RESULT: WALES 4 MOLDAVIA 0

WALES v Moldova
World Cup Qualifier
Monday 5 September 2016 19:45
Cardiff City Stadium

Tickets still available

' INJURY NEWS WALES V MOLDOVA '

Monday 5th September 2016

WALES WILL BE MISSING THEIR THREE MIDFIELD PLAYERS.


Wales have some issues to resolve in the centre of the park as they are set to be without three midfielders against Moldova.

Chris Coleman branded Aaron Ramsey 'almost irreplaceable' after the Arsenal star was left out of the squad due to a hamstring injury.

Aaron Ramsey picked up an injury on the first day of the season while playing for Arsenal


Jonny Williams is also missing after an ankle operation has meant he is likely to miss Wales' first three qualifiers.

David Edwards is the third absentee in the Welsh midfield, after he withdrew from the squad with a slight knock.





Moldova arrive with a squad of largely unknown players.

One name in the Moldovan line-up that may be familiar to Welsh fans is midfielder Artur Ionita.

Ionita had been linked with a move to Swansea City earlier this summer - but moved to Cagliari in Serie A instead.

If Moldova are to pull off a shock, Ionita will undoubtedly have to play his part.

Wales (probable; 3-4-2-1): W Hennessey (Crystal Palace) – J Chester (Aston Villa), A Williams (Everton), B Davies (Tottenham Hotspur) -- C Gunter (Reading), J Allen (Stoke City), J Ledley (Crystal Palace), N Taylor (Swansea City) – A King (Leicester City), G Bale (Real Madrid) – S Vokes (Burnley)

Moldova (probable; 4-4-1-1): S Namașco (Levadiakos) - I Jardan (Zimbru Chişinău), A Cașcaval (Luch-Energiya), A Epureanu (Istanbul BB), V Golovatenco (Zaria Bălți) – E Sidorenco (Milsami Orhei), A Cojocari (Milsami Orhei), E Cebotaru (Sibir), V Ivanov (Sheriff Tiraspol) - A Ioniţa (Cagliari)- R Gînsari (Sheriff Tiraspol)





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Latest News

Ramsey and Jonny Williams are missing from the squad after picking up injuries with their clubs.

Wayne Hennessey could also be a doubt after missing his club's match on the weekend.

Emyr Huws, Tom Lawrence and Paul Dummett all return to the squad after missing out on UEFA EURO 2016. Meanwhile, David Vaughan confirms his international retirement so won't feature again for Wales.


The Squads

Wales

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessy, Danny Ward, Owain Fon Williams.

Defenders: Ben Davies, James Chester, James Collins, Chris Gunter, Ashley Williams, Ashley Richards, Paul Dummett, Neil Taylor.

Midfielders: Joe Allen, David Edwards, Andy King, Joe Ledley, Emyr Hughes, Tom Lawrence, George Williams.

Forwards: Gareth Bale, Simon Church, Hal Robson-Kanu, David Cotterill, Sam Vokes.


Moldova

12 S. Namasco
3 I. Jardan
15 A. Cascaval
6 A. Epureanu
5 V. Golovatenco
17 A. Cojocari
7 A. Ionita
8 E. Cebotaru
20 E. Sidorenco
18 V. Ivanov
16 R. Ginsari


Moldova



Qualification history
Though yet to make a FIFA World Cup appearance, Moldova have gradually improved since joining FIFA in 1994. Beaten in all eight of their France 1998 qualifying matches, the eastern Europeans picked up three wins in the Brazil 2014 preliminaries, including an eye-catching 5-2 defeat of Montenegro along with a pair of draws.

The team
Moldova will head into the Russia 2018 campaign with the backbone of the side that vied for a place at Brazil 2014 still intact, with forward Eugeniu Sidorenko, who top-scored last time out with four goals in seven matches, once again teaming up with skipper and centre-half Alexandru Epureanu and creative midfielder Alexandru Dedov.

The coach
After a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, first under Alexanderu Curtianu and then Ștefan Stoica, Moldova entrusted Igor Dobrovolski with the manager's role for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, who had already led the side between 2006-2009. Under Dobrovolski, Moldova reached their highest-ever position in the FIFA/Coca Cola World Cup Ranking in 2008 (37th). As a player, Dobrovoski was best-known for playing at Dynamo Moscow, Atlético Madrid and Fortuna Düsseldorf. He also won gold with the USSR team at the 1988 Olympics, scoring six goals in the tournament – only one less than top-scorer Romario.

