Wales captain Gareth Bale has praised his team following their 2022 FIFA World Cup opener against the USA.
The Dragons took on the Stars and Stripes at the Al Rayyan Stadium on Monday (November 21) night. After dominating possession for much of the opening half hour, USA took the lead in the 36th minute as Timothy Weah slotted the ball home from Christian Pulisic’s pass.
Wales improved in the second half and eventually got their first FIFA World Cup goal in 64 years. Bale was brought down by Walker Zimmerman inside the area and dispatched the resulting penalty kick to make it 1-1 in the 82nd minute.
Neither team could find a winner in the closing stages, but the former Real Madrid forward was pleased with the Dragons’ resilience and fighting spirit. Bale wrote on Twitter after the Group B game:
“This team never gives up! Great fight from the boys! We look forward to Friday! ❤
Next up, Wales will take on Iran on Friday (November 25). The USA, meanwhile, will clash horns with group leaders England in the final game of the same day.
2022 FIFA World Cup: Day 2 roundup
Wales and the USA played in the late kick-off on Monday night, with two matches being played prior to their clash on the second day of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The first contest saw England take on Iran in Group B. The Three Lions raced to a 3-0 lead at half-time courtesy of goals from Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling.
They added a fourth through Saka again before Iran got a goal back through Mehdi Taremi. Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish then scored to make it 6-1 to England, with Taremi grabbing a late consolation from the penalty spot.
The second match of the evening saw the Netherlands meet Senegal in the most-anticipated fixture in Group A. A cagey contest saw the African champions create the better chances for much of the second half after the Oranje dominated possession in the opening 45 minutes.
However, it was Louis van Gaal’s side that took the lead in the 84th minute through Cody Gakpo’s header from Frenkie de Jong’s beautiful clipped pass. Substitute Davy Klaassen then scored the Netherlands’ second goal deep into stoppage time.
The Dutch team are now joint-top of their group alongside Ecuador, who beat hosts Qatar 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup opener.