Gareth Bale, Wales Ties US With Penalty Kick in the 82nd Minute

After 64 long years and 82 minutes, the Cannon delivered for Wales.

After going down in the box near the end of the second half, Gareth Bale stepped up to drill a penalty kick past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner and tie things up at one apiece. This was the 41st international goal for Bale, the country’s leading goalscorer. 

The U.S. spent the majority of the half defending their 1-0 lead, courtesy of Tim Weah in the 35th minute. While they packed in the defense, Wales found a window and got the ball to Bale just inside the box. American defender Walker Zimmerman attempted to beat the Welsh legend to the ball but ended up taking him down in the process, earning the whistle and a penalty kick for the Dragons. 

The 33-year-old stepped up and channeled a vintage performance, calmly drilling a shot to the right of Turner. 

This is the first World Cup appearance for Wales since 1958.