COMMENT: All hopes are on Gareth Bale (From South Wales Argus)

COMMENT: All hopes are on Gareth Bale

3:50pm Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News By Kevin Ward - Editor

THE WELSH football team was the subject of this column on Friday and victory followed, so we are not tempting fate by writing about anything else today.

Are Wales embarking on a mission impossible in Croatia tonight, or can the inspirational Gareth Bale put the national team back on the road to Rio?

We should know by about 9pm.

Friday night’s breathtaking victory against Scotland, settled by a wonder goal from Bale, means Wales have a slim chance of qualification for the World Cup finals in Brazil in 2014.

A win against Croatia would put Wales right back into the mix in a qualification group that is proving to be surprisingly open.

A draw would not be the end of the world, but a third defeat in four qualifying games would certainly put an end to Welsh hopes of making the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1958.

Judging by his performance against Scotland, almost all Welsh hope rests with Bale. Manager Chris Coleman was under huge pressure after failing to win a match since he took over from the tragic Gary Speed.

Now he has a victory under his belt and his reaction to Bale’s winning goal on Friday proved what it meant to him.

Defeat tonight will again lead to questions being asked about Coleman’s future.