USA 1-1 Wales
Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of this evening’s Group B clash of USA and Wales.
England opened the group proceedings with an emphatic 6-2 win over Wales earlier.
Al Rayyan Stadium hosts this meeting, with kick-off at 7pm.
It’s live on RTÉ 2 and all the usual spots, but we’ll keep you up to date right here. First up, team news…
USA
Here we go. ๐บ๐ธ
— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 21, 2022
Full Lineup Notes ยป https://t.co/DvhSXPvqRy#USMNT x @Visa pic.twitter.com/V8VpU1oBMG
Wales
๐บ๐ธ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ | STARTING XI
— Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ (@Cymru) November 21, 2022
HANES! CWPAN Y BYD! #ArBenYByd | #FIFAWorldCup | #TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/IGtOt7HJsL
All eyes on this man: Gareth Bale leads Wales out for first World Cup finals game since 1958.
Mixed predictions on the RTÉ punditry panel. Wales win, or a draw the consensus.
Your thoughts?
Poll Results:
The pre-match formalities are underway, kick-off imminent near Doha.
KICK-OFF: USA get us underway.
3 mins – First real attacking platform for USA. Christian Pulisic’s free kick goes nowhere. After a nervy start from the Chelsea star, he has just made a decent run and won a corner.
5 mins – Nothing comes off that set-piece, Wales dealing with it well. But they’ve been wasteful in possession early on. USA seem to have settled in that slight bit better.
9mins – USA are moving the ball around nicely, Wales are under the cosh but they’re dealing with it so far… just about.
Wayne Hennessy has had to make two big saves, the second denying a Josh Sargent header off the back of a Antonee Robinson cross. Sergino Dest played a superb ball from right-back and it all went from there, Tim Weah’s ball in causing havoc in the box, before the second attack came down the left.
12 mins - Two unnecessary yellow cards for USA in recent moments.
Dest and Weston McKenzie both go in the book for back-to-back needless challenges on Neco Williams, well out on the left near the sideline.
16 mins - Wales have offered very little so far, aside from a wild snap-shot from Ethan Ampadu which sailed over the bar. Gareth Bale has hardly touched the ball.
20 mins - Wales’ game plan really isn’t working out here, USA in complete control. Hennessy is struggling to find any Welsh presence around the middle, USA pinning them back and forcing him to go long. It’s swallowed up every time, the quality of service into the final third also completely lacking.
Here’s the earlier chance:
BIG CHANCE USA!
— RTร Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 21, 2022
USA nearly take the lead following a Sargent header, after a magnificent Weah touch. #USAWAL #FifaWorldCup #RTESoccer
๐บLive now on @rte2 and @rteplayer: https://t.co/2W5kFubRRc
๐ฑLive updates: https://t.co/1MR8EUfBnX pic.twitter.com/0WIEk4lDpz
22 mins – Ampadu with a few big interceptions for Wales. USA are really clicking down the left-hand side, Robinson the star turn.
24 mins – Let-off as USA captain Tyler Adams flies in with a late challenge, but doesn’t go in the book. They really need to look at their discipline, some reckless tackles going in.
Just before that, Bale and Aaron Ramsey fluffed their lines. Sums this Welsh performance up so far.
28 mins – Harry Wilson overhits a fairly simple cross-field ball towards Ramsey on the right, and the Nice player knocks it out of play. Again, epitomises this first half-hour or so for Rob Page’s side.
At the other end, Dest seems to get a rush of blood to the head and drills it over the bar from distance. He was in oceans of space and had no shortage of other options. Wrong one.
33 mins - Lots of noise around the ground there. Chris Mepham goes in late on Pulisic, but his name doesn’t go in the book. An indication of the growing frustration among Wales, their defence really under pressure with some nervy moments in there.
GOAL! USA 1-0 WALES (Weah, 36)
You can’t say that wasn’t coming… a deserved lead for USA, and what a finish from Timothy Weah.
There’s a few errors in the build-up and USA cut through Wales so easily. Pulisic gets on the ball, he surges through the middle, excellently slips Weah in and the Lille ace cooly converts.
39 mins - Bale is booked for a challenge on Musah. He won the ball, but came in from behind. The referee had a good view of the incident and he joins the USA duo of Dest and McKenzie on yellow cards.
41 mins - Hennessy catches a Pulisic cross, while Wales run into a wall at the other end. Dan James moves over to the left to try and get into the game a little more, but another attack breaks down.
Bale and Ramsey finally link up pretty well down the right, the latter winning a corner after a Robinson interception.
45 mins - Wilson’s second delivery — after what the referee seemed to deem an infringement following the first corner, much to the disgust of Bale and Ramsey — is headed out for a goal-kick.
Four minutes added on.
45 mins + 2 - After his earlier let-off, Mepham is booked for pulling Pulisic back. The whistle can’t come quick enough for Wales, changes needed at half time.
HALF-TIME: USA 1-0 WALES
So that’s that for the first half. One to remember for USA, but one to forget for Wales after their 64-year wait for a World Cup return. The Stars and Stripes lead 1-0 thanks to Timothy Weah’s goal — and Pulisic’s sublime assist — but they really could be further ahead here.
