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The only international experience of the Swansea winger was a 56-minute overtime in the friendly defeat against Albania in November, but it only took five minutes to make an impact when it came to overtime. he sent Wales back to Cardiff City Stadium.
James gained a growing reputation in the championship this season and he stole right-back Peter Slarskian over Slovakia before beating Newcastle goaltender Martin Dubravka.
The last meeting between the two nations saw Wales win a moving match at Euro 2016 in Bordeaux to qualify for the semi-finals in France.
But it was the present and the future, when Wales manager Ryan Giggs appointed a new team of seven players with fewer than 10 caps, which convinced him of Welsh talent. emerging.
Everything changes for Wales
Gareth Bale took the captaincy in Wales while veteran defender Ashley Williams was replaced by James Lawrence, who spent four years in Slovak football before settling in Anderlecht, made his first start in competition .
Giggs said his team was different than the one that beat Trinidad and Tobago Wednesday in a friendly match against Wrexham, while Slovakia started with the same team that beat Hungary 2-0 at its first match of the championship of Europe less than 72 hours earlier in Trnava.
Wales had a dream come true when Harry Wilson and David Brooks launched a fast raid on Slovak territory.
The shot seemed to have been broken, but Pekarik hesitated and James grabbed it to grab the ball back and beat Dubravka, surprised, from a low shot.
Wales continued to support and Bale caused panic with a center that Slovakia almost cleared inside its penalty area, before Brooks hit the side net before making a nice vertical effort. .
Wales should have had two cushions when James's pace was too much for Pekarik, but Wilson lost the advantage.
James gave himself up to a huge ovation as Williams embarked and Wales reorganized into a central defense of three men for the last 20 minutes of what had become a more and more anguished occasion.
Hennessey had to make a good save for substitute Michal Duris and Pekarik headed for the side net for Wales to celebrate his victorious start.
Wales 1-0 Slovakia – Statistics Opta
- Wales have now won their opening match in their last three major tournament qualifiers.
- Slovakia has not won its last seven away matches in all competitions (D1 L6) since a 2-1 victory in Lithuania in June 2017.
- Wales have won consecutive games in all competitions for the first time in a series of three in October 2017 under Chris Coleman.
- Daniel James scored just five minutes from his competitive debut for Wales. This was the first goal of the Dragons in a competitive match since March 2007 (Ryan Giggs against San Marino, three minutes).
- Gareth Bale has had six shots in this game – his biggest number without finding the goal in a home game for Wales since October 2014 (10 against Cyprus).
- Ashley Williams played in his 85th game for Wales. Only Chris Gunter (94) and Neville Southall (92) have played more games with the Dragons.
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