World Cup 2006 Qualifying/ Azerbaijan 1; Wales 1: Azerbaijan, world-ranked at 116 and thus 59 spots below Wales in FIFA's ratings, will provide a searching test when England visit next month on the evidence of this encounter in Baku which so nearly ended in a famous win for the hosts.
Slovakia, Switzerland and Serbia-Montenegro have all fallen victim to Azerbaijan in the past. The Wales manager, Mark Hughes, will know his Dragons could easily have joined the list if the Brazilian World Cup winner Carlos Alberto's charges had made frantic late pressure count.
Rashad Sadikhov's swerving free kick on 56 minutes had cancelled out an intricately constructed goal from the Welsh captain, Gary Speed, eight minutes earlier.
The Wales substitute Robert Earnshaw almost scored in the dying moments, but defeat would have been rough justice on the hosts. Antoliy Ponomarov (twice) and Gurna Gurbanov, Azerbaijan's player of the year and all-time top scorer, might easily have snatched victory.
It should at least be cooler for Sven-Goran Eriksson's men than Saturday, when temperatures touched 40C. But Hughes had a warning for the Swede and said: "It's always difficult when you come here. The Azeri side has improved immeasurably under Carlos Alberto. I don't think England will find it easy out here. His team have put a fine unbeaten sequence together." In the absence of the suspended Ryan Giggs, Wales's first-half distribution was dire. "We just didn't create the correct angles for passes," said Hughes. "Our passing, particularly before the interval, was very predictable, even if it did improve after half-time.
"When Gary Speed scored I thought we would go on and win the match. Azerbaijan seemed on the back foot but their equalising score really picked them up. The Azeri goal arrived through our defensive mistake - it was a combination of things. Now we have to beat Northern Ireland. I will get my team back on track."
Wales, though, are unbeaten in six internationals and have conceded just three goals in more than 720 minutes of football.
Guardian Service
AZERBAIJAN: Kramarenko; Sadikhov, Hajiyev, Agaev, Shukurov, Makhmud Gurbanov, Huseynov (Agil Mamedov 72), Ponomarev (Ilgar Gurbanov 84), Gurban Gurbanov, Aliyev (Nabiev 70), Kasimov. Subs not used: Mekhtiev, Sultanov, Amirbekov, Tagizade. Booked: Hajiyev, Aliyev.
WALES: Jones; Delaney, Melville, Page, Gabbidon, Koumas (Earnshaw 88), Savage, Speed, Pembridge (Oster 45), Bellamy, Hartson. Subs not used: Collins, Crossley, Roberts, Johnson, Taylor. Booked: Delaney.
Referee: Edo Trivkovic (Croatia).