The stat
11 - The number of points Moldova amassed in the Brazil 2014 preliminaries, their best World Cup qualifying tally yet.

The former stars
Radu Rebeja, Serghei Clescenco, Serghei Rogaciov, Alexanderu Curtianu


Wales



FIFA World Cup finals history
Wales have only appeared at the finals once, in 1958 when they were led by the great John Charles. They reached the quarter-finals after a 2-1 win over returning runners-up Hungary, with a solitary Pele goal then sending them home. They have struggled in qualifying since, coming close in bids to reach 1982 and 1986 but lost out to Czechoslovakia and Scotland respectively on goal difference.

The team
Not lacking in individual talent, The Dragons are blessed with the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, while Joe Ledley and Joe Allen help make up a dynamic midfield. Behind them, the likes of English Premier League regulars Ben Davies, James Collins and captain Ashley Williams feature in a solid backline.

The coach
Though still a manager in the early stages of his coaching career, aged 44, Chris Coleman already has 12 years’ experience in the hot seat. Since taking charge of the nation he represented 36 times as a player in 2012, there have been promising signs that they could make their return to the World Cup.

The stat
35 – The number of days after Gareth Bale's 17th birthday when he became Wales' youngest-ever goal-scorer.

The former stars
John Charles, Ian Rush, Gary Speed, Ryan Giggs, Ivor Allchurch, Neville Southall


Qualifying Group & Fixtures

GROUP D
Wales
Republic of Ireland
Serbia
Moldova
Georgia

2016
September 5: (h) v Moldova
October 6: (a) v Austria
October 9: (h) v Georgia
November 12: (h) v Serbia

2017
March 24: (a) v Republic of Ireland
June 11: (a) v Serbia
September 2: (h) v Austria
September 5: (a) v Moldova
October 6: (a) v Georgia
October 9: (h) v Republic of Ireland


Previous Meetings

12 Oct 1994 Moldova v Wales L 3-2 UEFA European Championship
06 Sep 1995 Wales v Moldova W 1-0 UEFA European Championship


Tickets

Ticket Prices

Category 1: Adult £30.00, Senior Citizen (65+) £10.00, Junior (age 16 and under) £5.00.
Category 2: Adult £25.00, Senior Citizen (65+) £10.00, Junior (age 16 and under) £5.00.
Category 3: Adult £20.00, Senior Citizen (65+) £10.00, Junior (age 16 and under) £5.00.
Premium Seating: Adult £50.00, Senior Citizen (65+) £25.00, Junior (age 16 and under) £25.00.

For this match the traditional away end in the Ninian Stand and a section of block 202/203 in the Grandstand will be on sale to Wales fans, as the Moldova FA will not take their full allocation. Please note this section may not be available for all qualifying matches and will depend on the requirements of the visiting National Association.

On Sale Dates

Stage 1 details:
2018 World Cup Gold or Junior Members
Tickets on sale from 2pm on Thursday 25th August until 5pm on Tuesday 30th August.

All tickets are sold on a first come first served basis and are subject to availability.

Stage 2 details:
General Public Sale
Tickets on sale from 10am on Wednesday 31st August, subject to availability.
Maximum of 2 tickets per booking. General public tickets are sold on a first come first served basis. There is no guarantee the match will go on general public sale if it sells out to members first.

Tickets can be booked through the FAW website, the Cardiff City Stadium Ticket Office on 0845 345 1400 and the FAW booking line on 0844 248 1876. Please remember to quote your correct membership account rather than creating a new account which will not have your previous booking history. Seats should also be assigned to friends and family at the time of booking and cannot be done retrospectively. Queries or requests should be emailed to fawticketing@cardiffcityfc.co.uk or tickets@faw.co.uk.

Cardiff City Stadium Ticket Office - Tel. 0845 345 1400
Open Monday to Friday, 9am - 5:30pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm (closing time may vary if there is a club match on)
Calls to this booking line cost 3p per minute plus the network access charge.
FAW Booking Line- Tel. 0844 248 1876
Open Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm and on weekends 8am - 6pm
Calls to this booking line cost 7p per minute plus the network access charge.


Match Odds

Wales 1/4
Draw 4/1
Moldova 14/1


Guess The Score

Post your predictions below

3.0 Wales

This is by no means a banker.

