FOOTBALL Live

Wednesday February 6, 2008 Finished

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Wales

  • Fletcher 15’
  • Koumas 62’, 89’

Norway

  1. Classy Wales overwhelm Norway

    Classy Wales overwhelm Norway

    A brace from Jason Koumas inspired Wales to an impressive 3-0 victory over Norway in their friendly match at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Wales
    • Norway
    • 90+3' But Pedersen curls it straight at Price. And the final whistle goes! 3-0 to Wales the final score after a very impressive performance. Whisper it quietly, but the future of Welsh football is suddenly looking rather healthy...
    • 90+2' Free-kick to Norway in the inside-right channel, about 30 yards from goal.
    • 90' We're into injury time.
    • 89' GOAL! 3-0 Wales! Koumas again! Wales break down the left and Edwards centres to Koumas who calmly places the ball past Jarstein with his right instep!
    • 88' Riise wins a corner on the left. A goal here would put a real blot on Wales's night.
    • 86' Not long left now, but Wales are still stroking the ball around with ease. Toshack will be purring.
    • 83' Riise crosses from the left but can't pick out a team-mate.
    • 80' There's been no real direction to Norway's attacking play tonight. Wales, by contrast, have played some excellent football and are good value for their lead.
    • 77' Norway make another change, as John Anders Bjorkoy comes on for Nevland.
    • 76' Grindheim's well-hit shot from the edge of the box is blocked.
    • 75' Riise clips a shot over the bar from about 25 yards.
    • 73' Koumas looks to play in Cotterill but his pass is too strong and it goes out for a goal kick.
    • 69' Time to bring you up to date with some substitutions, and there have been quite a few... Craig Davies, Neil Eardley, Andrew Cofts and David Cotterill have all come on for Wales, with Simon Davies, Eastwood, Ledley and Robinson all departing. Frode Kippe has replaced Fulham's Brede Hangeland for Norway.
    • 67' Wales substitute Craig Davies finds acres of space on the left and curls in a shot that Jarstein has to tip over the bar!
    • 64' Nevland gets a header in but it's straight at Price!
    • 62' GOAL! 2-0 Wales! Wales break down the left, Gunter lays the ball across to Koumas and he skips inside his man before firing a low shot into the bottom right corner! Lovely goal.
    • 58' Wales hit the post again! Koumas whips a free-kick over the wall and it cannons against the post and goes out for a goal kick!
    • 56' Wales hit the woodwork! Substitute David Edwards shoots from the edge of the box, Jarstein pushes it onto the post at full stretch and gets to the ball just as it's about to bounce over the line!
    • 55' Grindheim sends a free header wide at the back post! That was a great opportunity.
    • 54' Wales win a corner on the left, Robinson flicks it on at the near post but it hits a defender, bounces back against him and goes out for a goal kick.
    • 52' Christian Grindheim spins and shoots right-footed from the left-hand corner of the box, but it's straight at Price.
    • 50' Norway win a corner on the right, but it's cleared at the near post.
    • 48' Both sides have swapped goalkeepers at half-time, with Lewis Price replacing Wayne Hennessey in goal for Wales and Rune Jarstein coming on for Opdal at the other end.
    • 47' Pedersen fouls Gunter inside the Wales box. Free-kick to the home side.
    • 46' The second half is underway!
    • 45+1' But Storbaek curls it well over the bar! And the half-time whistle goes. It's not been great for the neutrals, but the Welsh fans will be thoroughly satisfied with what they've seen so far.
    • 45' Norway win a free-kick towards the left-hand side of the Wales box, about 22 yards from goal...
    • 44' Norway are upping their attacking efforts now.
    • 43' Morten Gamst Pedersen cuts in from the left and rifles a right-footed shot just wide!
    • 41' Andresen crosses from the left but gets it all wrong and it balloons out of play for a goal kick.
    • 37' More great stuff from Wales! Another nice passing move frees Ricketts on the left, and his low cross runs right across the face of goal!
    • 36' Some neat football from Wales down the right ends with Gunter's cross being put behind for a corner. Koumas plays it into the middle, but it's headed clear. The ball comes back to Koumas on the right, he cuts inside and shoots with his left foot but the shot is straight at Hakon Opdal.
    • 34' Toshack will be pleased by what he's seen so far. Wales have by no means been dominant, but they've nonetheless rarely been troubled at the back.
    • 32' Wales are doing their best to keep the ball moving, but the surface is making attractive football difficult. Fletcher and Andresen square up after clashing in midfield, but the referee intervenes to restore order.
    • 31' Joe Ledley tackles Storbaek on the Norway right.
    • 29' Simon Davies's attempted pass to Gunter drifts out of play for a goal kick.
    • 28' Braaten bundles Sam Ricketts over inside the Wales box, and a free-kick is given.
    • 26' Koumas looks to release Eastwood for a run on goal, but the pass is intercepted.
    • 25' Storbaek finds space on the right but puts his cross straight into the crowd.
    • 23' Norway are starting to see a little more of the ball now.
    • 22' Carew motors down the left and crosses, Morgan heads clear. Riise pitches the ensuing throw-in into the box and Carew takes it down on his chest but swipes at his shot - much to the amusement of the crowd - and Wales clear.
    • 21' Gunter makes a great run down the right but can't keep the ball in play. Goal kick to Norway.
    • 20' The corner yields another corner on the far side. Andresen curls it in right-footed, but Hennessey claims it confidently.
    • 19' Jarl Andre Storbaek's right-wing cross is put behind for a corner.
    • 16' That was Fletcher's first ever international goal, but he took it like a seasoned pro.
    • 15' GOAL! 1-0 Wales! Eastwood slips a lovely through-ball down the inside-left channel to Fletcher, and the Crystal Palace man finishes into the bottom-right corner with his left foot!
    • 14' Wales work a shooting opportunity for Koumas, but he snatches at his shot and slices it high and wide from 25 yards!
    • 13' Nevland concedes a free-kick with a push in the Wales box.
    • 11' Martin Andresen looks for Braaten down the Norway right, but his pass is too heavy and Wayne Hennessey lets it go out for a goal kick.
    • 10' Norway win a corner on the left, but it's cleared at the near post.
    • 9' Wales are seeing most of the ball at the moment.
    • 8' Lovely skill from Jason Koumas on the Wales left! He slips as he receives a pass but manages to keep control of the ball, gets to his feet, flicks the ball into the air and passes it inside to a team-mate.
    • 7' John Arne Riise curls the ball towards the back post, and Pa-Modou Kah puts a header over the bar!
    • 6' Daniel Braaten draws a tackle from Lewin Nyatanga and wins a corner on the Norway right.
    • 5' Sight of goal for Norway! But new Fulham signing Erik Nevland puts his header over the bar from about 10 yards!
    • 3' The pitch here at the Racecourse Ground is not in the best condition, and the teams will have to get to grips with it quickly.
    • 2' Wales boss John Toshack appears to have ditched his usual 5-3-2 formation in favour of a 4-5-1, with Carl Fletcher and Carl Robinson anchoring the midfield and Jason Koumas pushing forward in support of lone striker Freddie Eastwood.
    • 1' The game begins!
    • - Referee: David Mckeon (Ireland)
    • - Norway: Opdal; Storbaek, Hangeland, Kah, Riise; Braaten, Andresen, Stromstad, Pedersen; Nevland, Carew
    • - Wales: Hennessey; Ricketts, Morgan, Nyatanga, Gunter; Simon Davies, Robinson, Fletcher, Koumas, Ledley; Eastwood
    • - The teams take to the field, Norway in red shirts, black shorts and black socks, Wales in a change strip of all-yellow. We begin with a minute's silence in memory of the Munich Air Disaster, which took place 50 years ago today.
    • - TEAM NEWS: Wales are without a whole host of senior players, as Danny Gabbidon, James Collins, Gareth Bale, David Vaughan and Craig Bellamy are all missing through injury. For Norway, Premier League-based players John Carew (Aston Villa), John Arne Riise (Liverpool), Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn), Erik Nevland, Brede Hangeland (both Fulham) and Daniel Braaten (Bolton) are all expected to feature.
    • - Good evening and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of Wales v Norway from the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Kick-off is at 19:45 GMT.

