07/09/2012 Match of the Day Wales

1991 Rush and Saunders brush aside a Belgium team. And 192 Wales

qualify again. The pressure on Des Coleman in 2012 -- no wins no goals.

We have had a good three or four days together. Preparations have

gone very well. They need to be, Friday is going to be a big

challenge. The road to Rio begins tonight, with the Wales manager's

first competitive game in charge. He has been unlucky with injuries.

Hopes high with Wales' World Cup stars, including Aaron Ramsey and

Gareth Bale. And the star studded Belgium team -- Eden Hazard,

Marouane Fellaini, and Vincent Kompany. We have been waiting a

long time for a place in the World Cup. Maybe this is it. We're on

Twitter if you want to tell us what you think... Wales taking on a

supremely talented Belgium side, supremely talented Belgium side,

worth over �150 million. As if Wales didn't have enough injuries,

and casualties, without Bellamy and Vincent Kompany is one of seven

league players in the bellim line up. -- Belgium line-up. The ref lee

is Stefan Johannesson from Sweden. -- referee is Johannesson -- the

Wales may not see possession. main thing is when you win it back

to keep it, to give the lads a little bit of a breather. Its

evident early in the game that the ball is going forward too quickly.

And the likes of Edwards can't make up that much ground. At the moment

we're not making it difficult for Belgium. Belgium are finding it

easier. They are getting into a comfort zone. It's condensed in

there. It will be difficult for them n the time being to break

Wales down. You can see as the game goes on, the lapse of concentration,

and inexperience of the back form of Wales. Collins the free kick,

Morison heads it inside. Into the side netting from Edwards. Edwards

making runs forward. Getting in behind the striker. Here we see him

travelling on a lot of yards, can't make it on time... A great run from

David Edwards. So unlick -- even looking at the ball. Ramsey

most probably playing a little bit deeper tonight. Allowing David

Edwards to go forward. Can Wales cause a problem with set piece snz

the head of Church. I'm not sure if that was lifting the ball a little

bit when he got there. Not the best defending in the world. When he

gets in the position, just a little bit too much on it there. Give this

corner of the game. Won by the Everton striker Mirallas. And it's

Vermaelen and Vertonghen who move forward for this. There's no lack

of height in the Belgium side and for spurs... Wales living very

dangerously. Collins comes to the rescue. Too many gaps. A lovely

ball in by Mertens. They have got to be closer. Collins throws

himself at Vermaelen and hits his face of the goal. Another Belgium

corner. They are turning the screw. And their fans are starting to see

Gareth Bale. I don't think they are the best of friends at the moment.

It's the referee that makes the decision. This time Collins will go

up. An opportunity for Wales. This could be the best bet for a goal...

Came off Morison. Lovely play by Hazard. Collins comes back on. That

was rash by Collins. A red card! It's a red card for Collins! That's

one thing you don't want. You don't want, and unfortunately when you're

going for challenges like that, and your studs are showing, and you

have caught somebody, and I'm not sure how much of a meal he has made

of it. He will miss the Serbian game as well. He will miss a good

60 minutes of this game. This is is is a massive blow to Wales. Oh,

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Another Belgium corner. The ten men just wide. He does everything right,

everything right but hit the target. Can't get enough whip on the ball

to get it into the far corner. Great technique... You know,

thankfully the ball was just off get something from the game. Bale

on side, and it's Morison. It was an air kick! I don't know about the

air kick, the defender was Kompany who got there before him. Great

defending. That's at least got the Welsh crowd roaring. Wales needs

who does so well, but just can't get there. Morison swipes at it,

but what a great saving tackle. Pulls it back, and it was someone

else who got there. For most of the time you feel it will be Belgium on

there! I think that's put -- foot up. That's why he is bringing it...

If this lad can play in that little bit of a hole behind the striker

and look at this ground he's making up, the defender has to stop, and

the keeper has to get there, he has got to let it bounce. I'm afraid

his foot is up. That's what it has been given for. Wales will take

heart, but they have to defend another corner. Gareth Bale missed

the Olympics because of injury. With pace like that he might have

been used more than just in the football. A goal for Belgium! The

ten men have relented! When you are down to ten men, the last thing you

want to do is concede from a set piece. Especially a corner. It has

to be tight in all areas. There's nobody in front. They have got to

do better. If he's that tight he has to get his head somewhere near

his head. The -- but Kompany is big and strong, too strong for Blake.