Without Ramsay Wales can struggle, will happily settle for 1-0 with Bale to score

Wales 2 Moldova 1

Chris Coleman opens up on life after Euro 2016 and admits he and his players were on 'a real downer' without the buzz of France

30th August 2016


BY PHIL SMITH


Coleman is raring to go ahead of the World Cup campaign but memories of France are never far away



Chris Coleman has opened up on the difficulty he and his players faced readjusting to reality after their glorious summer in France.

Coleman and his wife, journalist and television presenter Charlotte Jackson, celebrated the birth of their second child together earlier this month but the Wales boss has admitted that he was left ‘pining’ for the buzz of Euro 2016 in the days after the 2-0 loss to Portugal.

The Wales boss is fully focused on what he expects to be a challenging World Cup campaign, as his side get used to no longer being the underdogs who can surprise teams on the counter-attack.

However, he conceded that is has been difficult not to dwell on one of the most glorious periods in the history of Welsh football.

He said: “For two weeks after we got back, my wife, I think she expected me to be something else and I clearly wasn’t. I was on a real downer, to come out of one situation, when it’s so exciting, with so much hard work, exhausting actually, you feel all the emotions from everybody, and when it’s finished, it’s not like you get weaned off it, it’s just done.

“Then you’re home and back into reality, as husbands and fathers or whatever, it’s completely different. I found it really tough and I know a lot of the lads did, you just miss that buzz.”

The World Cup qualifiers have come round quickly for Coleman and his players, many of whom have only return to competitive action for their clubs in recent weeks.

Coleman is urging them to put the summer behind them and has promised to ‘rattle cages’ in order to ensure his squad are prepared for the challenge of being prize scalps in a fairly strong looking group.

Nevertheless, memories of their stunning success will not be far away when they return to action at the Cardiff City Stadium next Monday night and Coleman has admitted it has been difficult to move on at times.

He said: “When you’re in it, sometimes you’re thinking you just need five minutes rest from it but I promise you when it stops and you’re out of it, you’re pining for it. You still look back, especially if you see something on TV, one of the games, you put yourself back in that moment, and it’s really dangerous because that moment’s finished.

“We’ve got to start again and create something new, because that’s gone. But every time you see it you want to be back in it because it was so spectacular and special.”

hopefully a few goals and a gd performance, 3-1 wales

A hard fought 2-0 win

1-1

1-0 just.

1-0 Wales.

1-0 with the goal from that man Bale again

Wales 4-0 Moldova.

3-0 Wales

Really looking foward to this one I'm going to be positive and say 4-0 wales Bale hatrick.

3 nil Wales, the thought of us possibly qualifying for the World Cup means so much, and is long deserved for the fans who have followed Wales through thick and thin over the years.
C'mon Wales , we can do this.

3 nil Wales, the thought of us possibly qualifying for the World Cup means so much, and is long deserved for the fans who have followed Wales through thick and thin over the years.
C'mon Wales , we can do this.

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WORLD CUP QUALIFYING UEFA GROUP D

1. Wales
2. Austria
3. Serbia
4. Republic of Ireland
5. Moldova
6. Georgia

Liverpool FC and Wales legend Ian Rush tips Gareth Bale to smash his scoring record in coming World Cup campaign


4 SEP 2016


BY CHRIS WATHAN


Rushie knows his Wales goal record is in Bale's sights and expects it to fall during the bid for Russia 2018



Ian Rush has tipped Gareth Bale to send Wales roaring over the World Cup qualifying line by smashing his scoring record during the coming campaign.

Wales kick off their crack at Russia 2018 with a home game against Moldova, their first fixture since the Euro 2016 exploits.

With Austria, Serbia, the Republic of Ireland and Georgia also in the mix, Rush reckons Bale's goals can send Wales to the finals in two years' time.

Rush is the nation’s greatest goalscorer, having hit 28 in 73 Wales appearances, but Bale is hunting him down after taking his own tally to 22 out in France.

But Rush said: "Without doubt he’ll do it and he’ll do it in this campaign – and I hope I’m there to see it because I’d definitely celebrate it.


“When your record gets broken you’re disappointed but it tells me one thing, which is the team is doing well. That’s what we want to see – and if we do, it means that Gareth will have broken my record.

“Hopefully it will mean Wales are right up there at the top of the group because that is the most important thing. The success is an amazing thing to witness and Gareth breaking my record is part of that.”

Rush was 31 when he reached the 22 goals Bale stands on, breaking Trevor Ford’s record of 23 when he netted against familiar foes Belgium in March 1993.

Bale is still 27 and each bar three of his goals have come since October 2011 when he sealed a 2-0 win over Switzerland. That means he has managed 19 goals in 30 appearances.


