What’s next for Wales after the loss to Iran at World Cup?
Wales’ aspirations of advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. As it stands, the Dragons are at the bottom of Group B after a draw against the United States and a gutting defeat to Iran.
So what’s next for Wales after their loss to Iran? What will it take for Cymru to be able to advance to the next round? Here, we take a look at what’s required to keep the Welsch World Cup dreams alive.
What’s needed to progress?
The World Cup campaign is by no means over for Wales, it’s still mathematically possible for the Dragons to advance to the next round of the competition. Thus Rob Page’s squad has little choice but to somehow pick themselves up and prepare for Tuesday night’s clash against England.
To put it simply, Wales needs a win against England to progress, and not only that, the match between Iran and the US must also end in a draw. If the Iran – US match produces a winner, then the Dragons will have no choice but to bury the Three Lions by a four-goal difference to advance.
While it’s true that Wales supporters do have some reason to be apprehensive considering the team’s most recent performance against Iran, there’s always a chance that the Dragons will be able to pull one out of the hat since they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
In short, the Dragons will not lack any sort of motivation for the upcoming battle. This is precisely the reason why we’re not in any particular rush to look for cheap flights home as of yet. Who knows? Maybe the Dragons will surprise us just like Saudi Arabia and Japan did.
How should Wales approach the match?
In our humble opinion, going up against a stronger opponent means Wales will be able to employ their preferred tactic of counter-attacking. If there’s anything to observe from the Iran match, it’s quite clear that Wales are at best uncomfortable adopting an open and attacking play style.
With a defensive stance, Wales will be in a much better position to try and dictate the flow of the game by luring in the opposition and surprising them with swift counterattacks. Up against the English onslaught, the Dragons will no doubt rely on Gareth Bale’s blistering pace and his knack for scoring goals to tip the scales in their favor.
Additionally, the youngster Daniel James also has pace to burn in addition to his excellent handling of the ball. These two players will play a crucial role in the transitions and sporadic counters initiated by the Dragons in the hope of breaching England’s defenses.
While most would consider defeating England a herculean task, Wales actually has some things going for them ahead of tonight’s match. With motivations at an all-time high, Bale, James, along with the rest of the team will be looking to create yet another upset in this year’s tournament.
Pob lwc Dreigiau!
