“It is a difficult one to take,” said Davies. “We put everything into the game but in the end it wasn’t to be. It was a good performance but in the end the result is the most important thing and that went against us tonight. There was not much between us. It is an emotional one right now.”
James, the Leeds United winger, did not deserve to be the pivotal figure on the night. Throughout extra time he had scrapped and defended in an unfamiliar role, putting his body on the line as a full-back after Connor Roberts had limped off. But shootouts are football’s most merciless exercise, and this moment will now weigh on James for weeks to come.
“We rallied around Daniel James, he had the bravery to take that penalty,” said Page. “I am so proud of that.”
Over the course of the night, this was an occasion that showcased the best and worst of the current Wales team. Their defensive organisation and spirit was enormously impressive, as Chris Mepham, Joe Rodon and Davies totally eradicated the threat of the great Robert Lewandowski. Ethan Ampadu and Jordan James never stopped running and fighting in midfield.
At the other end of the field, however, a lack of attacking precision and class was once again a problem. A long-term issue for Wales has been an inability to play through teams, with Page instead building a side that either plays in front of the opposition or attempts to run in behind them. Almost all of their chances came from set pieces or crosses, with Moore going closest to finding a winning goal.
As the match progressed, Poland took control despite the formidable atmosphere that had been created here. The Wales home support never holds back during the national anthem but, even by their usual high standards, it had been a pre-match rendition that rattled the bones and stirred the soul.
These are the occasions that have generally brought the best out of Wales in recent years, although the excitement soon turned to anxiety in the stands. Before long, that apprehension had become the central feature of the entire occasion. Everywhere you looked, in the stands and on the pitch, nervousness ruled.
Never more so than during the shootout, at the moment of truth. Poland, led by Lewandowski, were deadly with their efforts. Wales, simply, were not. That is football. That is the brutality of penalties.
