The Welsh women’s team play the second leg of the play-off semi-final against Albania on Tuesday, with a 1-0 lead from the first leg. The match takes place in Llanelli, at the Parc y Scarlets stadium, starting at 19:15 British time. Wales are chasing a place at the upcoming World Cup.
Captain Angharad James, 32, a midfielder for Seattle Reign with 146 caps, revealed that on the first day of preparation the squad had a meeting where they learned about the history of the play-off. Wales have only reached the play-off stage of a major tournament for the third time in the history of the women’s team.
James is one of only five players who started the decisive match in Dublin 22 months ago, and is now in contention to start against Albania. Another member of the current Welsh squad who featured in those key matches is Gemma Evans.
Following a disjointed performance in Shkodër on Friday, the first task is to get past Albania, whom Wales beat twice in the group stage of these qualifiers. If they succeed, a final play-off is expected in early December, likely against Norway, who are ranked 14th in the world. Norway play their second leg at home on Tuesday evening, after winning 2-0 away in the first leg.
Even if Wales progress to a potential final against Norway, they may still have to play a continental play-off in February before a place at the World Cup is secured. James believes the qualifying process should be simplified. For now, the focus is on Albania, and on starting from zero despite the lead from the first leg.