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challenge ahead for Des Coleman's looks dangerous. His quality as

times seems to let him down. He has had a lot of the ball tonight, so

obviously he will make more mistakes, but he has to take a

little bit more cause. He's causing a little bit of damage to Wales at

the moment. His final cross is tried to cut it down. Dembele to

the box. Witsel and over the bar. Out of the midfield players, Witsel

is the one you want to see striking the ball. As a Wales player, the

two -- other two are very, very dangerous. They're doing well with

Dembele, keeping him off his back to say, why did I do that. Lukaku

wants the ball delivered a little bit early. Matthews did just enough.

Matthews done really, really well. Look at the damage he does. A

lovely ball into the box. Matthews does enough. This is Bale,

immediately Fellaini is in his shadow. This time Bale is bundled

over. Is this the opportunity you were talking about. As long as it's

1-0 and you get opportunities like this, anything can happen. It's a

set piece. The one thing you do is get this man the ball. If that's a

foul or not, I'm not too sure. He commits players, if you miss time

or anything, the slightest touch, this lad will go down. Will he

shoot or cross it. He's sizing up the free kick, Gareth Bale. The

Welsh talisman. His country are in need now. And it's pushed away by

Courtois. The keeper made it look as if it was harder than it was. He

dived, if he stands up, he sure could safe it, but it's a great

shot, swerving, and dipping. A glimmer of hope for backs to the

wall Wales. Argy bargy between Fellaini and Church. Header from

Williams, another corner. And suddenly the Welsh crowd has come

alive. You're asking questions of the defenders, and asking questions

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of the goalkeeper. Ramsey delivers Kompany is there, Church goes

tumbling over. The referee looks but does not give a free kick,

Church looks hurt and annoyed. Got to do better than that. A little

bit stupid by Lukaku. A little bit of a touch. Gunter goes down.

Lovely ball by Ramsey. It's a nudge, a push. He falls inside the penalty

area. No wonder Church looks aggrieved. Welsh reinforcements

being prepared on the side. Every player bar koirtkoirt in the Welsh

substitutions. No shock with Morison or Church. Robson-Kanu and

Sam Vokes, the last player to score for Wales in the international

against Norway on this ground, he replaces Morison. It's a hard task

for Steve Morison up front. Thankless, in fact. A handball from

a few of the players, referee Johannesson has not exactly

He's so composed on the ball. That's his main asset. This time

Edwards gives it away. Lukaku could be here but Myhill smothers it. A

a little touch from Ramsey. Seems as if there was contact. The way

that Lukaku pulled up was a little bit of a... When his back foot, he

makes contact with Ramsey. Impedes him a little bit. Mertens is there,

and Lukaku and Fellaini are the tall players in the box. And it's a

second! It's Vertonghen and surely that's it for Wales. Belgium have

done enough. The ten men concede a second goal. And Wales are off to a

false start in their World Cup qualifying campaign. This is it, it

was hit with ven income. He hit it with his left foot, straight into

the corner -- venom. The pace of the ball. A self-inflicted defeat

Kevin? Obviously it doesn't help. The sending off goes a long way

to... That's definitely a booking. A cheap booking by Belgium

standards. Witsel will be fuming there. Wilmotts will be fuming. I

wonder how Coleman raises morale possession. Plenty to think about

for Coleman over the next days. A lot depends on who is fit or not

after the game. They will have to take stock, and maybe when they get

to Serbia, have a light training session and a good staff meeting on

the Monday night. Looks like they'll go four games without

scoring for the first time since 2005. The bottom seeds in this

group and they have started with a defeat! Belgium gave Coleman plenty

of problems. Also the defeat was self-inflicted. Bale tried his best.

But it was ten men for more than an hour. The Red Devils took advantage

to open up their World Cup campaign with a priceless away victory.

Wales up against it in this group face a Herculean task a poor, poor

start to their qualification campaign, the road to Rio looks

longer than ever now. Wales 0, longer than ever now. Wales 0,

Belgium 2. We will discuss the red card in a moment. First reaction

from the stadium. We start with Des Coleman. You know what I think I'm

very, very proud of the players. I thought they did give everything

they had. They we had to be cagey. When we are down to ten men, we

can't go gung-ho and attack. It would have been a cricket score.

Any complaints about a red card? didn't think it was a red card. We

have to make contact with teams. Unless I have forgotten what

football is about, it's a contact sport. Both players went hard for

the ball. It wasn't a red card, not in my book. What was -- has Collins

said. He has apologised. He wanted to win the game as much as anybody

else. He showed the determination when he was on the pitch.

