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    Cymru vs. Finland | 2024 European Championship – Play-off Semi-finals

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        Live ReportMatch Summary

        3. Tonight’s EE Player of the Match 🌟

        8. MATCH SUMMARY

          Cymru are one game away from EURO 2024 after a superb performance earned a 4-1 victory over Finland in the play-off semi-final in Cardiff.

          Rob Page’s men made the perfect start to the game as David Brooks opened the scoring inside just three minutes when he tucked home the rebound after Harry Wilson’s shot was saved.

          Cymru were in control of the game and doubled their lead in the 38th minute as Neco Williams sent a superb free-kick into the top corner following Wilson’s lay off.

          However, Finland found a way back into the game as Teemu Pukki calmly slid the ball past Danny Ward from close range in first half stoppage time.

          That didn’t hamper Cymru though as they restored their two-goal lead just two minutes after the break when Brennan Johnson finished at the back post after Brooks’ flick.

          Cymru captain for the night Ben Davies thought he had made it 4-1 in the 79th minute when he headed home Williams’ corner, but the referee ruled it out for offside after consulting with VAR.

          The fourth goal eventually arrived soon after though as a mistake by Finnish defender Miro Tenho saw substitute Dan James escape one-on-one with the goalkeeper, who he coolly rounded before finishing into the net.

          Cymru will now face Poland in the play-off final at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday night, with the winner claiming a spot at this summer’s European Championships in Germany.

        9. 90' + 5'

          Yellow card

          MOORE Kieffer Roberto Francisco

        10. FULL TIME

          Cymru 4-1 Finland

          Cymru are one game away from Euro 2024 after a fantastic performance at the Cardiff City Stadium!

        11. Off the bench and on the scoresheet 🫡

        12. 90'

          Substitution

          BROADHEAD Nathan Paul replaces WILSON Harry

        13. 90'

          A third Cymru change of the evening as Nathan Broadhead replaces Harry Wilson.

        14. 87'

          Substitution

          ILMARI NISKANEN replaces NIKOLAI ALHO

        15. 86'

          Goal

          JAMES Daniel Owen

        16. 86'

          That should do it! A mistake from Miro Tenho puts Dan James through on goal and he calmly rounds the goalkeeper and tucks the ball home!

        17. 86'

          GGGGGGGGÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔLLLL! NOW IT’S FOUR! DAN JAMES!

        18. 85'

          Now Dan James goes close as he bends a low effort goal wards but Hradecky is equal to it.

        19. 83'

          Cymru continue to come forward, with Wilson flicking a header into the arms of Hradecky.

        20. 81'

          No goal. The referee consults VAR and decides there was an offside in the build up.

        21. 79'

          Goal

          DAVIES Benjamin Thomas

        22. 79'

          GGGGGÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔLLLL! BEN DAVIES MAKES IT FOUR!

        23. 78'

          Substitution

          FREDRIK JENSEN replaces TEEMU PUKKI

        24. 78'

          Substitution

          BENJAMIN KALLMAN replaces JOEL POHJANPALO

        25. 78'

          Substitution

          FREDRIK JENSEN replaces TEEMU PUKKI

        27. 77'

          Substitution

          BENJAMIN KÄLLMAN replaces JOEL POHJANPALO

        28. 75'

          Dan James nearly makes an instant impact as a corner drops to him in the middle, but he can’t get enough on the ball to test the goalkeeper.

        29. 74'

          Yellow card

          MEPHAM Christopher

        30. 74'

          Yellow card

          MEPHAM Christopher

        31. 73'

          Substitution

          KAAN KAIRINEN replaces RASMUS SCHULLER

        32. 73'

          Substitution

          OLIVER ANTMAN replaces ROBIN LOD

        33. 73'

          Substitution

          JAMES Daniel Owen replaces JOHNSON Brennan

        34. 73'

          Substitution

          OLIVER ANTMAN replaces ROBIN LOD

        35. 73'

          Substitution

          KAAN KAIRINEN replaces RASMUS SCHÜLLER

        36. 73'

          Substitution

          JAMES Daniel Owen replaces JOHNSON Brennan

        37. 73'

          Dan James comes on for his 50th cap for Cymru! Llongyfarchiadau DJ! 🙌

          He replaces our third goalscorer of the night, Brennan Johnson.

        38. 71'

          Now Kieffer goes close! He is played in on the left hand side of the box but his shot is saved by Hradecky.

        39. 68'

          Yellow card

          DANIEL HAKANS

        40. 68'

          Yellow card

          DANIEL HÅKANS

        41. 65'

          Yellow card

          WILSON Harry

        42. 65'

          Yellow card

          WILSON Harry

        45. 62'

          Almost four! Harry Wilson breaks away and drives into the box, but bends a shot just wide of the post!

        46. 61'

          Substitution

          MOORE Kieffer Roberto Francisco replaces BROOKS David

        47. 60'

          Substitution

          MOORE Kieffer Roberto Francisco replaces BROOKS David

        48. 60'

          Here comes Kieffer Moore. He replaces the man who opened the scoring tonight, David Brooks.

