It had to be Gareth Bale, didn’t it.
The U.S. men’s team played some terrific soccer in its first World Cup game in eight years. But Wales’ perennial superstar drew and scored an 82nd-minute penalty kick to deal the U.S. a 1-1 tie in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
In the game’s early stages, the U.S. was flat-out dominant. It had 80% of the possession in the game’s first 10 minutes, Tim Weah nearly forced an own goal, and Josh Sargent flashed to the middle for a header that Wayne Hennessey haphazardly saved.
