USA 1-1 Wales: Gareth Bale penalty salvages draw in World Cup opener

2 years ago 55
Gareth Bale scores from the punishment  spot   to level   for WalesGareth Bale's precocious punishment was his 41st extremity for Wales

Gareth Bale rode to Wales' rescue erstwhile again arsenic the captain's precocious punishment salvaged a gully against the United States successful his country's archetypal World Cup crippled for 64 years.

Wales were listless and overrun successful a archetypal fractional dominated by a vibrant USA team, who led arsenic Tim Weah finished smartly aft a surging tally and walk by Christian Pulisic.

The half-time instauration of striker Kieffer Moore revitalised Wales, whose newfound vigor and intent turned a one-sided matter into a genuine contention arsenic Ben Davies and Moore some came adjacent to equalising.

Then with 9 minutes left, the hitherto anonymous Bale was clattered successful the container by Tim Ream earlier confidently whipping his punishment into the nett to nonstop the travelling Welsh supporters down that extremity into raptures.

Wales finished the crippled strongly, buoyed to person secured a constituent connected their long-awaited World Cup instrumentality erstwhile they had appeared to beryllium heading for a decision which would person near them staring astatine an aboriginal exit from the competition.

Instead, Robert Page's men volition instrumentality to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium connected Friday to look Iran - thrashed 6-2 by England earlier connected Monday - knowing that triumph would springiness them a accidental of progressing to the 2nd round.

Wales reason the radical signifier against England a week Tuesday but thoughts of that crippled tin hold arsenic they savour this fightback and the bully it volition bash for their hopes of extending their World Cup adventure.

Wales marque their long-awaited instrumentality

This was a seismic infinitesimal for Wales, not lone successful a footballing consciousness but successful a broader humanities discourse for a federation which has ne'er enjoyed the planetary attraction that comes with a modern-day World Cup.

Tim Weah slots past   Wayne Hennessey to springiness  the US the leadTim Weah slots past Wayne Hennessey to springiness the US the lead

No state had waited arsenic agelong betwixt a archetypal and 2nd quality astatine the tourney arsenic Wales had done with their 64-year absence, a barren spell littered with achy tales of adjacent misses.

But Wales are present successful the midst of a aureate era, ending their 58-year hold for a large tourney by qualifying for Euro 2016 - wherever they reached a historical archetypal semi-final - and backing that up by reaching the 2nd circular of Euro 2020.

World Cup qualification continued to beryllium elusive until Wales overcame Ukraine successful their play-off last successful June. After that infinitesimal of catharsis successful the pouring Cardiff rain, this crippled successful Qatar was their instrumentality to football's grandest signifier successful the adust vigor of the desert.

However, Wales' first-half show failed to lucifer the magnitude of the occasion.

They were dilatory to settee and severely disjointed against their dynamic opponents, who seized the inaugural successful a archetypal fractional which should person brought them much than 1 goal.

Ben Davies goes adjacent  with a headerBen Davies went adjacent with a header which was tipped implicit the barroom by Matt Turner

The States' archetypal accidental came successful the ninth infinitesimal erstwhile Weah's almighty transverse from the close was headed towards his ain extremity by Joe Rodon but, fortunately for the Wales centre-back, it deed his goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. That was not the extremity of the information though as, seconds later, Josh Sargent glanced a close-range header against the post.

Midfield seemed to beryllium the country of top interest for Wales, who amazingly dropped striker Moore and started with Fulham playmaker Harry Wilson alongside the likewise attack-minded Aaron Ramsey successful beforehand of Ethan Ampadu, tasked with protecting the backmost three.

The thought seemed to beryllium to lucifer the USA's awesome mediate 3 of Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Tyler Adams - but it did not enactment arsenic the disconnect betwixt Wales' antiaircraft and attacking players saw them outmanoeuvred successful this cardinal battleground.

That was wide arsenic the USA took the pb arsenic Pulisic drove past his opponents and threaded a good done shot to Weah, who clipped the shot beyond the onrushing Hennessey with the extracurricular of his close boot.

As Wales near the tract astatine half-time, the lone consolation they could instrumentality from specified an abject show was the information that they were not further behind.

More to follow.

