"In between preparing to play on an artificial surface at the Astana Arena, there is a balance between maximising precious time on the pitches and prioritising recovery. Wales took an eight-hour direct flight from Cardiff to Astana, avoiding Ukrainian airspace, and their only real training session as a full squad will be 24 hours before kick-off. Player bodyclocks will be programmed to a two-hour not four-hour time difference."
"His odyssey, inspired by the BBC's Race Across the World, began five weeks ago when he left home in Barry, south Wales. Since 29 July he has been travelling from Cymru to Kazakhstan, the world's ninth-largest country by land area and the largest to be landlocked, documenting his journey in a series of YouTube videos. The 26-year-old has covered about 5,000km."
"He paid a fixer to source a ticket and soon found himself immersed with the locals in a park over the road from the stadium. Three hours before kick-off, there's crazy pyrotechnics going off, he says. Belgrade brought three appetising games, while the 1.35 entry to a second-tier game in Almaty, close to the Chinese border and further east than Islamabad and Mumbai, also warrants a mention. I'll watch anything my bread and butter is going to Barry Town in the Cymru Premier League."
Wales must prepare for a World Cup qualifying match in Astana on artificial turf while balancing limited pitch time with recovery. The squad took an eight-hour direct flight from Cardiff to Astana, avoiding Ukrainian airspace, and will have one full-squad training session 24 hours before kick-off. Player bodyclocks are being set to a two-hour time difference rather than four. More than 1,100 Wales supporters will attend the fixture. One devoted fan, 26-year-old John McAllister from Barry, has travelled about 5,000km since 29 July, attended 12 matches and documented the journey on YouTube.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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