Yahoo Finance Coleman: You Work Hard And Dream Of Such Nights
Chris Coleman was almost lost for words as Wales produced the greatest performance in their history to reach the semi-finals at Euro 2016.
Trailing to Radja Nainggolan's sensational early strike, Wales sealed their passage to a first major tournament semi-final emphatically thanks to goals from Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes.
A semi-final tie with Portugal is all that stands between Wales and a place in the Euro 2016 final and, speaking at his post-match press conference, Coleman was left to come to terms with the magnitude of his side's performance.
"You dream about nights like this and you're not sure whether you'll be good or lucky enough to be involved with an experience like that," he said.
"If you are lucky enough to be involved in it, it's indescribable. Four years ago we were as far away from where we are now as we could be.
"It's a great example by everybody - my staff and my players - that if you believe, work hard enough and have talent, of course, you can find yourself in an incredible position.
"It's extremely pleasing and we're enjoying every minute of it."
An early onslaught from Belgium's star-studded squad - the highest-ranked side in the tournament - handed Marc Wilmots' side a deserved 13th-minute lead at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Few if any would have backed Wales to recover but recover they did, scoring three unanswered goals as Belgium's golden generation failed at a major tournament once again.
"Once they scored it was as though our worst fears had happened so we then got on with the game and our game plan," Coleman added. "That was what we did.
"Immediately after they scored we bossed the first half, we were the better team. We dictated possession, they couldn't work out our rotations and we looked really good in possession.
"Not many teams can do that against Belgium, who are an excellent team with the ball themselves.
"They looked for the winner in the second half but, when we countered them, we put them on the back foot and there were long periods of the game where we were in control."
The one sour note on an otherwise jubilant night for the Welsh saw Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies pick up yellow cards, and subsequently suspensions, for the last-four tie with Portugal in Lyon.
"I'm absolutely gutted for Aaron because he's been outstanding at this tournament - one of the best players at this tournament," Coleman said. "He is obviously gutted.
"We said before the game tonight that one or two of the players were yellow cards, but we needed to do what we needed to do to get through. If you have to take one for the team then so be it.
"Aaron and Ben Davies have done that and it's really disappointing for both players because they deserve as much as anybody to play in the semi-final, they've both been outstanding."
