Coleman: You can sense the disappointment
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Wales manager Chris Coleman said his players could not disguise their disappointment after squandering a chance to qualify for UEFA EURO 2016 in a goalless draw with Israel.
Victory at the Cardiff City Stadium would have taken Wales to a first major tournament since the 1958 FIFA World Cup™, but despite dominating, they were repeatedly thwarted by Israel goalkeeper Ofir Marciano. Wales require only two points from their final two games, away to Bosnia and Herzegovina and at home to minnows Andorra, but while they remain masters of their own fate, Coleman had been banking on a different outcome.
"You can sense a bit of disappointment on their faces," the former Wales centre-back said, whose side won 1-0 in Cyprus on Thursday.
"We've all been thinking about it -- celebrating after the game with the Welsh public. They're waiting for us. We'll all have a little thought of that, as much as we try to keep focused on the game, and then it doesn't happen, so you can sense a bit of frustration and disappointment.
"But I told them, that's four points in two games, so we do the same again, the next two games, it's all over. But I take that as a positive. They expected to win today."
With Israel adopting an unfamiliar five-man defence and packing men behind the ball, Wales were allowed to control possession, but when they did pierce the visitors' defence, they found Marciano in their way.
"You can sense a bit of disappointment on their faces. We've all been thinking about it -- celebrating after the game with the Welsh public."
Wales manager Chris Coleman
Israel are vying with Cyprus and Bosnia for a play-off place in Group B and Guttman hopes Wales will do his side a favour when they tackle the Bosnians in Zenica on 10 October.
"Everything, I believe, depends on the next game," Guttman said, whose side face Cyprus in Jerusalem the same evening. "I believe Wales are strong enough to bring one point from Bosnia and we need to make our job."
Coleman, meanwhile, said that his team, who would have climbed to fourth place in the FIFA ranking with victory, must get used to opposition teams trying to stop them playing.
"The next stage for us is trying to cope with teams that do that - come to Cardiff and sit back, sit deep," he said. "We're not used to that. We're used to being the ones that do that to other teams. So it's a big compliment to us."