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The USMNT (the United States Men’s National Team) began its 2022 World Cup campaign on the right foot.
Their victory was short-lived, however, as Welsh icon and LAFC forward Gareth Bale leveled the match and ended the game in a draw.
Summary
The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium was filled on Monday with American fans chanting “U-S-A” to voice their support.
The USMNT remained consistent with its dominance, taking control for most of the game.
22-year-old Timothy Weah helped the team progress and scored their goal in the first half.
Although they had a good match, LAFC star Gareth Bale brought them back to reality.
In the second half, a fumble from Walker Zimmerman gave Wales the penalty.
With experience, Bale shot the goal into the top corner.
After the final whistle, the Welsh fans went into a frenzy as they chanted Bale’s name.
Wales manager Rob Paige praised his captain after the game, saying:
“He has never let us down.”
Read also: Qatar ends first World Cup match in a loss to Ecuador
The lineups
The USMNT brought a solid team for Qatar in hopes of winning the World Cup.
Their lineup includes:
- Matt Turner
- Sergino Dest
- Antonee Robinson
- Tim Ream
- Walker Zimmerman
- Yunus Musah
- Weston McKennie
- Tyler Adams
- Joshua Sargent
- Timothy Weah
- Christian Pulisic
- Luca De La Torre
- Cristian Roldan
- Haji Wright
- Sean Johnson
- Kellyn Acosta
- Joe Scally
- Brendon Aaronson
- Giovanni Reyna
- Cameron Carter-Vickers
- Shaquell Moore
- Jordan Morris
- Jesus Ferreira
- Aaron Long
- DeAndre Yedlin
Meanwhile, Wales played their first World Cup game since 1958.
The Wales outfit has shown a solid squad to ensure they leave their mark, including:
- Wayne Hennessey
- Ben Davies
- Joe Rodon
- Chris Mepham
- Aaron Ramsey
- Ethan Ampadu
- Connor Roberts
- Neco Williams
- Harry Wilson
- Gareth Bale
- Daniel James
- Kieffer Moore
- Rubin Colwill
- Mark Harris
- Joe Morrell
- Danny Ward
- Tom Lockyer
- Matthew Smith
- Jonathan Williams
- Joe Allen
- Sorba Thomas
- Adam Davies
- Chris Gunter
- Dylan Levitt
- Brennan Johnson
- Ben Cabango
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The match
The USMNT for the 2022 World Cup has been hailed as the “golden generation.”
However, they brought with them some naivety, costing them the match.
They took the opportunity to shine throughout the first half, but the tie will cause the USMNT to learn a lesson from this game.
In the first 45 minutes, the United States applied intense pressure on Wales, forcing their opponents to waste a few balls.
USMNT star and Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah were the more spirited players of the American side.
However, their performance declined in the second half.
Zimmerman’s foul allowed Wales and Gareth Bale to equalize, dropping points for the Americans.
“Walking into the locker room after the game, you could see the disappointment on their faces,” said USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter after the match.
“We got a bit sloppy with the ball in the second half, we had control in the first half.”
“Even when we’re winning, we’re thinking about how we could close out the game, but it didn’t happen. Players were disappointed, staff were disappointed.”
The USMNT meets another solid team in England on Friday.
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