UEFA WOMEN’S NATIONS LEAGUE GROUP B OR NOT GROUP B? ICELAND ANSWER THE QUESTION

Cymru v Iceland

Cardiff City Stadium 

1st December 2023 

Stephen @stephenjbaker reviews Cymru’s Nations League clash with Iceland, and ponders questions raised.

On a freezing cold night in Cardiff, Cymru took on Iceland in a must win game. Cymru needed to win by two clear goals to guarantee staying in the top league of the Women’s Nations League. After losing all four matches in the League so far, with only Germany left to play next week, Iceland (third place in the League) was the only team Cymru could overtake to staying in Group A.

The Cymru Starting XI had a familiar look to it, you could say in the past eighteen months a too familiar look to it. With the excellent  Ffion Morgan dropping to the bench that contains the inform Elise Hughes who many people were hoping would start. Hannah Cain not being fit meant Ceri Holland, Kayleigh Green returning alongside Rachel Rowe for her 60th cap.

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From Kick Off, Cymru was on the attack, knowing they need to win by two against a side ranked 15 places above them. But after being unlucky in the game in Iceland it was not beyond the realms of possible that Cymru would win by the required two goals or even more playing in front of Y Wal Goch.

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Half chance after half chance, Cymru kept getting closer. Shots going wide or just missing that final ball that was needed. But in the 18th minute a sign of how the match was going to go, one that is all too familiar to fans of all the Cymru teams. Jess Fishlock received the ball just inside the penalty area, where Sol Magnúsdóttir attempt of a tackle was nowhere near the ball, only making contact with the calf of Jess Fishlock. A clear penalty for everyone, except for the referee who waved play on. For once fans were wishing that there was VAR in the game.

For fans like myself, weary after years of near misses and daylight robberies against Cymru, we knew it was going to be one of those nights where everything was going to go against Cymru.

But still Cymru continued to attack but out of nowhere a cross from down the right-hand side by Saedis Heidarsdottir hits the thigh of Hlin Eiriksdottir while attempting to shoot only for it to roll across the box where Holder Antonsdottir managed to sneak a foot just infant of Hayley Ladd to tap home from three yards. Yes, one of those nights!

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With the task for Cymru to score at least three goals, the 5,275 fans in the ground and those watching on television still thought this was a possibility, especially with most of the possession and what ended up being 21 shots on goal. Jess Fishlock kept getting kicked and the referee kept missing the fouls, Cymru just needed one of those to be given in a good position to kick start the goal scoring. 

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Unfortunately, as the game went on it started to look less likely that there would be the three goals we hoped for. With a quarter of the match to go Ffion Morgan was brought on. A sentence that I could have ‘Copy & Paste’ from many of my pervious match reports. Cymru substitutions are now as predictable as the starting lineup. If fans know exactly the timings and who are coming on, surely the opposition coaches know and are prepared?

There with eleven minutes left, Cymru’s relegation to Group B was sealed when Karolina Vilhjalmsdottir produced a great midfield pass to Dilja Zomers on the right-hand side of the box, who cut inside and shot from just outside the ‘D’ beating the outstretched Olivia Clark for an excellent goal.

One consolation for Cymru came in the 90+4 minute where a perfect cross from the always excellent Lilly Woodham to Elise Hughes just outside the six yard box, who stooped down to header home for her 1st goal for Cymru, to end the game 2-1 to Iceland and send Cymru to their fifth defeat in a row in the 2023 Nations League. So, it’s down to Group B for the next Nations League for Cymru which will take place after qualification for the next Euros. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but this campaign ended in disappointment, after the match Gemma Grainger says this has been ‘a useful learning experience for future challenges’ We will see!

Cymru 1-2 Iceland

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