Turning To Russia

All Thoughts Turn To Russia

For many of us this is the moment we have been waiting for. All the hopes of a nation that have lived for over 40 years since we graced the World Cup quarter final in Sweden in 1958. Hopes that were briefly lifted during the early 1990s when Terry Yorath came so close to taking us, as the only home nation, to the United States in 1994. But the same hopes that distinguished when the Welsh FA let him go soon after and looked never to return as the side slipped out of the top 100 in the world.

Many would have raised a few eyebrows when Mark Hughes was given the managers job but he has turned around a nation and made them one of the best in Europe on their day. Many supporters felt during the last World Cup qualifiers that this was a side moving rapidly in the right direction - a view backed when eventual World Cup finalists Germany were despatched in Cardiff prior to last year's competition. And the view was backed even more as Wales opened with wins over Finland, Italy and Azerbaijan twice to top the group. Qualification was there for the taking but four games without a win took it away from us and we stand now on the brink of quite possibly the two most important games that the country has ever played.

I am sure Mark Hughes has lifted his team even more with the comments of the attitude of the Russian delegate on hearing the draw and celebrating what he believed was their passage to Portugal. It doesn't take much time to fire up proud Welshmen such as Gary Speed or John Hartson let alone some guy who hasn't even the decency to find out who these players are. On Saturday I am sure they will be keen to ensure that they are more than aware of their capabilities.

Maybe he would like to ask Italy, Germany or even Finland who Wales are and how dangerous they can be. Maybe he would like to remember that this is a side that had they, and they could have, won both their last two games at home would not need the lottery of this play off. Or maybe he will grasp it next Wednesday as 70,000 welshmen and women let the Russians know just who Wales are.

The football team can also draw inspiration from their rugby colleagues down under. After the hoped for three wins to start the World Cup campaign the two predicted games against New Zealand and England were widely expected to result in heavy, humiliating defeats. Both sides were scared by a Welsh side that showed pride in their shirts and a belief that they would not roll over and expect second best. And two performances that could have seen Wales lining up in a world cup semi final this weekend as well. Football, for once in recent times, needs to follow the rugby example.

I am sure many of us reading this has believed that the chance of ever seeing Wales at a major finals had gone. But Mark Hughes has brought back that hope and we all have to say that defeat over the next 7 days will be massive disappointment for us.

We all know that our first choice eleven is amongst the Top 10 in European international sides. Maybe even in the Top 5. Strength in depth has been our problem and that has been exposed in the second half of the campaign. But it's a clean slate now and although we will have to reply on some of that depth over the two games we have to hope that they are this time up for it - we have to give it everything we have.

And as I write this the time turns past the seven days until our destiny is known mark. This time next week we will either be thinking of flights to Portugal next summer or wondering what the World Cup draw next October will throw for us as we start all over again.

But this is quite possibly the biggest week that the Welsh national side has known - certainly in the last 40 years and the country needs to be behind them as one. On Saturday in Moscow there is no Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham or any other side for that matter - it's just Wales. One team with the fans united behind them. Same for next Wednesday. Leave your club loyalties at home and do your country proud.

And of course for us in between we have our little date with Sky television but let's worry about that on Sunday.

This is it, this IS the big one!

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