Wales manager Rob Page said he had been considering substituting talisman Gareth Bale in the second half of the 1-1 draw with the United States on Monday before his late penalty earned them a precious point in Group B of the World Cup.
The US deservedly led at halftime through Timothy Weah‘s calm finish which looked set to give them victory until Bale was fouled by Walker Zimmerman and netted the 82nd-minute spot kick.
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“When we got the penalty we knew who was taking it, one million percent. He’s never let us down, has he? Once again it’s all about Bale and rightly so,” Paige said after the game.
The sentiment was shared by Wales’ three million population, not least the raucous “Red Wall” who chanted his name and celebrated the reprieve as if they had won inside Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
Bale, 33, helped LAFC win the MLS Cup this season with a stoppage-time equalizer in the final, but has yet to play a full match for the MLS side and entered the World Cup having played only 28 minutes of competitive football since September.
“Irrespective of what he does at club level, he manages to put the jersey on for Wales and give performances that surprise people. And he certainly surprised me today,” Page told reporters.
“I said to him on about 75 minutes, ‘Are you OK to carry on?’ And he went: ‘Yes, I’m fine.’ And then at the end of the game he said, ‘That’s why I said I’m fine.’
