Jordan James fires Wales to vital World Cup qualifying victory versus the Liechtenstein national team.
The Welsh side claimed a tight 1-0 victory over international minnows Liechtenstein to sustain their chances of World Cup finals progress.
The young midfielder claimed his debut international strike for Wales from close range after Liechtenstein’s assorted collection of professionals, amateurs and students had held out for over an hour. James ran off in delight with his obvious relief mirrored by the 3,000 Wales followers filling three sides of the venue in Vaduz.
Soon afterwards, though, Jordan James was booked and another late caution for his midfield partner resulted in both midfielders are suspended for the upcoming decisive game with North Macedonia through suspension.
The Cardiff City Stadium fixture is a encounter the Welsh team must win to leapfrog their rivals and secure a improved draw in the qualifying playoffs in March.
Craig Bellamy had an different vantage point from the sidelines, Bellamy undertaking a sideline suspension after picking up a further caution in the competition earlier.
The manager's deputy his assistant assumed duties in the coaching zone and multiple first-teamers – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams – were one caution from from missing the last group game. Two of them came unstuck in situations that could really hurt their team.
The home side, placed 206 out of 210 teams in international football, had failed to score in their six qualifying defeats and conceded 23 times at an rate of nearly four per game.
The visitors unsurprisingly dominated possession as their hosts adopted a compact shape and defended in numbers.
Their opponent's target was rarely tested until the forward's pressing caused a mistake and James saw his effort from the edge of the box saved by the goalkeeper.
The same combination worked the next opening, Jordan finding his teammate now with a accurate ball over the top.
Broadhead’s fine control evaded the keeper but the Wrexham striker could not convert from a difficult angle.
Wales believed they'd scored the opener after the first half when Jordan James headed a deep Thomas corner back into a packed penalty box.
The Liechtenstein keeper was flustered by Dylan Lawlor and Rodon, and his weak punch landed with Nathan Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Wales' elation were halted when the referee was sent to the video review system and determined that a player of the Wales defenders was in an illegal position from James’s header.
The visitors raised the tempo after the interval and Thomas provided a cross to the opposite side which James struck the woodwork.
Williams then headed wide from inside the six-yard box as it started to seem like a difficult match for the Welsh side.
However, with the match having ticked into its final half-hour, Neco Williams delivered a clever assist for his teammate to break behind the Liechtenstein defenders.
Daniel James beat Büchel with a excellent pass into the danger area, and his namesake Jordan James had the simple task of ending Wales' tension.
