Chapter 123: The Shock Of Ulsan
Going into this Quarter final game, the one thing that was on the mind of every Welshman public and media alike was as follows: "Hang on a minute we've got the USA in the Quarter finals. This is surely a bye into the Semis, God, anything can happen now." It wasn't hard to feel good about their chances as if they were to win this game, they'd either face Spain or South Korea in the semis and the idea of Wales reaching the final didn't seem such a far fetched idea, plus with this being the 40th anniversary since they were last in a final, what would be better to celebrate it than making it to the final here?
While most pundits were feeling good about a comfortable Welsh victory, there were some wishing others not to write off the United States as they too hadn't done so bad to get this far having shocked everyone by seeing of Portugal in the group stage and perhaps most happily for most Americans was their dispatching of their arch rivals, Mexico, in the second round. It had been a great atmosphere around the Korean city of Ulsan as both sets of supporters happily mingled with each other and were most likely happy to be able to speak English to each other unlike other opponents, though many Welsh supporters teased the Americans by often talking in their native Welsh tongue, much to the Americans' bemusement.
It was quite a warm evening as both sets of fans created a great atmosphere as the players emerged from the tunnel and onto the field and it was here that both anthems were sung with pride which would be one of the most memorable moments of the 2002 World Cup, but in some ways it was a game that mattered more for the Americans. With a country that was still reeling from the horrors of 9/11, this unexpected World Cup run was giving the United States a very welcomed feel good factor, and it was certainly felt from the start of the game when it was the white shirted Americans starting off the better team here.
The USA team before their game with Wales
Wales totally seemed to underestimate the American's fighting spirit and it was the Americans who came close to scoring first in both the 9th and 12th minute of the game thanks to the attempts of the United States' Lando Donavan and it was only thanks to the hands of the Dragons' keeper, Paul Jones, to keep Wales from going 2-0 down already. To say the Welsh backline was utterly horrendous would be an understatement and Mark Hughes barked angrily at the his players to wake up and get going forward, anyone who were thought confidently that Wales were going to steamroll over the plucky Americans were now starting to feel like they were about to find themselves with egg on their faces.
Wales' first good attempt came in the 19th minute when they won a throw in and Simon Davis threw it in towards the box and John Hartson attempted to header it in, but only found his shot saved by Brad Friedel and the Welsh players now all bore the expression of frustration that the game should've have been going the way like this, they should be beating this bunch. Wales did get another chance which arguably was a glorious one in which Ryan Giggs raced on the counter and weaved his way in and out of several American players before he cross the ball into the box for Craig Bellamy to strike on the volley, however his kick was too hard and the ball ended up flying way up and over the bar. Nonetheless, the good news was that now the Americans seemed to look tired and Wales were starting to get back into the game, surely they would score first? And they most certainly did.
In the 27th minute, after a good period of Wales looking comfortable on the ball, Jason Koumas would let the ball loose for Ballamy to get forward and the Welsh centre forward sprinted across the field until he reached outside of the box and let one fly as the ball smashed into the roof of the right side of the net where the ball found itself lost in the netting. At last, Wales were up and running and they had finally gotten the lead many thought they would, even though they had done it the hard way, but no one honestly cared and the delight Welsh supporters in the stadium, a good ten thousand no less, now expected to see more goals follow up.
Bellamy celebrates his opening goal against the United States in the Quarter final
For any team going behind, many would assume the same would happen to the United States to see them roll over for the Welsh, especially after starting off so well at the start of the game. But this was an American team that you wouldn't want to write off as they kept pushing forward for an equaliser and they almost did find it in the 36th minute when the Americans won a free kick some 25 yards away from goal and Eddie Lewis went up to take it. His shot went curly into the top left corner of the net and looked to be going in had Paul Jones not acted to knock it away in the nick of time.
It would've been one hell of a way to get back into the game, nonetheless for the nervous American supporters there, it did give them hope that all was not loss and if they could carry on playing like this, then they would have a decent chance. In the 41st minute, there would be a double booking for Wales' Hartson and United States' Eddie Pope after the latter made a woefully badly timed challenged that saw him getting booked by the Scottish referee, Andrew Dallas. But Hartson himself would see yellow after he lost his head for a moment as he started shoving Eddie Pope out of anger for the challenge. This would see both captains trying to calm both players down and the referee tried to keep the game rolling and hope for no more dangerous challenges, though with the look Hartson and Pope glaring at each other, that would be wishful thinking.