Unfortunately things happen. good a start for you?

unbelievable start. I didn't know where the put Wales before this

game. I'm 100% that a lot of teams will lose points here. And that's

why I'm happy with the result. you have Joe Allen for Serbia. And

where do you go from here? It's a poor start. Of course it's about

points. Going into the game without the strongest 11 against this team,

a fancyed team. It should not be big surprises that they got the

three points. We fancied ourselves, and maybe with 11 it may have been

a different score. When the players give us that, we'll pick points up.

It will be difficult for the Serbian game. We don't know what

will happen with Joe. We have bumps and bruises after tonight. We'll

see in the next 24 hours how the players are. Fascinating stuff from

Des Coleman. We'll talk about the red card, I want to get your

thoughts about what happened. The worst possible start. Listening to

Chris, they are right, if they are playing with the 11 strongest Wales

could field, they would have a chance. But a difficult, difficult

task. Hard work. But not good enough. We said Wales had to get

off to a decent start. They would have liked. To the Belgium side,

great players in there. Always going to be tough. Especially to

lose key players. Worked hard. Stuck to their job, and

responsibilities, and at the end of the day it wasn't enough. The worst

part about tonight, Wales got off to a decent start. First 20 minutes

they were into it. You could see they had a game plan. And the way

they set up, a lost players behind the walls -- ball the possession to

Belgium. When the ball came into the box, they defended it well. As

the game within -- went on, they had a couple of chances. And

Edwards doing what he does, on another day he may have got a goal.

Wales were well into it? They had Belgium frustrated and keeping

their shape well. They had a chance. Later on Bale, the first time he

gets a one on one. You know what Bale brings to Wales. First time

with one on one with a defender. Maybe a right froot there, but a

fantastic run with Bale. Probably Wales' best play again. Has James

Collins cost his team victory tonight? I think so. Listening to

Chris when he says he didn't think it was a red card. He will have to

admit it's a red card. Two feed off the floor. Excessive force. The

pace of the challenge. I don't know how much he caught the guy, but for

me a definite red card. Slow it down. Isn't he going for the ball.

Of course, he mistimed it, about -- if he wins the ball. Great. But he

has mistimed it. As a manager, if your player is sent off. James very

committed the adrenaline going. Sees a chance to put an hard attack

in. He mistimed it. Once you have mistimed it, it looks worse, and

you leave it down to the referee. With all Belgium's fantastic play,

they have outdone us with two set pieces. Defensively Wales were

unsettled after that. As James highlighted, they were solid, but

you have Collins, and Williams on Kompany. James heads the ball away,

gets sent off. They have to change. Dars dars goes on Kompany and

Williams has to move on Fellaini. sloppy goal. It is, once down to

ten men, they kept their shape well. They will be disappointed, five

minutes before half time, a set piece, and all the hard work to

waste. Great to hear Des Coleman talk about the bravery. In the

second half there was a couple of chances. I think you can see a

notable difference. Chris and the management team have told the

players to get the ball down and pla -- play it. Nothing to lose.

Get brave in possession. I you can see it in the second half. Bale

takes a couple of players on. And from the free kick we know what to

expect from Gareth Bale. The second half was a tale of free kicks.

Courtois there, and that extra step to the side cost him. His body

weight has transferred. Perhaps he's not playing week in week out,

if he stays where he was in the Serbia, Wales' next opponents on

Tuesday night play at Hampden Park You know how difficult it is to

play in a situation like Serbia, always a different place to g and

like Belgium have gifted footballers. It will be a tough

place. Belgrade, they have lost a game, and they have a few knocks,

and will Joe Allen be fit? It will be difficult. But they have to pick

up points. Physically and mentally they will be tired and take a

couple of days to recover. And move on to a tough challenge ahead.

Something they have to look forward to. Can Des Coleman shake it up. He

looks at the squad and says can I freshen it up. If there are

injuries, he will be positive as Chris always is. For me, you're

looking down the years, Hearts, and Rush, no disrespect to the Wales

forward line, I don't think Wales has scored a goal under Des Coleman.

Defensive errors have cost us. all the hard work and attitude and

professionalism they have showed tonight, they will be disappointed

they have lost the game on two set pieces. There were a number of

positives, take it into the next game. But there are things they can

fine tune. When you were so close in 1994. Can you see the 1578 thing

here. Yes I can. It's about Wales not anybody else. You have a

contract with your own job. Wales to start on Serbia. Try and in this

case a point. Definitely. It's like nothing to expect of them. They

have nothing to lose. Good honest players working hard for the shirt

and the country. A lot to play for. Gareth Bale is so crucial to the

set-up. We saw that tonight. will be one of those things, is

Gareth Bale going to be another Giggs. Never able to perform on a

world stage in a major competition. You have to believe, you have to