Cymru’ hopes of automatically qualifying for Euro 2024 next summer took a hit as they suffered a second consecutive group defeat, this time against Turkey. The Welsh team lost 2-0 in Samsun, following their disappointing performance against Armenia, where they were defeated 4-2 in Cardiff.
With four games played in their eight-match campaign, Cymru find themselves five points behind group leaders Turkey and two points adrift of Armenia, who still have a game in hand. Croatia, the group favorites, are level on points with Cymru but have played two fewer games.
Despite their recent setbacks, Cymru manager Rob Page remains optimistic about their chances of securing one of the automatic qualifying spots in Group D. He said, “Absolutely (I believe that). To do it, we need to get both sides of the game bang on and do it really well if we are to be successful. It’s been a frustrating camp, but there have been so many lessons to learn from it. We will address it. We go into every game to win it. It just means it’s really important we get wins at home and get as many points from them.”
Cymru faced an uphill battle in their match against Turkey after midfielder Joe Morrell received a red card in the 41st minute for a high tackle on Ferdi Kadioglu. This was the second red card for Cymru in two consecutive games, with Kieffer Moore being dismissed against Armenia.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Cymru put up a strong defensive performance and goalkeeper Danny Ward saved a penalty from Hakan Calhanoglu in the 64th minute, after Aaron Ramsey was deemed to have handled Kadioglu’s cross. However, Turkey’s pressure eventually paid off, with Umut Nayir and Arda Guler scoring in the final 18 minutes to secure a victory.
Reflecting on the match, Page commented, “Whenever you come to Turkey away, you know it’s a tough test. Having said that, before the sending off, I thought we matched them, and I was really pleased with the performance defensively, which we obviously addressed off the back of Friday’s result. With the ball, I thought we got Aaron and others in great positions up the pitch, and we were brave to play through them.”
Page acknowledged the impact of Morrell’s red card, stating, “Up until the 70th minute, I thought we defended our box really well, only one cross into our own box, and it cost us, that first goal. He (Morrell) is not intentionally doing it. He’s got his eye on the ball, but when you put your foot that high, you run the risk of getting a red card. He knows it. There’s nobody more disappointed than Joe in the changing room.”
On the other side, Turkey manager Stefan Kuntz expressed relief at securing the victory, especially after having two goals disallowed by VAR. He said, “I might need to wait next time until I cheer. It’s been a difficult time for us and for the fans, and in the second half, we needed to be calmer. We tried to manage the game in the second half, and the fans were very helpful.”
Despite the setback, Cymru still have a chance to qualify for Euro 2024 through the playoffs based on their Nations League ranking. However, their focus remains on securing one of the two automatic qualifying spots in their group, and they will need to produce strong performances in their remaining fixtures to achieve that goal.