Here’s that goal:
GOAL - Weah - USA
— RTร Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 21, 2022
Tim Weah gives USA a deserved 1-0 lead against Wales. #USAWAL #FifaWorldCup #RTESoccer
๐บLive now on @rte2 and @rteplayer: https://t.co/2W5kFubRRc
๐ฑLive updates: https://t.co/1MR8EUfBnX pic.twitter.com/uLevFsCoUc
SECOND HALF: We’re back underway. Kieffer Moore is in for Dan James, who was largely anonymous throughout the first half. Will a change of shape follow?
47 mins - USA pick up where they left off, Musah driving forward down the left and winning a corner. Nothing comes off Pulisic’s delivery, but Gregg Berhalter will be happy his team have settled back in quickly.
48 mins – Wales win a corner after some nice skill from Ramsey. They’re showing a little more early on, Moore a little more dynamic up front.
50 mins – Turner looks shaky and Robinson also flaps at it, but USA eventually clear their lines. Tim Ream the latest player in the book for a foul on Bale.
53 mins - Wales are looking much brighter here, finding joy in their wing-backs pushing on. Better all-round play, much more hunger and desire. Though there are still some poor mistakes: Roberts with two dreadfully misplaced passes, he’s annoyed with himself.
58 mins - Much of the momentum is with Wales now. They’ve been the more dominant side so far in the second half, coming to life and enjoying the majority of possession. The crowd are really behind them too. McKennie carelessly puts the ball out of play, summing up the USA’s stuggles.
62 mins – A very good call from the referee. There’s a sweeping ball played across the field and onto the edge of the box for Pulisic, Roberts cuts it out and there are calls for a penalty as the Chelsea star goes down. Upon review, there’s no contact.
64 mins – What a save from Turner! The USA goalkeeper gets his fingertips to a Ben Davies header and knocks it over. It all came off the back of a free-kick: a brilliant delivery from Wilson, which is originally dealt with.
65 mins - Wales go close again! Another excellent in-swinger from Wilson, it’s headed over by an unmarked Moore.
Brendan Aaronson comes in for McKennie
72 mins - USA get the chance to take a breath as they win a corner. Weah wins it after Williams knocks it out, a delay following as the Wales man gets treatment for a back injury.
Not much of note comes off the corner, but Pulisic outmuscles Bale at one point. The Wales captain’s lack of game time is really showing. Pulisic limps off shortly after a later passage in play, but he’s okay to continue.
74 mins - Shortly after his return, he sends a superb ball into the area from the left-hand side but no one gets there. Aaronson surely could have done better. USA make a triple-substitution thereafter.
DeAndre Yedlin, Kellyn Acosta and Haji Wright come in, with Dest, Musah and Sargent making way.
76 mins - USA have come back into it in the last few minutes, stringing a few decent attacks together. Ampadu clears the latest one for a corner, but nothing major to report from that one.
An attendance of 43,418 has just been announced.
79 mins - Substitution for Wales as Brennan Johnson comes in for Williams, who doesn’t look one bit happy leaving the pitch. Wales seem to switch to 4-4-2, going for it down the home straight.
PENALTY FOR WALES! Bale is fouled by Zimmerman. A nice move down the right hand side, played into the box, and he shows all his experience to win the spot kick.
GOAL! USA 1-1 WALES (BALE, 82)
What a penalty. Turner goes the right way, but there’s no stopping that one. Smashed into the top right-hand corner. Power. Venom. Cometh the hour…
85 mins - Wales, with the win in their sails, look to drive on. But USA won’t lie down either. Plenty of time for a winner for either side… who will it be?
89 mins – Goal-scorer Weah’s evening is over, as Jordan Morris comes on.
Half chances at both ends, the latest a breakaway from Johnson who shoots straight at Turner from a tricky angle. Bale was his only other option, but he wasn’t going to get there quick enough. Just beforehand, Hennessy had punched clear at the other end when he maybe could have caught it. It put his side under pressure momentarily, but they found a way out.
90 mins – Nine minutes added on. A long way to go yet.
There was a Wales change there, will find out and come back.
90mins +2 - Wilson goes off, Thomas comes on. Ampadu was also in the wars there and looked like he’d come off after pulling up, but he’s okay to continue.
90mins +5 - Ampadu’s night is over, he’s not fit to continue and gestures to the bench. Joe Morrell is an able replacement, and he gets stuck in straight away.
90mins + 8 - Hennessy punches another floating USA ball clear. There’s one at another end then, Moore winning a ball in the box but cut out when he tries to do it all himself. USA clear their lines, but only momentarily, as Bale looks to pull the trigger. A boot goes in at the perfect time, though, and he’s denied the effort.
90mins + 9 - Time for one more attack? It’s like the walking wounded out there, player after player going down with cramp.
90mins +10 - A chaotic ending, Turner comes waaaay out to head a ball clear, Wales win it back with Bale finding himself and possession and the goalkeeper of his line. Acosta had to foul him, and takes the booking. The resultant free-kick is planted on Turner, he makes no mistake this time, and that’s that.
FULL-TIME: USA 1-1 WALES
A game of two halves, that. Wales were a much different side in the second period, with Gareth Bales the goal-scoring hero from the spot. A much more open second half, end-to-end stuff at times, and a result which leaves both sides in the running in Group B.
That’s all from me, folks. Thanks for reading, goodnight!
