The young midfielder James nets the Welsh team to vital World Cup qualifying victory against Liechtenstein.
The Welsh side earned a tight 1-0 victory over international minnows Liechtenstein to maintain their chances of World Cup finals qualifying.
Jordan James notched his first international strike for the national team from close range after Liechtenstein’s assorted collection of professionals, office workers and part-timers had resisted for over an hour. James ran off in joy with his visible excitement shared by the 3,000 Wales followers occupying most sections of the venue in the capital.
Shortly after, yet, Jordan James was booked and a further yellow for Ethan Ampadu means both midfielders are ruled out for Tuesday’s decisive game with North Macedonia due to disciplinary issues.
The Wales' ground fixture is a encounter the Welsh team need to win to leapfrog North Macedonia and secure a more favourable position in the qualifying playoffs in next spring.
Bellamy had an unusual vantage point from the stands, Bellamy completing a sideline suspension after picking up a additional booking in the qualifiers last month.
Bellamy’s assistant Piet Cremers took his place in the technical area and four of Wales’s starters – Jordan James, Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams – were one caution from from being absent for the final qualifier. Both James and Ampadu received cautions in incidents that could really hurt Wales.
Liechtenstein, placed among the lowest-ranked in global rankings, had not scored in their six qualifying defeats and let in twenty-three goals at an rate of around four per match.
Wales predictably dominated possession as Liechtenstein adopted a deep defensive line and packed their defence.
Liechtenstein's net was rarely tested until the forward's pressing forced an error and Jordan James saw his attempt from the penalty area pushed aside by the goalkeeper.
A similar move worked the next opening, James picking out his teammate now with a precise delivery over the top.
Broadhead’s fine touch took him past Büchel but the forward could not convert from a difficult angle.
The Welsh team felt they broken the deadlock after the opening period when Jordan James nodded a deep Sorba Thomas set-piece back into a congested goal area.
The Liechtenstein keeper was under pressure by Dylan Lawlor and Rodon, and his poor clearance fell to Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Wales' celebrations were curtailed when the match official was directed to the pitchside monitor and ruled that one or more of the Welsh central defenders was in an offside from James’s header.
The visitors stepped up a gear after the interval and Sorba Thomas sent in a ball to the back post which James rattled against the woodwork.
Williams then directed his header off target from inside the penalty box as it started to seem like one of those nights for the Welsh side.
However, with the game having ticked into its second half, Neco Williams executed a intelligent assist for his teammate to run past the home defence.
James cut out the goalkeeper with a delightful ball along the six-yard box, and his namesake Jordan James had the easy task of relieving Wales' tension.