Luggage arrived late, the escort from the airport got lost and some of the lights went out in the stadium – “shenanigans” was one of the words that Chris Coleman used to describe the strange goings-on in international football – but nothing could derail Wales on an evening when Gareth Bale reminded everyone why he is one of the most devastating attacking players in the world.
Playing as if affronted by the notion that his confidence has taken a battering at Real Madrid, Bale looked liberated in a Wales shirt as he scored twice to take his tally of international goals to 16, one more than the great John Charles, and propel his country to the top of qualifying Group B.
Dominant throughout against an Israel side that had won their opening three qualification matches, this was a victory that provided a measure of not only how far Wales have come under Coleman but also where they are hell-bent on being come June next year.
Bale, with six goals in his last six internationals, is their driving force. So influential on the pitch, without as well as with the ball, he gives the impression that he feels personally responsible for qualification for the European Championship finals in France. Bale now has four goals and two assists in this qualification campaign and Wales could be forgiven for thinking anything is possible whenever he sets foot on a pitch.
Israel were powerless to stop him. After flicking the ball on for Aaron Ramsey to head Wales in front, Bale doubled their lead with an exquisite free-kick and then dovetailed beautifully with the Arsenal midfielder to sweep home a third.
By that stage Israel were down to 10 men after Eitan Tibi, who will have nightmares about this game, picked up two yellow cards in three minutes for fouls on Bale.
Whether any of what happened in Haifa resonated with the sceptics in Spain remains to be seen, but Bale will not lose a minute’s sleep worrying about what people are saying or writing about his contribution for Real Madrid in recent weeks. “I don’t need to answer the critics,” he said. “I know, and everyone around me knows, what I can do. There are ups and downs in football, you have to take it with a pinch of salt and all you can do is respond with your performances on the pitch, like that. I don’t feel I need to prove anyone wrong or right, I just need to play my football. I love playing for Wales, it’s a big honour and the most important thing is I focus on my football, I don’t listen to anyone else, what they’re saying, just enjoy my football with the boys.”
The Wales camp is a picture of happiness at the moment. So much so that Coleman and his players refused to be rattled by what took place in the lead up. “As a player I remember going to places, you know the shenanigans, the game-playing starts,” the Wales manager said.
“We arrived [in Israel] on Thursday and the journey from the airport is 45 minutes, it took us an hour and 55 minutes because our escort ‘missed the turn off’. And then our bags arrived three or four hours later. So the games were starting to be played but we said: ‘Laugh about it’.
“As a player we used to get angry about it and you walked on the pitch and you wanted to tear someone in half. Someone gets sent off, you’re 2-0 down after 20 minutes and it’s all over. So we just said: ‘Keep calm, we’ve worked hard to get here, let’s not do anything stupid’.”
The challenge for Wales is to maintain that level of focus in the final five games. They take on Belgium in Cardiff in June, on what promises to be a terrific occasion, with further games to come against Cyprus away and Israel at home in September, followed by Bosnia away and Andorra at home in October. Qualification is in their hands and a nation expects. “This side has been called the golden generation and now they have the chance to do something very special,” Coleman said.
