Planet Swans ArchivesWales moved five point clear at the top of their qualifying group after this fine victory in Azerbaijan and fuelled the belief amongst their fans that the summer of 2004 could be spent in Portugal watching their side on a major footballing stage.
After near misses and years in the wilderness Mark Hughes seems to have put together a team that could not only qualify but could compete on level terms with the best that Europe has to offer. After the ecstasy of the victory last month over Wales, there were some that viewed this game with caution but a professional, if depleted, Wales side came out 2-0 winners with goals from captain Gary Speed and Swansea-born John Hartson.
Remember it is not that long ago that Wales were losing to the likes of Moldova and Georgia so this result is put into perspective at how far we have proceeded. With Azerbaijan next on the menu at Cardiff in March, there is no reason why Wales should not have 12 points on the board from their opening half of the qualifying games. Group favourites at the start Italy are already restricted to a maximum of 19 points – this surely is going to be the turn of the Dragon?
I can’t wait for the next game to come around and what a finish we could be in for when we end with home games against Finland and Yugoslavia next September and October. Things are looking very rosy indeed!!
