Gareth Bale 's struggles at Los Angeles FC continued in midweek as he was hauled off in a draw against Minnesota United.
The Welsh international moved to the Major League Soccer side in June, after seven years with Real Madrid. He scored twice in his first four appearances to help the league leaders maintain their stranglehold on top spot in MLS's Western Conference, but results have since tailed off.
LAFC no longer hold top spot overall, after taking just four points from their last six games. They salvaged a point after Bale was withdrawn, but that only served to emphasise the gulf in results when Bale is and isn't on the pitch.
So far, the majority of Bale's appearances in MLS have come from the bench. His first start came on August 27, in a 4-1 defeat away at Austin FC, and his second arrived in Minnesota on Tuesday evening.
Brent Kallman gave the hosts the lead at Allianz Field, and they were still in front when Bale went off. Minutes later, though, Carlos Vela drew Steve Cherundolo's side level.
As pointed out by analyst Matt Doyle, LAFC's goal difference with Bale on the pitch stands at -7, albeit from a small sample size. When he went off, their tally without him involved stood at +32 - a figure which quickly increased by one.
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With three games of the season remaining, LAFC have already booked their place in the playoffs. Just one more win would guarantee them top spot in the west, giving them a bye to the conference semifinals.
"I'm not sure drawing conclusions long-term is important for us," head coach Cherundolo said after the draw. "We know who we are, so I don't thin there's any long term goal we need to get out of this game."
The Los Angeles club have still shown a significant improvement compared to last season, when they failed to qualify for the season-ending playoffs. Bale is one of a number of European stars to join the club, with Euro 2020 winner Giorgio Chiellini joining from Juventus and former Barcelona star Cristian Tello - who replaced Bale in Minnesota - arriving in August after spending the last five years with Real Betis.
Cherundolo was full of praise for Bale back in August when the Welshman scored his second goal in the US, though he has not added to that tally. “It’s a great moment for Gareth, and for the team, he’s a well-liked guy in the group,” Cherundolo said, as reported by AS.
“It was a well-taken goal. We told Gareth after the game, now we all know he can run, and there’s no hiding. Ecstatic for him, he feels healthier and more fit by the day and I’m sure we’ll see more of that.”