Rush continued: “I may be a little disappointed if the record goes, but they are there to be broken – I broke records and as a top player that’s what happens.

“With more games being played I always thought my record would go. Perhaps if I’d taken free-kicks like Gareth I’d have scored 60!

“He’s obviously a different player to me but he’s getting better the whole time. He’s got stronger and faster and I think there’s more to come.

“You can’t buy what he’s got and playing for Real Madrid is going to make him better for Wales.

"I think Gareth has learned a lot from Cristiano Ronaldo; some of the goals he’s scored, especially his headed goals, remind me very much of Ronaldo.

"He’s become more powerful, bigger and stronger. It’s those attributes that make him the player he is and I’m sure he’ll get even better and it’s great to watch.”

In a big year for the game in Wales, including the 2017 Champions League final coming to Cardiff for which two-time winner Rush is ambassador.

He said: "What happened in France was amazing but we’re taking it to a different level and we just don’t want to make this a one-off.

“You can’t be going up and down the whole time. You’ve got to take it to a different level again.

“The biggest thing is that everyone is respecting Wales and teams are going to come to Cardiff and park the bus. The problem Chris Coleman and the team will have is how to break them down.

“I’m sure we’ll be better away from home because teams will take a point here because the success we had in the Euros.

“But I’m sure we can do it, just as I’m sure Gareth will get my record.”

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' INJURY NEWS WALES V MOLDOVA '

Monday 5th September 2016


Wales have some issues to resolve in the centre of the park as they are set to be without three midfielders against Moldova.

Chris Coleman branded Aaron Ramsey 'almost irreplaceable' after the Arsenal star was left out of the squad due to a hamstring injury.

Aaron Ramsey picked up an injury on the first day of the season while playing for Arsenal.


Jonny Williams is also missing after an ankle operation has meant he is likely to miss Wales' first three qualifiers.

David Edwards is the third absentee in the Welsh midfield, after he withdrew from the squad with a slight knock.





Moldova arrive with a squad of largely unknown players.

One name in the Moldovan line-up that may be familiar to Welsh fans is midfielder Artur Ionita.

Ionita had been linked with a move to Swansea City earlier this summer - but moved to Cagliari in Serie A instead.

If Moldova are to pull off a shock, Ionita will undoubtedly have to play his part.

Wales (probable; 3-4-2-1): W Hennessey (Crystal Palace) – J Chester (Aston Villa), A Williams (Everton), B Davies (Tottenham Hotspur) -- C Gunter (Reading), J Allen (Stoke City), J Ledley (Crystal Palace), N Taylor (Swansea City) – A King (Leicester City), G Bale (Real Madrid) – S Vokes (Burnley)

Moldova (probable; 4-4-1-1): S Namașco (Levadiakos) - I Jardan (Zimbru Chişinău), A Cașcaval (Luch-Energiya), A Epureanu (Istanbul BB), V Golovatenco (Zaria Bălți) – E Sidorenco (Milsami Orhei), A Cojocari (Milsami Orhei), E Cebotaru (Sibir), V Ivanov (Sheriff Tiraspol) - A Ioniţa (Cagliari)- R Gînsari (Sheriff Tiraspol)

Wales ‏@FAWales
Time for our next adventure.
Are you ready?

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WALES v MOLDOVA programmes have been delivered to the stadium ready for the game. #TogetherStronger

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Team news

Wales will be without a number of their standout stars from their triumphant Euro 2016 campaign.

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey was left out of Coleman's squad after picking up a hamstring injury during Arsenal's opening day defeat to Liverpool.

Aaron Ramsey injured

On top of the absent Ramsey, who Coleman described 'irreplaceable', Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams will miss Wales' first group game with a knee injury.

Gareth Bale will continue his role up front for Wales after his three goals at Euro 2016 helped his side to a semi-final berth.

Bale scored within 30 seconds of Real Madrid's first league game of the season and Coleman believes the 27-year-old can surpass his achievements at Euro 2016.



"I know he's capable of almost anything and I think Madrid are very excited about the future with 'Baleo'," said Coleman.

"He's getting better and better still. Along with that incredible ability, he's got that first-class mentality as well.

"It's a winning formula for Real Madrid and for Wales and I think he will have another good season."

Please be advised if you are collecting your Wales tickets today, Please come early to avoid queuing

Ticket office is open from 9am right up until kick off - collection point for tickets bought via eticketing sites or over the phone will be at the main ticket office which is located next to corporate entrance 2 at the stadium

THE ROAD TO MOSCOWS' Luzhniki Stadium starts Today

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Who else is in Wales' World Cup group? How good are they? And when do we play them?


