Bale’s penalty secures first Wales point at a World Cup for 64 years
USA 1 Wales 1
GARETH Bale proved Wales’ saviour as their first match at a World Cup for 64 years ended in a 1-1 draw against the United States.
Timothy Weah put the Americans ahead with a clinical strike in the 36th minute of a first half which they dominated.
Wales seemed to have no answers until the half-time introduction of Kieffer Moore. But time was fast running out when Bale equalised eight minutes from the end, converting his 41st Wales goal from the penalty spot after Tim Ream went right through the back of him.
It was Wales’ first goal at a World Cup since Terry Medwin scored against Hungary in 1958 and keep them very much in the race for a last-16 place. Iran, beaten 6-2 by England earlier in the day, will be their next opponents on Friday.
Wales’ last game at a World Cup was on June 19, 1958 when a 17-year-old Pele secured a 1-0 quarter-final victory for Brazil.
With so many cruel qualification near-misses since then, Wales supporters, of whom about 3,000 were present at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Doha, wondered whether they would ever see their country play at a World Cup.
There were shades of Bordeaux at Euro 2016 when Ben Davies made a dramatic goal-line clearance in the opening minutes against Slovakia. This time the Wales goal had a double escape in the ninth minute as Joe Rodon headed Weah’s cross from pointblank range towards his own goal. The ball hit a startled Wayne Hennessey and, after the Americans had won back possession, Josh Sargent headed Antonee Robinson’s cross against the outside of a post.
Ampadu tried his luck from 25 yards, but it was off-target and the United States probed relentlessly before breaking the deadlock.
Christian Pulisic scampered free towards the heart of the Wales defence and timed his pass perfectly.
Weah finished in a clinical fashion with the outside of the foot, and his father George, a former FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or winner, would have approved.