Stalemate marks Giggs farewell
Giggs departs to a standing ovation
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Saturday, 02, Jun 2007 06:27
Wales drew their Euro 2008 qualifier 0-0 against the Czech Republic as winger Ryan Giggs bowed out of international football.
The Manchester United star was afforded a standing ovation from the Millennium Stadium crowd, but his excellent final performance was not enough to steal victory over a laboured Czech side.
It was the hosts who were quicker out of the blocks and Giggs was to the fore in creating a couple of early openings.
Some good work down the left from the 33-year-old culminated in a precise cross which Simon Davies failed to do justice to as he lumped his volley well wide.
A subsequent attempt to play in Craig Bellamy was well-read by David Rozehnal and the Czech side gradually began to force their opponents into retreat as they started to dominate possession.
However for their time on the ball, the Czechs offered little penetration and West Brom's Jason Koumas came closest to conjuring a goal with a curling free-kick against the post five minutes after the break.
Giggs then offered Wales fans a typically-dashing attacking flourish to remember him by as a dazzling run defeated four white-shirted before Petr Cech tipped away a well-struck drive.
Marek Kulic and Davies had a chance apiece at either end, but the final minute belonged to Giggs as he was withdrawn to a rapturous send-off.