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USA

  1. Squad number1Player nameTurner

  2. Squad number2Player nameDest

  3. Squad number3Player nameZimmerman

  4. Squad number13Player nameReam

  5. Squad number5Player nameRobinson

  6. Squad number8Player nameMcKennie

  7. Squad number4Player nameAdams

  8. Squad number6Player nameMusah

  9. Squad number21Player nameWeah

  10. Squad number24Player nameSargent

  11. Squad number10Player namePulisic

  1. Squad number11Player nameAaronson

  2. Squad number16Player nameMorris

  3. Squad number19Player nameWright

  4. Squad number22Player nameYedlin

  5. Squad number23Player nameAcosta

Wales

  1. Squad number1Player nameHennessey

  2. Squad number5Player nameMepham

  3. Squad number6Player nameRodon

  4. Squad number4Player nameDavies

  5. Squad number14Player nameRoberts

  6. Squad number10Player nameRamsey

  7. Squad number15Player nameAmpadu

  8. Squad number8Player nameWilson

  9. Squad number3Player nameN Williams

  10. Squad number11Player nameBale

  11. Squad number20Player nameJames

  1. Squad number9Player nameJohnson

  2. Squad number13Player nameMoore

  3. Squad number16Player nameMorrell

  4. Squad number22Player nameThomas

Line-ups

USA

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Turner
  • 2DestBooked astatine 11minsSubstituted forYedlinat 74'minutes
  • 3Zimmerman
  • 13ReamBooked astatine 51mins
  • 5Robinson
  • 8McKennieBooked astatine 13minsSubstituted forAaronsonat 66'minutes
  • 4Adams
  • 6MusahSubstituted forAcostaat 75'minutesBooked astatine 90mins
  • 21WeahSubstituted forMorrisat 88'minutes
  • 24SargentSubstituted forWrightat 74'minutes
  • 10Pulisic

Substitutes

  • 7Reyna
  • 9Ferreira
  • 11Aaronson
  • 12Horvath
  • 14de la Torre
  • 15Long
  • 16Morris
  • 17Roldán
  • 18Moore
  • 19Wright
  • 20Carter-Vickers
  • 22Yedlin
  • 23Acosta
  • 25Johnson
  • 26Scally

Wales

Formation 3-5-2

  • 1Hennessey
  • 5MephamBooked astatine 45mins
  • 6Rodon
  • 4Davies
  • 14Roberts
  • 10Ramsey
  • 15AmpaduSubstituted forMorrellat 90+5'minutes
  • 8WilsonSubstituted forThomasat 90+3'minutes
  • 3N WilliamsSubstituted forJohnsonat 79'minutes
  • 11BaleBooked astatine 40mins
  • 20JamesSubstituted forMooreat 45'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Gunter
  • 7Allen
  • 9Johnson
  • 12Ward
  • 13Moore
  • 16Morrell
  • 17Lockyer
  • 18Williams
  • 19M Harris
  • 21Davies
  • 22Thomas
  • 23Levitt
  • 24Cabango
  • 25Colwill
  • 26Smith

Referee:Abdulrahman Al Jassim

Attendance:43,418

Live Text

  1. Match ends, USA 1, Wales 1.

  2. Second Half ends, USA 1, Wales 1.

  3. Kellyn Acosta (USA) is shown the yellowish paper for a atrocious foul.

  4. Foul by Kellyn Acosta (USA).

  5. Gareth Bale (Wales) wins a escaped footwear successful the attacking half.

  6. Offside, Wales. Ben Davies tries a done ball, but Gareth Bale is caught offside.

  7. Haji Wright (USA) wins a escaped footwear connected the near wing.

  8. Foul by Joe Morrell (Wales).

  9. Substitution, Wales. Joe Morrell replaces Ethan Ampadu due to the fact that of an injury.

  10. Substitution, Wales. Sorba Thomas replaces Harry Wilson due to the fact that of an injury.

  11. Attempt blocked. Tyler Adams (USA) close footed changeable from extracurricular the container is blocked.

  12. Brenden Aaronson (USA) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.

  13. Foul by Harry Wilson (Wales).

  14. Attempt saved. Brennan Johnson (Wales) close footed changeable from the close broadside of the container is saved successful the bottommost close corner. Assisted by Kieffer Moore.

  15. Matt Turner (USA) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.

  16. Foul by Kieffer Moore (Wales).

  17. Substitution, USA. Jordan Morris replaces Timothy Weah.

  18. Foul by Antonee Robinson (USA).

  19. Brennan Johnson (Wales) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.

  20. Tim Ream (USA) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.

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