        49. He is him ✊🏽

        50. 54'

          Yellow card

          JAMES Jordan Anthony

        51. 54'

          Yellow card

          JAMES Jordan Anthony

        52. 50'

          Yellow card

          MIRO TENHO

        53. 50'

          Yellow card

          MIRO TENHO

        54. Don’t Take Me Home rings around the Cardiff City Stadium 🎵

        55. 47'

          Goal

          JOHNSON Brennan

        56. 47'

          Goal

          JOHNSON Brennan

        57. 47'

          The perfect start to the first half… and now the perfect start to the second half!

          Wilson delivers a free-kick to the back post, Ampadu heads it back across goal, Brooks flicks it on and Johnson taps home!

        58. 47'

          GGGGÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔLLL! BRENNAN JOHNSON TAPS IT IN FROM CLOSE RANGE!

        59. 46'

          We are back under way in Cardiff.

        60. That was special from Neco 👏

        62. HALF TIME

          Cymru 2-1 Finland

          Cymru made the perfect start to tonight’s encounter as David Brooks opened the scoring inside just three minutes when he tucked home the rebound after Harry Wilson’s shot was saved.

          Rob Page’s men were in control of the game and doubled their lead in the 38th minute as Neco Williams sent a superb free-kick into the top corner following Wilson’s lay off.

          However, Finland have found a way back into the game as Teemu Pukki calmly slid the ball past Danny Ward from close range in first half stoppage time.

        63. 45' + 2'

          The referee blows the half-time whistle at the Cardiff City Stadium. Cymru lead at the break!

        64. 45'

          Goal

          TEEMU PUKKI

        65. 45'

          Gôl. Pukki pulls one back for Finland on the stroke of half-time.

        66. 44'

          Goal

          TEEMU PUKKI

        67. 38'

          Goal

          WILLIAMS Neco

        68. 38'

          Goal

          WILLIAMS Neco

        69. 38'

          OH MY WORD!!!!

          A perfect free-kick routine from Cymru as Wilson lays it off with a back heel and Williams smashes it straight into the top corner!

        70. 38'

          GGGGÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔLLLL NECO WILLLLIAMMMSSSSS!

        71. 36'

          Cymru win a free-kick in a promising position as Johnson breaks away and is fouled just outside the box.

        72. 34'

          Harry Wilson tries his luck from distance as the crowd urges him to shoot, but Hradecky is equal to it.

        74. 27'

          Finland look dangerous coming forward and the ball drops to Pohjanpalo in the box, but Roberts does well to block his shot.

        75. 22'

          Yellow card

          ROBIN LOD

        76. 22'

          Yellow card

          ROBIN LOD

        77. This man 😍

        79. 12'

          Johnson is played through on goal and is one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the offside flag is raised.

        80. Llun y tîm 📸

        81. 9'

          Finland go close as Håkans smashes over the bar from close range.

        82. 3'

          Goal

          BROOKS David

        83. 3'

          Goal

          BROOKS David

        84. 3'

          The perfect start for Cymru! Harry Wilson plays a brilliant one-two with Brennan Johnson and gets a shot away which the goalkeeper can only parry, allowing David Brooks to net the rebound!

        85. 3'

          GÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔÔLLLLL! BROOKSY!!!! WHAT A START!

        86. 3'

          We feel you Elis.

        88. 1'

          Here we go. COME ON CYMRU!

        89. GWLAD! GWLAD! An incredible rendition of the anthem as always ❤️

        91. Counting down to kick off…

        92. If you can’t be at the CCS for tonight’s game, watch live coverage on S4C or listen on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru.

        93. Ben Davies captains the side tonight 🫡

        94. How our opponents line up.

        96. Tonight’s team news is in… 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇫🇮

        97. Shwmae Joe 👋

        100. Wearing the new threads for the first time 🧵

        102. The calm before the storm at the CCS.

        103. Cymru’s previous 15 meetings with Finland:

          Won – 6
          Drawn – 5
          Lost – 4

        105. The stage is set for the EURO 2024 Play-Off Semi-Final at Cardiff City Stadium where Cymru welcome Finland.

          Finland have not drawn in their previous 20 EURO qualifying games.

        107. The traditional pre-match walk.

        108. “It’s simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons.”

        109. This will get you in the mood as Rhys Ifans, star of House of the Dragon, addresses the Cymru squad.

          “Everything we were and are and want to be. Everything.”

        110. Cymru manager Rob Page also spoke to the media this afternoon and gave an insight into how his squad have prepared for the match against Finland.

          “It’s quite a relaxed environment,” said Page. “Training has been excellent and the environment has been good. We’re not underestimating the challenge, it’s going to be a tough game, but we’re prepared for it. We’ve lost one of the world’s best players (in Gareth Bale), and there’s been enough in the squad to put us within two games of qualifying. That gives others the opportunity, and we’ve got a lot of choices.

