Jordan James Strike Gives Wales Crucial World Cup Qualifier Win In Liechtenstein

Wales laboured to a 1-0 triumph complete world minnows Liechtenstein to support live their hopes of World Cup qualification.

Jordan James claimed his first Wales extremity from adjacent scope aft Liechtenstein’s type postulation of full-time players, agency workers and students had held retired for complete an hour. James wheeled distant successful delight pinch his evident alleviation shared by 3,000 Wales fans filling 3 sides of nan Rheinpark Stadion successful Vaduz.

Moments later, however, James was booked and different precocious be aware for Ethan Ampadu intends some midfielders are ruled retired of Tuesday’s crunch necktie pinch North Macedonia done suspension. That Cardiff City Stadium title is simply a crippled Wales must triumph to overtake North Macedonia and unafraid a much favourable tie successful nan playoffs successful March.

Craig Bellamy had an unfamiliar position from nan stands, nan Wales head serving a touchline prohibition aft receiving a 2nd yellowish paper successful nan title past month. Bellamy’s adjunct Piet Cremers took his spot successful nan method area and 4 of Wales’s starters – James, Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams – were a booking distant from missing nan last qualifier. Two of them came unstuck successful incidents that could really wounded Wales.

Liechtenstein, classed 206 retired of 210 teams successful world football, had not scored successful their six qualifying defeats and conceded 23 astatine an mean of astir 4 per game. Wales predictably dominated possession arsenic Liechtenstein laic successful a debased protect artifact and sewage bodies down nan ball.

The location extremity remained unthreatened until Nathan Broadhead’s pressing forced an correction and James saw his effort from nan separator of nan container pushed speech by Benjamin Büchel. The aforesaid operation worked nan adjacent opening, James uncovering Broadhead this clip pinch a precise shot complete nan top. Broadhead’s fantabulous touch took him past Büchel but nan Wrexham striker could not person from a tight angle.

Liechtenstein’s Benjamin Büchel punches clear, beating Dylan Lawlor, Daniel James and Joe Rodon to nan ball. Photograph: Romina Amato/Reuters

Wales thought they had surgery nan deadlock aft 26 minutes erstwhile James headed a heavy Sorba Thomas area backmost into a congested six-yard box. Büchel was flustered nether unit from Dylan Lawlor and Rodon, and his anemic punch fell to Broadhead who drove location emphatically. But Welsh celebrations were curtailed erstwhile nan Albanian referee, Juxhin Xhaja, was sent to nan pitchside show and decided that astatine slightest 1 of nan Wales centre-halves was successful an offside position from James’s header.

Wales raised nan tempo aft nan break and Thomas delivered a transverse to nan acold station which Daniel James rattled against nan woodwork. Williams past headed wide from wrong nan six-yard container arsenic it began to look for illustration 1 of those nights for Wales.

But, pinch nan title having ticked into its 61st minute, Williams played a clever walk for Daniel James to break down nan location defence. James trim retired Buchel pinch a delightful shot crossed nan look of goal, and his namesake Jordan had nan straightforward task of ending Welsh anxiety.