Under the watchful eye of Swansea City head coach Russell Martin and the club's chief executive Julian Winter, Joe Allen features on the big stage for the umpteenth time in his career.
Rain hammers down on the Cardiff City Stadium turf relentlessly as Wales bid to end their 64-year wait to reach a World Cup. The hosts sit in a 5-2-3 defensive shape as Ukraine settle in possession early on. Allen has Wales' first touch on the ball, and his second is a challenge to retain possession, but his third strikes fear into the Red Wall.
Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz's issues the 32-year-old a yellow card just 112 seconds into the game for a foul on Taras Stepanenko. It now leaves him walking a tightrope for the remainder of the game, and conditions aren't exactly conducive for routine tackling.
