Welcome Wales in Euro Dreamland

LILLE - Wales are through to the semifinals of Euro 2016 with beat Belgium 3-1. They’ve knocked out the second ranked team in the world, which I suppose must make them the best.

They were excellent tonight - under the cosh at times and riding their luck a little towards the end before Sam Vokes gave them that two-goal cushion. They desewrved this win - every man jack of them stood up to be counted tonight and the people of Wales should be very, very proud of their football team.

Wales join hands to do their sprint and slide of honour into one of the corners of the ground that is peopled by their fans.

Belgium’s players, by contrast, traipse off looking thoroughly despondent. They were a goal up against a team they almost certainly consider to be Gareth Bale, but somehow contrived to lose and lose heavily.

The spirit of Johan Cruyff lives on. Of all the players that would embody it at this European Championship, however, few were expecting Hal Robson-Kanu.

The Wales striker doesn’t even have a club right now. Released by Reading, no takers so far. There will be after this. The greatest goal in Welsh history – in both senses of the word? Probably. Robson-Kanu put Wales into the semifinal of their first tournament since 1958, so no goal has been more significant.

And the quality well it’s up there, too, a Cruyff turn in the penalty area of such perfect execution that Thomas Meunier needed his passport to get back in the country. It is a short trip to the Belgium border and Meunier and several team-mates were well on the way before they realised Robson-Kanu had changed direction.

With Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen and Thomas Vermaelen all unavailable, the inexperience of replacements Jordan Lukaku and Jason Denayer in defence left the Red Devils exposed.

Having played and remained unbeaten against their opponents in qualification, Wales' underdog tag was perhaps a little unfair and goals from Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes cancelled out Radja Nainggolan's opener.

From the start, though, Belgium dictated the play - they nearly took the lead on seven minutes, but Yannick Carrasco was denied before a goalmouth scramble which came from good link up play between Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.

But the Red Devils didn't have to wait long, with Nainggolan putting them ahead with a rocket of a shot from distance, giving Wayne Hennessey no chance, five minutes later.

It seemed like one way traffic from there, with Wales making mistakes in midfield and struggling to cope, but they soon got Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey on the ball and things quickly changed, with the latter crossing for Neil Taylor to force Thibaut Courtois into a point blank save - the Dragon had awoken.

Their resurgence hit phase one on the half hour mark, when Ramsey's corner was bulleted in by captain Williams, who cashed in on the key absentees in Belgium's back line to score.



Marc Wilmots' men started the second half as they did the first, and should have made it 2-1 when Lukaku headed wide despite being unmarked in the box, before Eden Hazard flashed a shot wide all in the opening stages.

But again their dominance didn't stick, when the only change to the Wales starting line-up, Hal Robson-Kanu, showed composure in abundance to control another Ramsey cross to finish past Courtois on 55 minutes.

Suddenly the Welsh tales were up and they were causing havoc against a defence that was lacking its heart, and the lack of experience of Lukaku and Denayer was painfully obvious.

Marouane Fellaini had come on for Carrasco at half time in a bid to shore them up from set pieces, but Belgium continued to struggle and Wales kept on threatening.

Despite late Belgium pressure, Wales were able to wrap it up with a stunning header from substitute Vokes. They’re out and Wales go into the last four, where they’ll meet Cristiano Ronaldo.