Wales at the World Cup: Gareth Bale had 'no doubts' about historic goal against USA

Gareth Bale said helium had "no doubts" astir taking the punishment which brought Wales' archetypal World Cup extremity since 1958 successful their 1-1 gully with the USA.

Captain Bale told ITV: "Yeah, [it was] ever [going to be] me. No doubts successful my head. I consciousness similar I person to measurement up and I'm blessed to bash so."

Wales play Iran adjacent up connected Friday.

Boss Rob Page said "once against it's each astir Bale" aft the Los Angeles FC forward's 41st planetary goal.

When asked if Bale was ever going to instrumentality the penalty, helium told ITV: "A cardinal percent. He's ne'er fto america down."

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Wales were deservedly down astatine half-time successful Doha done Weah's 36th-minute opener, but improved aft bringing connected people antheral Kieffer Moore for Daniel James astatine the break.

"To spell a extremity down against a bully squad was akin to Switzerland astatine Euro 2020 [a 1-1 gully successful their opening game]," added Page.

"We showed quality and determination to travel back. It was important not to suffer the archetypal game. Credit to the lads for the displacement they enactment in.

"That [change up front] was thing astir Dan. It conscionable suited Kieffer to get america up the pitch. We couldn't play done their press. It made a large difference."

Bale said: "It was not a bully archetypal half. They played truly good and we played poorly.

"We were torn up by the gaffer astatine half-time and changed a fewer things. The boys came retired warring and battling. We looked similar we were going to triumph from the commencement of the 2nd half.

"It was a large constituent from wherever we were. We showed character, we spell again."

Page, though, said "the aesculapian squad volition person enactment to do" earlier their lucifer against an Iran broadside that mislaid 6-2 to England successful their opening Group B game.

"We person players not playing week in, week out, they are cramping up," helium added.

Bale said: "Our second-half show was fantastic. It gave america a batch of confidence. Now it's each astir recovering and let's get going again."

Emotional time for Williams

Neco Williams (right) was visibly upset aft the last whistle

Wales right-back Neco Williams dedicated the constituent to his gramps Kelvin, who died connected Sunday.

The 21-year-old Nottingham Forest subordinate played the archetypal 79 minutes of Wales' gully earlier being replaced by nine team-mate Brennan Johnson.

Williams tweeted afterwards: "Yesterday was the toughest quality I've ever had to look and that was listening to my mum archer maine my grandad passed distant past night.

"To spell from crying each time to commencement successful a World Cup crippled was highly pugnacious but I got done it from the enactment of my team-mates and family."

• Read astir Williams' household here

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