For a long time, Gareth Bale hardly appeared in his 109th international match. However, the 33-year-old Wales record player proved his worth for the national team in the 82nd minute. After US defender Walker Zimmerman rudely stepped in in the penalty area, the fouled man went straight to the penalty spot himself. Bale kept his nerve and resolutely hit the right corner to make it 1-1 – for the 41st time in national dress. It stayed that way, although Brennan Johnson still had a chance of winning in the 89th minute.
In their first World Cup game in 64 years (they had reached the quarter-finals in Sweden in 1958), Wales had previously been unable to shake off their reserve. Only in the second half did the British come out of their shell and through Ben Davies in the 64th minute they had their first real chance. Matt Turner was able to handle his header in the American box.
Weah puts the US ahead
At first it was clearly the Americans who dominated the action at Al-Rayyan’s Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. They were not impressed at all by the crowd of loud-voiced Welsh fans. It didn’t take long for them to make their mark: Josh Sargent missed the lead with a header to the outside of the post in the 9th minute.
It continued in the same style: The US boys squeezed Wales in behind with plenty of ball possession and capitalized on their superiority in the 36th minute. Tim Weah, brilliantly sent down by Christian Pulisic, tipped the ball past Wayne Hennessey into the net with his outside instep. The 22-year-old son of the legendary George Weah, world footballer from 1995, not only has the goal ahead of his father: Weah senior never took part in a World Cup with Liberia.
The USA, who for their part played a World Cup game for the first time since 2014 after the absence in Russia, must be accused of not having sought the second goal with the necessary vehemence in the second half.
This is how it goes
Wales take on Iran as favorites on Friday. On the same day, the USA competed against England, who started the World Cup with a thumping victory.