lichtsteiner, searing past the Swiss captain. James found David Brooks on the edge of the box, whose curling effort drifted narrowly wide of Yann Sommer’s right hand post.
Rather than swing momentum towards Wales, this moment of respite only served as a wake up call for the Swiss, who subsequently strengthened their stranglehold on the game. Shaqiri and Breel Embolo were proving menaces throughout, with the latter drawing fouls from Ethan Ampadu and Chris Mepham which the referee deemed worthy of yellow cards. Xhaka, a player who has received copious amounts of criticism from Arsenal fans for being too peripheral in important games, was everywhere; first playing in Embolo who dragged his shot wide, before rattling Hennessey’s crossbar with a vicious 30 yard drive. The final play of the half saw Joe Rodon clearing a Manuel Akanji header off the line, and Wales trudged off at half time extremely fortunate not to be trailing.
The second half started with an enforced change for Wales, with David Brooks limping off clutching his thigh on 48 minutes to be replaced by Moore. Wales supporters will hope this proves to be a minor knock rather than anything more serious and it was hard not to feel for Brooks, a player who missed most of last season through injury, as he disappeared down the tunnel. The moved signalled a shift in approach from Giggs, who moved Bale out to the left with Moore operating as a lone target man.
Bale came into this game hoping to let his football do the talking, after his highly controversial participation in a music video for Goldie Lookin’ Chain’s ‘Wales, Golf, Madrid’ Euro 2020 single led to a petition from Real Madrid fans demanding that he be placed on the transfer list. Unfortunately for Wales, the inspirational forward remained peripheral despite this tactical switch; a long-range effort into the side netting apart, he was very well marshalled by an organised Swiss defence. Switzerland’s attack meanwhile continued to threaten, with Seferovic’s rasping drive forcing another impressive stop from Hennessey. On 58 minutes the pendulum swung even further in Switzerland’s favour, as a hapless Mepham dragged down Embolo, leaving the referee little option but to hand him his second yellow card and marching orders.
Giggs was maligned by quarters of the Welsh media for a lack of tactical nous during qualifying. The adjustments he made following the red card will have silenced many of these doubters, as Wales surprisingly looked better equipped to deal with the onrushing Swiss when down to ten men. Introducing Neil Taylor for James, with Ben Davies moving into central defence, seemed to stymie the Swiss attack, particularly with Ampadu often dropping to act as a third centre back alongside Rodon and Davies. Wales seemed content at this point to escape with a draw, with the Welsh defence (and Davies in particular) throwing bodies in front of anything directed at goal.
Then, on 81 minutes, the decisive touch from Moore. A rare foray into the Swiss half resulted in a speculative effort from Ramsey. Sommer could probably have chosen to catch the ball but instead opted to push it over the crossbar as a precaution. This decision would prove costly for his side. The ensuing corner from Ramsey produced utter chaos; first Akanji’s sliced clearance attempt fell at the feet of Joe Morrell, whose low shot looped up off Schar’s outstretched leg. Bale connected with the descending ball acrobatically, his overhead kick instinctively palmed away by Sommer. A ricochet off the back of Ricardo Rodriguez fell at the feet of Moore, who from all of four yards poked the ball home past Sommer’s despairing outstretched hand. Desperate Swiss appeals for offside were waved away, as Moore wheeled away to celebrate in front of a delirious Welsh contingent in the stands.
Switzerland looked to respond immediately, but with the clock winding down their play became increasingly erratic and desperate. For all their dominance over the previous 81 minutes, they failed to create another meaningful chance before the final whistle was greeted with jubilant cheers from the Welsh support. The result leaves Wales in a fantastic position to qualify for the knockout stages, but they will be need to turn in a much improved performance to secure a result against a Turkey side looking to bounce back from their narrow defeat to Italy. Switzerland, meanwhile, face the unenviable task of facing Italy in Rome, knowing that they must avoid defeat to remain competitive in the group. On this evidence, they will provide a stern test for the Italians, but may well look back at tonight as the game, and indeed tournament, that got away.
Man of the Match: Ben Davies