Wales clinch Euro 2016 spot
Wales ended a 57-year wait to qualify for a major tournament despite Saturday's 2-0 defeat in Bosnia.
|||Zenica, Bosnia - Wales ended a 57-year wait to qualify for a major tournament despite Saturday's 2-0 defeat in Bosnia which kept alive the Balkan nation's hopes of joining them at the Euro 2016 finals.
The result left the Welsh second in Group B on 18 points from nine games, two behind Belgium who won 4-1 against Andorra to also qualify, and four ahead of third-placed Bosnia.
Israel's 2-1 defeat at home to Cyprus left them on 13 points and meant the Welsh could not be caught in the race for an automatic place at the finals in France next year.
Bosnia substitute Milan Djuric, who replaced winger Edin Visca on the hour, was instrumental as he scored the first and set up the second for striker Vedad Ibisevic.
“The best defeat of my life!” said Welsh inspiration Gareth Bale, the world's most expensive player, after learning that the Israel result had sent his team into next year's tournament.
“It was a difficult game but we have done it and everyone is very happy,” added the Real Madrid forward.
“This is right up there in my career. It was a dream from when I was a small child to play in a major tournament. It doesn't stop here, we have business to do in France.”
The Welsh, who celebrated with several hundred travelling fans, host bottom team Andorra in their final match while Bosnia will seal a playoff berth if they beat Cyprus on Tuesday.
Having made their only previous appearance on a major stage at the 1958 World Cup, Wales held their own for most of the match but were undone by some poor defending.
They fell behind after Miralem Pjanic punted a long free kick upfield from the halfway line and the ball fell kindly for Djuric to beat goalkeeper Wayne Hennesy with a looping header after it bounced over several defenders off the slippery turf.
The Bosnians were missing their top scorer Edin Dzeko, who could not shake off a knee injury, and lacked bite up front while the visitors threatened on the break with Bale giving his markers a roasting on the left flank.
Although he had only just recovered from a calf injury, the winger was at the heart of every Welsh move and often dropped back to help a packed midfield stifle the Bosnian engine room.
The home side had the upper hand in the first half and came close in the ninth minute when Visca shot wide of the far post from a good position after he was put through by Pjanic.
Wales nearly scored against the run of play on the stroke of halftime when Bosnia goalkeeper Asmir Begovic somehow smothered the ball under pressure from Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor.
With the hosts throwing more men forward after the break, Wales exploited the gaps and Bale missed a good chance when he sliced his shot wide after racing clear of a defender.
The visitors came forward with more purpose after falling behind but Bosnia, roared on by a passionate home crowd in the Bilino Polje Stadium, added a second goal in the dying minutes.
Djuric got on the end of an inswinging corner at the far post and squared it back across the box for Dzeko's replacement Ibisevic to bundle in from point-blank range.
“We played a decent match and deserved our win,” Bosnia coach Mehmed Bazdarevic told the country's BHT television.
Begovic added: “We did a good job thanks to a disciplined performance, particularly in defence. Our fighting spirit was exemplary while the forwards did what they needed to.” - Reuters