Rhodri Evans

What VAR gives, it also takes away.

In the 13th minute of Wales’ second match of group D at the Women’s Euros, centre-half Gemma Evans played a perfectly weighted ball over the top of the French defence, setting Ceri Holland away, bearing down on goal.

The Liverpool forward’s attempted shoot was blocked but, in an act of pure instinct, Holland managed to flick the ball across the box to Jess Fishlock to score.

The Red Wall behind the far goal erupted in pure emotion, only for the now customary delayed offside flag to be raised by the assistant referee. After a nervy wait, the VAR confirmed what the naked eye had willed into existence: that Holland was not offside, that she was in fact onside by a foot, that Fishlock’s goal would stand, and that Wales had scored for the first time at a major tournament.

Fans and player alike were given a second chance to celebrate, and boy did they take it. Strangers hugged each other in the crowd and fell into song, while all the players ran to the bench to celebrate as one.

Only Rhian Wilkinson, manager and mastermind of the whole show, wrested herself away from the throng to hand out instructions to captain Angharad James.

It was a moment that the thousands of Wales fans, many of whom travelled to Switzerland for the week-long group stages with no expectations, had been dreaming of.

It may seem a little odd from the casual men’s international sports fan to read a triumphant report of a mere goal being scored – and in a 4-1 defeat at that.

The Welsh men’s international teams have punched above their weight throughout the 21st century, with numerous Six Nations Grand Slams in rugby and major tournament appearances now the norm in football.

For the Wales women’s national football team, this is a breakthrough moment. Their qualification to the Euros was a first, Fishlock’s goal was a first, even Lily Woodham’s 24th minute yellow card against the Netherlands in Lucerne was a first.

For the players, this was always going to be a tournament to remember. They are the history makers; they will go down as trailblazers and be remembered for ever. But for fans? They made it a trip for the ages. They cheered every goal kick, every throw-in, every tackle, and even every foul.

The organisation from the FAW and fan groups like Wal Goch Y Menywod, have seen red shirts dominate the small, sleepy towns of Lucerne and St Gallen, outnumbering both the Dutch and French fans in and out of the stadium.

Even against the hoards of white England shirts, Hannah Cain’s breakaway goal saw the loudest of cheer of the night come from the Wales end and, thankfully, silence the incessant Lionesses band.

The results on paper have been tough: a frustrating 3-0 opening clash with the Netherlands; a spirited but error-strewn night ending 4-1 against France; and a pure 6-1 thrashing by England.

But this is what fans had prepared themselves for. Wales were the lowest-ranked side (30th) at the Euros, drawn into a difficult group of two former European champions (England, 2022; Netherlands, 2017) and 2022 semi-finalists France.

They have also never beaten a nation in the top 20 of the FIFA rankings.

“The fans have been loving it, they have been superb this whole journey, they have been our 12th person,” captain Angharad James reflected.

“The fans have given us so many special moments with the noise they have created, there have been times when all we’ve seen and heard is that Red Wall, just a sea of red.

“Wales have been by far the best crowd that I’ve seen out in this Euros.”

Wales’ cap centurion Sophie Ingle revealed that after Wales defeat by the Netherlands, her former Chelsea team-mate, Wieke Kaptein, messaged her to say how moving she found the rendition of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau.

That is not to say that the gulf that has been exposed between Wales and the elite of European football will not be reflected on after this tournament.

Former Wales head coach and legendary footballer Jayne Ludlow, a pundit on ITV, called for more support to Welsh women’s football, to bridge the gap.

“Listening to Rhian, many people may think it’s refreshing to acknowledge mistakes were made, but I think she’s a head coach that’s crying out for support, not necessarily from the people around her but the wider football environment in Wales,” said Ludlow.

“They can’t compete at this level right now. There’s no messing about with that. We’ve lost three games, and we’ve lost them heavily. That doesn’t mean we can’t compete in the future.”

Prior to the Euros, the governing body issued a £1m fund towards improving Welsh facilities due to an ‘explosion’ of girls wanting to play football, according to Mooney.

He also says more than £20m has been invested through the Cymru Football Foundation over recent years – adding that the FAW has ‘revolutionised’ how it invests in the men’s and women’s game in Wales.

And given their Euros qualification, 2025 will see the women’s side receive more investment than Craig Bellamy’s men’s side.

“Over the last few years, we’ve multiplied our investment into the women’s game,” Mooney explained.

“This year, we’ll invest more in the women’s national team than the men’s national team. We’ll have got €1.8m (£1.5m) for participating in the Euros.”

The game that Wales are now playing is a long one. Football is now the largest participation sport among girls in Wales, with record investment and a 45% rise in the number of girls playing.

While the fruits of that grassroots investment that Mooney talks about will take years and maybe even decades to bare fruit, the immediate task for Wilkinson and her team is clear: keep earning experience at the highest level.

In domestic football, that can be a tricky proposition with several of Wales’ Women’s Super League players unable to command regular first team football.

For example, none of Wales’ Euro 2025 goalkeepers are currently playing regularly, despite being at Leicester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa.

“My players have to be playing,” Wilkinson said. “I had five players out of contract here at the Euros. It’s mind-blowing to me. Esther Morgan starts all of our games, plays and she doesn’t have a club. It drives me wild.

“I look at some of my players and it does frustrate me. So, I’ve got to try and find them opportunities abroad. Maybe I have to send them to North America, which is a tough challenge. But they have to be playing, firstly. That’s the basic.”

Wales and Wilkinson will strive to continue getting the basics right. If they are to live the reality of competing with the best that European football has to offer, then the hard work starts now.

Sportin Wales’s coverage of Wales’s World Cup qualifying campaign is proudly sponsored by S4C. You can watch all of Wales’s matches this year for free on S4C and S4C Clic.

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