In the end, Wales’ destiny was decided not in Cardiff, but 1,200 miles away in Zagreb. For 35 minutes, they dared to dream. They could imagine the virtual table, showing them ahead of Croatia, propelling them to Euro 2024. Yet by the end of the night, Wales had lost a lead against Turkey and, more pertinently, Croatia had gained one against Armenia. Ante Budimir’s goal for Croatia condemned Wales to the play-offs, regardless of their own result.
Which, as it happened, was a draw. It probably ought to have been a victory, both in terms of Wales’ performance and the manner in which Turkey levelled, with a distinctly dubious penalty. But in a sense, it was an irrelevant one: Wales’ fate was not in their own hands. They had required a favour, needing an Armenia side ranked 95th in the world to get a result against the World Cup semi-finalists. And while Armenia have exerted a huge impact on Group D, it was only as Wales’ nemesis, by holding them in Yerevan on Saturday and, crucially, winning in Cardiff in June. A draw against Turkey was far more forgivable: if Wales had played with this verve throughout a decidedly mixed campaign, they would surely have secured one of the top two spots.
