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GAME DETAILS
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World Cup Qualifier
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Attendance: 32,628
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DT92 Members at this game: (you can click here to load your profile picture) |
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gashead eric
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Players
Wales
-1 Unknown
1 Paul Jones
2 Richard Duffy
3 Danny Collins
4 Carl Fletcher
5 James Collins
6 Danny Gabbidon
7 David Vaughan
8 Carl Robinson
9 John Hartson
10 Simon Davies
11 Ryan Giggs
12 Robert Earnshaw
13 Unknown
14 David Cotterill
15 Gavin Williams
16 Robert Edwards
17 Sam Ricketts
18 Andrew Crofts
19 Unknown
20 Unknown
21 Martyn Margetson
22 Unknown
Azerbaijan
-1 Unknown
1 Dmitry Kramarenko
2 Emin Agayev
3 Rafael Amirbayov
4 Mohir Shukurov
5 Yuri Muzika
6 Tarlan Akhmedov
7 Elmar Bakhshiyev
8 Mahumud Gurbanov
9 Ruslan Poladov
10 Samir Aliyev
11 Zaur Tagizade
12 Nadir Nabiyev
13 Vuqar Guliyev
14 Aslan Kerimov
15 Rashad Sadygov
16 Emin Imamaliyev
17 Nadir Nabiyev
18 Jahangir Hasanzade
19 Unknown
20 Unknown
21 Unknown
22 Unknown
Substitutions
On Off Minute
Sam Ricketts Danny Collins 53
Andrew Crofts Carl Fletcher 67
David Cotterill Ryan Giggs 74
Emin Imamaliyev Unknown 89
On Off Minute
Jahangir Hasanzade Ruslan Poladov 67
Aslan Kerimov Emin Agayev 80
Goals
Wales Minute
Ryan Giggs 3
Ryan Giggs 56
Azerbaijan Minute
Cards
No cards received
Officials
Referee: Martin Hanson (Sweden)
Assistant referee 1: Henrik Andren (Sweden
Assistant referee 2: Joakim Flink (Sweden)
4th official: Martin Ingvarsson (Sweden)
Other information
Attendance: 32,628
Report: FIFA Commissioner Luca Zorzi (Switzerland)
Referee Inspector: Anders Mattsson (Finland)
Att: 32,628
Paul Abbandonato, Western Mail writes:
Wonder Giggs at double to seal another win
FUNNY old game, this international football lark. You wait two-and-a-half years for a competitive win and then, like the buses, two come at once.
Ryan Giggs, who else, scored the two goals which accounted for Azerbaijan as Wales followed Saturday's 3-2 triumph over Northern Ireland to give themselves a winning finale to an otherwise forgettable World Cup campaign.
Giggs, unfortunately, won't be amongst the elite in Germany next summer. What a waste of a brilliant talent, a player who is displaying his most consistent run of scintillating football for his country and who would stand out even amongst the best in the world were he there.
Still there's always Euro 2008 for Giggs to aim for.
His first goal last night came from a free-kick early on, his second as a result of a sublime solo effort six minutes into the second half.
Giggs' efforts ensured Wales managed their first double triumph in these double-header type of internationals since Bobby Gould's side were victorious over Denmark and Belarus in the space of four days back in 1998.
John Robinson, Chris Coleman and Kit Symons were the men on target for Wales back then... underlining how far back the less-than-impressive run stretched.
Double-headers, competitive wins, Wales also banished for good any notions of a goal-scoring hoodoo under John Toshack. Having failed to score in the previous five games pre-Belfast, the worst run for 31 years, they have suddenly slammed in five in the space of 180 minutes of action.
Anything other than victory over the Azeris last night would, of course, have been disappointing. But another excellent Millennium Stadium crowd were able to go home with a smile on their faces for the first time in a qualifying campaign we're glad to see the back of.
Never one to baulk at tough decisions, Toshack chose to axe out-of-form Robert Earnshaw for this clash as he switched to the 4-2-3-1 formation he appears to favour for Wales games at the Millennium Stadium.
