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There was something not quite right about Wales when they faced Denmark in the Round of 16 of Euro 2020 on Saturday afternoon.
The Dragons made a bright start to the game and were largely in control for the first quarter of an hour. However, they quickly fell apart when the Danes took the lead against the run of play.
For a team that boasts the likes of Gareth Bale, Daniel James, Joe Allan and Aaron Ramsey, Wales were expected to pick themselves up from the setback.
However, they continued to wither as the game wore on and never quite recovered, allowing their opponents to seal an emphatic 4-0 win.
Wales capitulate against Denmark
The scoreline looks harsh, considering how well Wales played in the early exchanges. However, the Dragons can only blame themselves for capitulating.
At 1-0, Rob Page’s side had a good chance of getting themselves back into the game. But they blew it away when a defensive blunder allowed Denmark to rise to a 2-0 lead just minutes into the second half.
At this point, the game was far beyond their reach. And, in truth, Wales never quite managed to recover from the shock of conceding an early goal against a team they were dominating.
The Dragons did very well to qualify out of their group, but in the knockout round, character counts as much as the quality in the team. Unfortunately, though, Wales lacked the former.
Dragons taught a hard lesson in football
Defeat is always a bitter pill to swallow, but it also presents the perfect opportunity to learn. Both Page and the majority of his players lacked experience in the tournament.
They also lacked unity – an attribute that Denmark has in abundance. In the end, Wales were taught a football lesson, and they can only learn from it.
Individual players, no matter how good they are, can’t take a team far. On the other hand, a collective effort is the main ingredient to a successful team.
"Tough one to take. I don't think the players deserved to leave the competition with that competition and how it ended up,” Page said after the game, as quoted by Wales Online.
"I want to focus on the players. Overall in the tournament I thought the boys have been excellent and to even get to where we're at is a big achievement with the players that we've got, not playing domestic football week in week out. I'm proud of them for that."
Wales still have a lot of potential, but they just weren’t up to the task against Denmark, and the better team won. But there are lessons to be learned, and, hopefully, Page and his charges learn from their shortcomings.