  • Summary

    • 89' GOAL! 3-0 Wales! Koumas again! Wales break down the left and Edwards centres to Koumas who calmly places the ball past Jarstein with his right instep!
    • 67' Wales substitute Craig Davies finds acres of space on the left and curls in a shot that Jarstein has to tip over the bar!
    • 64' Nevland gets a header in but it's straight at Price!
    • 62' GOAL! 2-0 Wales! Wales break down the left, Gunter lays the ball across to Koumas and he skips inside his man before firing a low shot into the bottom right corner! Lovely goal.
    • 58' Wales hit the post again! Koumas whips a free-kick over the wall and it cannons against the post and goes out for a goal kick!
    • 56' Wales hit the woodwork! Substitute David Edwards shoots from the edge of the box, Jarstein pushes it onto the post at full stretch and gets to the ball just as it's about to bounce over the line!
    • 55' Grindheim sends a free header wide at the back post! That was a great opportunity.
    • 52' Christian Grindheim spins and shoots right-footed from the left-hand corner of the box, but it's straight at Price.
    • 43' Morten Gamst Pedersen cuts in from the left and rifles a right-footed shot just wide!
    • 37' More great stuff from Wales! Another nice passing move frees Ricketts on the left, and his low cross runs right across the face of goal!
    • 36' Some neat football from Wales down the right ends with Gunter's cross being put behind for a corner. Koumas plays it into the middle, but it's headed clear. The ball comes back to Koumas on the right, he cuts inside and shoots with his left foot but the shot is straight at Hakon Opdal.
    • 15' GOAL! 1-0 Wales! Eastwood slips a lovely through-ball down the inside-left channel to Fletcher, and the Crystal Palace man finishes into the bottom-right corner with his left foot!
    • 5' Sight of goal for Norway! But new Fulham signing Erik Nevland puts his header over the bar from about 10 yards!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: David McKeon

  • Wales

    Manager: John Toshack

    Captain: Simon Davies

    Starting line-up

    • W. Hennessey Substitution Out (46′)
    • S. Ricketts
    • C. Morgan
    • L. Nyatanga
    • C. Gunter
    • C. Fletcher Goal
    • S. Davies Substitution Out (58′)
    • J. Ledley Substitution Out (58′)
    • C. Robinson Substitution Out (66′)
    • J. Koumas Goals×2
    • F. Eastwood Substitution Out (58′)

    Subs

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Norway

    Manager: Age Hareide

    Captain: Martin Andresen

    Starting line-up

    • H. Opdal Substitution Out (46′)
    • J. Storbaek
    • B. Hangeland Substitution Out (60′)
    • .. Kah
    • J. Riise
    • D. Braaten
    • F. Stromstad
    • M. Andresen
    • M. Pedersen
    • J. Carew
    • E. Nevland Substitution Out (77′)

    Subs

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None