Monday 5th Sep 2016



BY JACK VITTLES



With Wales 2018 World Cup qualification campaign set to swing into action this evening, we take a look at Wales' rivals for a place in the finals in Russia.


After the euphoria of Euro 2016, it's back to the grind of qualification for the Welsh side over the next 18 months.

Their quest to reach the World Cup in Russia in 2018 begins tonight at Cardiff City Stadium against Moldova.

With just one side from six guaranteed a place in the World Cup, qualification is far from a foregone conclusion.

While Moldova at home may be viewed as a gentle start for Chris Coleman's men, tougher matches lay ahead.

We take a look at the five teams jostling with Wales to reach the top spot.






Moldova

Wales opening opponents are the lowest ranked side in the group. Moldova currently sit 165th in the world - 154 places below Wales.

Since their formation after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, they have failed to reach any major tournament.

But they do have form against Wales - having beaten them 3-2 at home in Chisnau in 1994.






The current side is expected to create few problems for Wales with few star players and much improved facilities for visiting sides.

One Moldovan player who may be familiar to Welsh fans is Artur Iontia. The midfielder was linked with a move to Swansea City this summer before swapping the shirt of Verona for Cagliari in Serie A.

Artur IonitaMoldovan star player Artur Ionita
Key Player: Artur Ionita

Wales' fixtures: September 5, 2016 (H) and September 5, 2017 (A)





Austria

Wales' main rivals for the top spot in Group D. Marcel Koller's side qualified for Euro 2016 with an outstanding record - dropping just two points from 10 matches in a strong group containing Russia and Sweden.

The side did however fail to deliver at the tournament proper, which led to captain and Leicester City defender Christian Fuchs calling time on his international career.

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Julian Bumgartlinger now captains the side as they look to make the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998.

Austria's Aleksandar Dragovic in action for Austria at Euro 2016
Wales travel to Vienna for their second group match on 5th October and will be expecting a tough night against a side that hasn't lost a competitive match at home for four years.

Key Player: Marco Janko

Wales' Fixtures: October 6, 2016 (A) and September 2, 2017 (H)





Republic of Ireland

A keenly anticipated clash for Welsh fans, as the Irish side contains a number of familiar players.


Martin O'Neil's men qualified for Euro 2016 after a play-off against Bosnia but stuttered in France, winning just one match from four before losing to the hosts.

Wales haven't beaten Rep. of Ireland in their last six encounters - a run stretching back to 1992.

This will be Rep. of Ireland's first qualifying campaign not to feature record goalscorer Robbie Keane since Euro 2000.

Action Images / Paul HardingRep. of Ireland will have to cope without record goal scorer Robbie Keane after his retirement
Everton's Seamus Coleman is the current favourite to take the vacant captains armband.

Key Player: Shane Long

Wales' Fixtures: March 24, 2016 (A) and October 9, 2017 (H)




Serbia
A side that so often fails to live up to the sum of their parts. Serbia haven't qualified for a European Championship since becoming an independent football team in 2007.

A host of familiar names will line up for Serbia in the qualifying campaign including Chelsea's Nemanja Matic, Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov, and Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.



Travelling to Belgrade to play in front of a heated and passionate crowd will be one of the experiences of the campaign for Wales, and one that could be make or break for their goal of reaching Russia in 2018.

Chelsea's Nemanja Matic will be hoping to star for Serbia
Key Player: Nemanja Matic

Wales' Fixtures: November 12, 2016 (H) and June 11, 2017 (A)






Georgia

The bottom seeds in the group, but actually ranked more than 40 places higher than Moldova in the FIFA rankings.

Georgia have never made it to a major tournament but have beaten Wales in all three of their previous meetings.

Wales will take Georgia lightly at their peril, as Kakhaber Tskhadadze side defeated Spain 1-0 earlier this summer and defeated Scotland by the same score line last year.

Georgia defeated Scotland at home in Euro 2016 qualifying last year
A goal from Tornike Okriashvili against Spain was enough to give the minnows victory against a side containing a number of World Cup winners.

Key Player: Tornike Okriashvili

Wales' Fixtures: October 9, 2016 (H) and October 6, 2017 (A)

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Wales 1 Moldova 0 (Sam Vokes 38)

Wales 2 Moldova 0 (Joe Allen 44)

Excellent first half, well deserved 2-0 half-time