Wales draw 1-1 with Switzerland in Euro 2020 opener; Kieffer Moore equalises after Breel Embolo opener; Rob Page is proud of his players and explains Dan James substitution; Gareth Bale, Danny Ward and Moore also give their verdicts of the game
Sunday 13 June 2021 12:18, UK
Gareth Bale hopes Wales' 1-1 draw with Switzerland in their Euro 2020 opener can be a boost while boss Rob Page is proud of their positive start in Group A.
Wales came from behind to draw 1-1 in their Group A opener, with Kieffer Moore's header cancelling out Breel Embolo's opener shortly after the break.
Switzerland thought they had won it in the 85th minute but Mario Gavranovic's strike was ruled out for offside as Wales secured a potentially vital point.
It was a performance that pleased Wales coach Page, whole told the BBC: "We wanted a positive start and it feels like a win in the changing room. I'm so proud of the players. They had to dig deep towards the end and we had a little bit of Lady Luck with the offside.
"But we wanted a positive performance and we certainly got that.
"Turkey are different opposition - we knew Switzerland were going to have a lot of the ball so we had to be solid. I thought we were in the first half. Xherdan Shaqiri was causing us a few problems with the centre-forward dropping in; we dealt with it but then the gaps started appearing and teams like Switzerland can exploit them.
"We became a little bit too stretched and conceded from a set-piece but with the pace and quality in our team, it made for an entertaining game.
"It's all about the focus now for Turkey. It'll be a tough test but we'll be nice and positive after this. It feels like a win and we've proved we can put our tin hats on as well as play."
In the aftermath of Moore's goal, Page made his first change of the game as Dan James made way for David Brooks, and the Manchester United forward did not look pleased at the decision.
Page explained: "No, [James] didn't look happy [at being taken off]. It's for the good of the team. There are three games in quick succession and he looked dead on his feet - because of the work he put in. DJ was disappointed but he's great in there now and it's all about the squad."
Wales captain Bale hopes Saturday's draw can give his side a launching pad for the upcoming fixtures as they look to match their heroics at Euro 2016.
He told the BBC: "It was a hard game. Both teams tried to play, it was the opening game so it was a little bit tense but I think it's not a bad result. We'll take the positives and go onto the next.
"We wanted to win the game. We had chances but so did they. It was a tight, tense game, both wanted to work hard for their teams.
"You go 1-0 down and you can really crumble but we showed grit and determination like we always do. We showed our class to keep play and fight for the goal back.
"We worked hard. It was difficult in this heat as well. I'm proud of the boys.
"You don't lose, so you keep going. We have to use this as a springboard now to the next game and it's about recovering now and going into the next."
Wales goalscorer Moore was subject to much discussion ahead of the tournament - his first European Championships - but proved worthy of his inclusion.
"It's a great feeling personally but I think it's a great start for us. We would have liked to have won but to take a draw from the first game to put us in a good position is everything for us," he told the BBC.
"For us to get a goal back and see the game out, it's a big positive. It was tough [the heat] but we've been here for a week or so; we're used to it.
"It was a big occasion and I've loved every second of it."
Speaking of Moore, Page added: "[Kieffer] has been terrific at international and club level. He poses a threat and not just because of his presence; he's got a great touch, his link-up play is very good and he's a willing runner. He thoroughly deserved his goal.
Goalkeeper Danny Ward replaced regular Wales No 1 Wayne Hennessey in goal and had an impressive performance with some vital saves.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: "I was happy that we got something out of the game, the desire we have is our foundation,"
"We've got another couple of tough games coming up but you don't want to start any tournament with a loss. Five years ago, we managed to get a win but it was just important today not to lose.
"If we looked after the ball a bit better maybe we wouldn't have had to run about as much but it is something to build on. We watched the Turkey game last night and we will work towards that now."
Wales are next in action on Wednesday when they take on Turkey, once again in Baku; kick-off 5pm. Switzerland will now travel to Rome to take on Italy, also on June 16; kick-off 8pm.