This tasty game's first half would end when USA's captain, Claudio Reyna, would get himself getting booked when he made a crunching tackle on Ryan Giggs as the Welshman was trying to make a dash on the counter. The Welsh fans roared for firm action to be taken place in which they got, though some say the yellow card the captain got seemed too soft and Wales' captain, Gary Speed, tried to reason with the referee to make a possible red card, though the Scottish referee would hear none of it. To make matters worse for the Welsh, the injury looked pretty bad as Giggs couldn't get up and Mark Hughes had to make the reluctant substitute of John Robinson to come just before the whistle for half time was blown.
Wales might've been in front going in at the break, though the status of Ryan Giggs did leave many worried for their chances for the rest of the tournament, that is if they were to go all the way...
Donovan during the closing moments of the first half with Wales
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It was clear during the start of the second half that Wales didn't look that comfortable with it almost like they had all been given dreadful news. Many seem to think that it was about Giggs and it didn't help that up on the terraces that rumours began to spread among the Welsh supporters that the injury was that bad that Giggs cold be out of the rest of the World Cup, even if Wales were to go all the way to the final. They were just rumours, but it didn't help the nerves of anyone as the United States began to try and press forward for an elusive equaliser. Despite being a goal behind, the Americans didn't feel that bad as they had played well in the first half up until that sucker punch of a goal and if they kept pressing, then they might have a good chance.
What no one expected was they were to be given one so soon in the 52nd minute. Wales were up to defend a corner and ball came down near the feet of Brian McBride and he went to try and make a shot at target in which Paul Jones went diving to try and get it, it went under him but still clipped him and the ball went up into the air towards Rhys Weston, who was standing on the goal line, and he had the bad luck on not being able to react in time as the ball hit his arm and this saw the white shirted American players on the field to raise their arms up and cry for a penalty...in which the referee blew and pointed to the spot.
The Welsh players tried desperately for the referee to make the referee change his mind, but it was a hopeless attempt as it was clear to everyone that Weston, unintentionally, handled the ball and the man in question would get booked for his actions. Up stepped forward was Donovan to take on Paul Jones standing between the sticks and hoping to keep Wales' lead intact, he would go the right way to the left, but the ball went under him and now the United States were level and back in the game. The stunned Welsh supporters could only look on in anguish as their American counterparts starting chanting 'U-S-A!' as the American players celebrated wildly. Game on.
United States players celebrate getting back into the game
It was an unexpected set back and the Welsh were stunned at this sudden turn of the events but nonetheless kept going to regain their lead, and with the talent in that Welsh side it wasn't hard to think they could do just that. It would seem to happy in the 58th minute, but this would be a moment of controversy. Wales managed to win a free kick in that minute and Gary Speed sent the ball in towards the box with Bellamy getting his head onto the ball and sending it downward into the right bottom of the goal and he went off running, despite many American players raising their arms up for a possible offside position he was in, to celebrate thinking he had gotten Wales back in front.
It all got confusing when the referee went and pointed towards the American goal and signalled for a goal kick. Goal disallowed. It was hard to explain what had just happened with replays showing that Bellamy was in a possible offside position, but only just. This didn't go down well with the Welsh players who surrounded the Scottish referee wanting answers. It wasn't the first time a Scot had made life difficult for Wales in a World Cup as those of a certain age and for those who knew Welsh football history would remember the infamous Scottish linesman in 1962 in which they had a goal that was wrongful disallowed in the final, now a similar thing had happened here. The fact that it seemed to come about on the 40th anniversary of that World Cup did not go unnoticed by the furious and disappointed Welsh fans in the ground and everyone else.