His line-up saw John Hartson as a lone front man with a bank of three players, Simon Davies, Giggs and David Vaughan behind them with licence to create havoc in, and around, the Azerbaijan penalty box.
It is a system which clearly still needs a lot of work for the Welsh players to become totally comfortable with, but they made a good enough opening last night to send the Millennium Stadium crowd off to a roaring start.
In the third minute Vaughan was bundled over by Vuqar Guliyev as he raced towards the box and memories of Belfast and the winning goal instantly came back as Giggs lined up behind the free-kick 25 yards out.
Giggs is on a roll and there was only one outcome, the ball curled superbly over the wall by the Welsh skipper and past a helpless Dmitry Kramarenko in the Azeri goal.
One-nil to Wales, the first goal scored in Cardiff by Toshack's men since his opening game in charge against Hungary... just the start the Welsh fans wanted to see.
Even though there was nothing riding on this game in terms of qualification for Germany 2006, the Wales supporters still turned out in reasonably large numbers and, as is the custom whatever the attendance at the Millennium Stadium, created a terrific crescendo of noise before kick-off.
After the start Giggs gave Wales, those fans were hopeful of a glut of other first-half goals. But Toshack's team actually struggled to get any sort of rhythm going at first and they were lucky that an Emin Imamaliyev shot from close range bounced off Paul Jones' knee and went over the bar.
Wales were unable to get Giggs in the match enough in the first 30 minutes, Hartson wasn't posing enough of a threat and Davies and Vaughan unable to get any consistency in their new positions within the system.
But as the half wore on, the Welsh players got to grips more with what Toshack wanted from them and began to look more menacing, only being denied the hatful of extra goals the fans were looking for by poor finishing, good goalkeeping or bad luck.
Carl Robinson and Danny Collins, starting in place of Sam Ricketts, put headers wide, Carl Fletcher had a left foot effort stopped by Kramarenko and Hartson headed a good opening straight at the goalkeeper.
Seven minutes before the break though Wales were desperately unfortunate when a sweeping move down the right involving Richard Duffy and Davies culminated in the Everton man sending over a pinpoint cross to the far side of the Azerbaijan penalty area.
A rampaging Giggs arrived in the box with perfect timing to meet the ball sweetly on the half-volley with his left foot, only to see his effort smack against the base of the post and rebound out.
Giggs wasn't to be denied though six minutes into the second half as he hit a peach of a second goal to make it 2-0 - an effort that had vintage Ryan stamped over it.
In a flash Giggs robbed one Azerbaijan defender of possession, raced past another at speed, looked up and curled a cracker of left foot shot into the corner of the net.
It was sheer brilliance and to a man the Welsh players raced over to congratulate Giggs who once more proved how much he is flourishing under Toshack's management.
Within 60 seconds, on a roll Wales were within a whisker of making it three, Vaughan getting around the back of the Azerbaijan defence on the left and putting over a low cross which Davies nudged past Kramarenko in goal, only to see his effort creep agonisingly past the post.
The game won, Toshack chose to send on three substitutes, Ricketts for Collins and debutants Andrew Crofts and David Cotterill for Fletcher and Giggs.
As to be expected, Giggs received a standing ovation when he went off and underlined the new responsibility he has as Welsh skipper with some special words of encouragement for Cotterill as the Bristol City youngster replaced him.
Cotterill showed some nice touches, but with Giggs off the field Wales understandably didn't look as effective.
He'd done enough to seal it for Wales already, though. Roll on next September and the start of the next lot of qualifiers.
If Giggs displays anything like this form, Wales will do better next time around. You can be sure of that.
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mark01
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madsmee
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A great day out with my Wrexham pals. Giggs scored two and was excellent.
I wanted to see a game at the Millenium whilst it was still in use for play-offs. I had seen a play-off game at Wembley which also surely qualifies as a League ground. If play-offs are not League games what are they?
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TizzyDog
62 |
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unwinblade
44 |
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amphy
8 |
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Two goals from captain Ryan Giggs gave Wales an easy victory
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