Featured Image Credit: Sky News
Topics: UK News, World Cup, Sport, Football, TV and Film
Tom Wood
A news reporter didn’t have the proudest moment of his professional career when interviewing some dejected Wales fans after their match at the FIFA World Cup this morning. You can see the moment he wished he’d picked a different assignment in the video below.
The first thing to remember – because it will become important at some point – is that Wales were beaten this morning by Iran in their second Group B game in Qatar.
Sorry, Cymru fans - it must still be a tough one.
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After goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off for a rash challenge, Iran scored in the seemingly never-ending stoppage time at the end of the game, before adding a second on the break as Wales threw everything towards an equaliser.
The result leaves Wales needing to beat England next week in order to have a chance of extending their stay at their first world cup since 1958.
Anyway, that’s not what we’re here to discuss.
As the fans were streaming out of the stadium, a reporter for Sky News was on hand to attempt to get some reaction from the despondent fans.
Here’s why that preamble was important.
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Approaching the first Wales supporter, the reporter said: “You’re live on Sky News, your reaction to the win?”
Uh-oh.
With a withering look, the fan simply said: “We lost.”
So, not off to a great start, then?
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Things were set to get worse, too.
He tried to salvage things by asking the first fan ‘reaction to the loss?’ but he wasn’t having it and walked away.
The reporter – who must have wished he could have gone to a different event at this point – then turned to another fan and asked him for his reaction to the loss.
That fan quickly hit back: “Err….sh**?”
Not exactly what you need to hear when you’re making a live broadcast in the middle of the day.
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“Apologies for the language,” the reported rescued.
Still, it’s a hard ask to go and confront fans after their country has just been beaten and is facing the prospect of being eliminated at the first hurdle after waiting 64 years for a World Cup finals appearance.
Now, the equation is clear.
England face USA tonight, and can qualify for the knockout stages in all but mathematical certainty with a win.
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Iran are back in the group, with three valuable points now on the board.
The USA have one point, so a win over England or Iran will likely be enough for them as well.
For Wales, only victory over their old enemies England next Tuesday night will do.
It’s the last chance saloon, and after the last wait, who knows when they might be back at the big show again?