Then if that wasn't bad enough, it got worse. In the rather absurdly fitting (or unfitting depending on who you ask for) 62nd minute, the United States won a corner kick and the ball was cleared by Chris Coleman, but not by much as the ball found itself landing right at the feet of Donovan and he hammered home a shot into the bottom left corner of the net and poor Paul Jones could do nothing to keep it out. The American side of the stadium erupted and no doubt the same was happening across the United States as against all the odds, the USA had been 1-0 down and now had turned the game around to lead 2-1. The United States were in dreamland and on the verge of reaching the Semi finals!
Shocked Welsh fans look on as the United States take the lead in the 62nd minute
Mark Hughes stood there on the touchline looking like he had been punched in the guts, how could this happen? On one hand many of his fellow countrymen would argue that the referee chalking off that goal changed the game and had they been in front, everything would be good. Though he must've been the only one to realise that they hadn't done an awfully lot to score more goals when they were in front and the more he thought about it, they had been lucky in some ways to get past Paraguay and now their luck was starting to run out, could they get a goal back?
Wales did have one good shot in the 68th minute that they came close to equalising in which Hartson tried to go it alone in the box, but his shot instead bit the cross bar and it was a frustrating moment that Wales knew they could win this game, but just didn't know what to do as the clock ran down and panic was starting to creep in. Chris Coleman would get a booking then in the 73rd minute for a badly timed tackle and to the horror of the Welsh supporters, the men in red were no longer playing as a team but rather all as individuals, each of them trying to be the hero to get a goal back and keep them in this World Cup.
By the 81st minute, the majority of chanting was coming from the American supporters who quite honestly couldn't believe their luck that they were so close to reaching the last four, surely them getting this far would put that myth of the USA being a poor football (soccer) nation to death once and for all. Wales might've been getting more of the ball, but they sure as hell couldn't seem to get any luck for chances and the Americans instead spent most of the time happily defending and keeping this lead, neither of those playing in white looked fearful.
The moment in which the American players celebrated going 2-1 in front
There was one more twist in the tale in which Wales would win a corner kick in the last minute of injury time (three minutes) and this was surely Wales' last chance to take the game into extra time. So much so that Mark Hughes order Paul Jones up from the goals and get into the box in the hope of scoring a dramatic last minute goal. The corner was taken and Hartson jumped up to try and header it in, but he could only witness that by a few agonising inches, the ball would miss going under the crossbar and bounce off the top to go out for a USA goal kick.
The American supporters, now a whole lot nearly in tears, cheered wildly as that was surely Wales' last chance of the game...and it was. The mood between the two teams couldn't have been more different, the Welsh players slumped the ground in despair of this bad loss with Mark Hughes walking onto the field to try and console the players with their own supporters looking on in stunned silence. For the Americans, well, no need to know how they were feeling as the joy radiating from the players could be felt and their supporters had gone into a frenzy with starts and stripe flags being flown all around the stadium, but what mattered was that history had been made. The United States were going in a World cup semi final for the first time since 1930.
There was a nice moment in which the players exchanged shirts with each other and the United States players performed a lap of honour around the field and when they went by the mostly Welsh side of the stadium, the Wales fans started to applaud them as they went running past, a wonderful underdog story this was. Mark Hughes would keep his job as Wales manager despite many calling for his sacking by the Welsh press, now calling this the most embarresing defeat in Welsh football history, but he would make it up for them for Euro 2004...
For now though, Wales were going home.
Gary Speed after the final whistle in which saw Wales go out in the Quarter finals
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Well, bet you didn't see that coming, huh? As you will remember in OTL, the penalty that the USA wrongly weren't given is given here. I did feel rather sorry for them that year as they did have a fairly decent team that could've made it to the semi finals and seemed to put on a fair fight against the Germans, who knows what might've happened if they had gotten that penalty? I hope for our readers from 'Across the Pond' enjoyed this chapter and here below is the results of the other two Quarter final games:
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Spain 0-0 South Korea (South Korea win 3-5 on Pens)
Argentina 3-2 Brazil (a.e.t)
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So it's all looking very different in that last four, and now the next update will be England taking on Scotland for a place in the World Cup semi finals, who do you think will do it? Would be nice to hear of your 'reactions' to this game and other such results so far in this World Cup. Until then, see you in Osaka on 22nd June 2002...
Until then, see you next time!
