Wales 0-0 Poland AET (4-5 on pens): Dan James misses crucial kick as Rob Page's side miss out on Euro 2024

Wales suffered a devastating loss in their quest to qualify for Euro 2024, when they were defeated by Poland in a penalty shoot-out that ended 5-4. The game took place in Cardiff on Tuesday evening, leaving Welsh supporters feeling disappointed and saddened.

Last Thursday, Rob Page's team defeated Finland 4-1 in their qualifying play-off semi-final and put up a valiant effort at the Cardiff City Stadium against Robert Lewandowski's crew. They managed to limit their opponents to only one shot on target during the first 90 minutes and the additional extra-time. Unfortunately, their own shot was disallowed by VAR.

Towards the end of the game, Chris Mepham was sent off with a second yellow card for making a lunging move towards Lewandowski. As a result, the team had to play with only 10 players.

Following four flawless penalty shots by both teams, Krzysztof Piatek of Poland landed the fifth one. This then placed the pressure on Leeds forward James to score the deciding shot and prolong the shootout for a sudden death round.

Former Arsenal goalie Wojciech Szczesny made the correct assumption and dove to prevent James' shot, resulting in disappointment for the Welsh fans within the stadium. Their team failed to qualify for their third consecutive European Championship campaign, leaving them stunned.

The upcoming tournament in Germany features Poland in Group D with the Netherlands, Austria, and France. Their first game is against the Dutch team in Hamburg, and it will be held on Sunday, June 16, at 3pm.

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The Welsh football team had Ward score 6 points, Mepham and Rodon both score 7 points, Davies and Roberts each score 7 points, J James and Williams score 6 points, Ampadu score 7 points, Wilson and Johnson both score 6 points, and Moore finish with a score of 7 points.

The substitutions made in the match were for players D James with a rating of 5, Brooks also with a rating of 5 and Broadhead with no rating available.

"Wales Denied Major Tournament Appearance"

The intense singing of the Welsh players and supporters during the anthem "Land of My Fathers" before the game indicated that they were prepared for a battle. They had no reason to be afraid, given how confidently they had reached the final.

Similar to numerous final matches in both national and global competitions, it was unsurprising that opportunities were scarce and neither squad was able to score a goal in the first half, which was closely contested. When the stakes are exceedingly high, even the slightest blunders can be detrimental.

Just before the first half ended, Wales managed to score a goal. Moore threw the ball and Davies headed it past Szczesny. Everyone was excited, but the joy was short-lived because the referee signalled offside. The decision was confirmed after a quick review by VAR.

To a certain degree, it appeared that luck provided the home team with confidence and a small psychological edge, based on their performance in the second half. If Szczesny hadn't made a remarkable diving save to prevent Moore's arcing header from scoring, the home team could have taken the lead.

Honestly, neither team showed any real potential for scoring a game-winning goal and avoiding extra time. Even though Lewandowski played excellently, he was unable to penetrate the impressive Welsh defense.

During the final minutes of the game, Moore believed that he deserved a penalty. He signaled to the referee, Daniele Orsato, that Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior had pushed him. However, Orsato disagreed with Moore's claim, and his exaggerated fall most likely worked against him.

During the extra-time's first half, Jakub Piotrowski got the most promising opportunity, but unfortunately, he missed the target by a small margin on the upper-right corner. It was a quick break from the Polish team. Additionally, Moore had another chance but wasted it by hesitating too long, eventually inviting Kiwior to block his shot.

During the last few minutes of extra-time, Mepham received a second yellow card for a belated tackle against Lewandowski, reducing Wales to only 10 potential players in the upcoming penalty kick round.

During the match, Wales had the advantage of winning the toss and decided to take the penalties in the presence of the Red Wall. The players who successfully scored the penalties were Davies, Moore, Wilson, and Neco Williams. However, James unfortunately missed the target.

Upbeat Future For Wales Team Is Promising

Rob Page, the manager of the Welsh team, had a conversation with S4C.

I've expressed to the players that the game can be ruthless. The pain of being just one kick away from advancing is indescribable.

In simpler terms, the team was doing well and the coach believed they would win the game. However, one player, Brooksy, was taken off the field because he was sick and hadn't been able to practice for two days. The coach wanted to make sure the team had enough energy to keep playing at their best.

When speaking to the gathering, I pointed out our considerable progress despite not making it to any major tournaments. There is definitely something positive going on among us. Ben Davies acknowledged this fact while on the field and I reiterated it to the group. DJ deserves credit for his bravery in taking that important kick and the entire group should feel proud of themselves.

The players deserve recognition and admiration from the country for their hard work and dedication in attempting to reach our goal. This difficult situation has taught us valuable lessons that will lead to future growth and resilience.

I informed the team that we have a definite destination to reach and that this particular group is on the path towards achieving it. Everyone was feeling very disheartened with our current situation because we were hoping for better results. Our failure to succeed is very disappointing, especially because we were just one kick away from qualifying. Nonetheless, there is still a great deal of hope for us, as we have a lot of exciting opportunities in store for us in the future.

What's The Future Of Wales?

Wales did not qualify for Euro 2024 and they only have one more match until September. This upcoming game will be against Slovakia on June 9.

Next, they will play against Turkey on September 6 and Montenegro on September 9, marking the beginning of the Nations League.