          “I don’t want this all to be about Aaron (Ramsey), I think it’s disrespectful to the rest of the squad. We’ve got a pool of players in the top part of the pitch who are competing to start, and Aaron is one of them, but it’s his experience off the pitch as well. It’s a good problem to have, every manager wants their best players fit, and we’ve got that this time.

          “We’re still introducing players and there’s still more to come. We train with the U21’s, we stagger the timings, and I get to have an understanding about them as well. We’re introducing young players and people can see the pathway. If they’re good enough, they will be in the 1st team challenging.

          “The biggest learning curve for me over the last 12 months is that irrespective of who we are playing against, we have to bring our A game, whether we are the favourites or the underdogs. Having gone through pressure situations as a player helps, it’s never comfortable, but you learn to deal with it, and I’ve got an incredible group of staff around me. All I can do is give my best – I have done, and I will continue to.”

        112. Ben Davies spoke to the media earlier this afternoon to look ahead to the crucial EURO 2024 play-off semi-final against Finland.

          “It’s a different time,” Davies explained. “We don’t have Gareth Bale and that’s a big loss for Wales, but we have a very motivated group with boys who are playing at the top of their game, and we’re more than confident with the squad that we’ve got.

          “When people are playing regularly it’s beneficial for us, but we’ve played big games in the past with players not playing regularly, and sometimes pulling on that shirt brings the best out of players. A lot of the players are getting recognition at club level now, but its nothing we haven’t already seen in them before.

          “They (Finland) have had a good qualifying campaign – They’re a well-organised team who can hurt you if you’re not switched on. The game is 90 minutes long and we have to try and dominate as much as we can and create as many chances as we can.

          “The opportunity to have Aaron (Ramsey) in the squad is a no-briner. He can flip a game on its head with a moment of magic, and we’re lucky to have him here. We’re all here to play for Wales and we’re here to do a job for our country, which is to qualify for major tournaments.”

        115. Ethan Ampadu and Dan James have both played key roles in taking Leeds United to the top of the Championship this season, and now both players are set to reach the 50-cap mark for Cymru on Thursday night.

          Still just 23, Ampadu made his Cymru debut in an international friendly against France under former manager Chris Coleman in November 2017 when he replaced Joe Ledley in midfield. James (below) made his debut a year later in a friendly against Albania, and then scored the first of his six international goals on his competitive debut against Slovakia in Cardiff in March 2019.

          “They’re both incredible lads,” said Rob Page at the recent squad announcement. “They’re playing really well, but they’re great lads first and foremost. They deserve all the plaudits they’re going to get for this achievement.”

        118. There have been 15 previous meetings between Cymru and Finland dating back to 1971 when Cymru did the double of their opponents in EURO 1972 qualifying.

          Since then, the two nations have been drawn together in two further EURO qualifying campaigns, two World Cup qualifying groups and in the UEFA Nations League. Cymru have the statistical advantage over Finland having won six of the 15 games, with five being drawn and our opponents winning four.

          Cymru sealed promotion to League A of the UEFA Nations League with a 3-1 win over Finland in Cardiff in November 2020 through goals from Harry Wilson, Dan James and Kieffer Moore, with Moore also scoring in the 1-0 win in Helsinki at the start of that campaign.

          Finland have not beaten Cymru since October 2009, while there have also been three friendlies, the most-recent when the two teams last met in September 2021 and played out a 0-0 draw in Helsinki (below).

        119. Romanian referee István Kovács will take charge of the EURO 2024 play-off semi-final between Cymru and Finland in Cardiff on Thursday night.

          The 39-year old PE teacher has been a FIFA official since 2018 and refereed Cymru in their 2-1 defeat against Croatia in Osijek the following year. In 2022, he took charge of the UEFA Europa Conference League Final between Roma and Feyenoord in Tirana.

          Fourth official for eight matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Kovács then performed the same role at the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

          He will be assisted on Thursday by Vasile Florin Marinescu and Ovidiu Artene who are also from Romania, with German duo Tobias Stieler and Marco Fritz appointed as the fourth official and VAR respectively. Cătălin Popa of Romania will be the assistant VAR.

        121. The players have stepped back out on the training pitch ahead of Thursday’s EURO 2024 Play-Off Semi-Final.

        123. There have been two changes to the Cymru squad ahead of the EURO 2024 play-off semi-final against Finland on Thursday with Morgan Fox replacing Ben Cabango while Joe Low has withdrawn through injury.

          “We’re in the healthiest position we’ve been in in terms of players playing minutes and scoring goals,” said manager Rob Page at the squad announcement last week. “We’re in a good place and we understand the importance of the game, we’ve been here before.

          “The carrot at the end of these two games is another EURO’s. The players we have will be able to cope with the demands of these two games.

          “We’re confident and in good form going into this game. We want to come out of the traps and take the game to them from the first minute. We’ve got a team and a squad of players who are used to qualifying and we want more of it. We’re on the right track.”

        125. Back on Cymru camp.

        126. There is no live report available for this match

        Lineups

        Starting

          Substitutes

            Starting

              Substitutes

                Match Info

                Stadium

                Date & Time

                Referee

                Fourth Official

                Assistant Referees

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