World Cup 2022 top plays: Wales’ Gareth Bale ties USA late

The 2022 FIFA World Cup continues with the United States vs. Wales closing out Monday’s group stage action, and we’ve got you covered with every must-see moment from start to finish!

Elsewhere, England opened Monday’s slate with a dominating 6-2 victory over Iran to earn three points in Group B, followed by the Netherlands picking up a 2-0 win over Senegal to get three points in Group A.

You can watch this game and every match of the tournament on the FOX Sports family of networks — the tournament’s official English-language broadcast partner in the U.S. — and the FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com. You can also stream full-match replays for free on Tubi.

Here are the top plays!

USA vs. Wales

In it to win it

Coach Gregg Berhalter’s team, led by captain Tyler Adams, is young and hungry for a win. The U.S. is tied with Ecuador for the second-youngest team in this World Cup with an average age of 24, behind only Ghana (23.5).

The particularly youthful squad features five forward players on the attacking line who are 22 or younger. What’s more, Yunus Musah (19) made history as the first teenager to start a World Cup match for the USMNT.

Here we go!

The USMNT, which is on a revenge tour after failing to qualify for the 2018 competition for the first time since 1986, was greeted by a lively crowd at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium ahead of all the action.

The last World Cup appearance for the U.S. was in 2014, when they made it to the Round of 16. The USMNT’s best World Cup result came in the inaugural event in 1930, finishing in third place of the 13-team field.

Off to the races

Christian Pulisic won a free kick on his first touch of the match after a foul by Wales defender Joe Rodon, bringing USA fans to their feet. The USMNT was this close to taking the lead right out of the gate.

Seeing yellow

Misfortune struck when USA’s Sergiño Dest and Weston McKennie were shown back-to-back yellow cards early on at the 11- and 13-minute marks.

In the hunt

Things remained scoreless at the half-hour mark, but not for lack of effort on either side.

Americans are back!

Pulisic won another free kick after getting fouled by Wales defender Chris Mepham, who didn’t draw a yellow card, much to the dismay of USA fans.

Karma was on the Americans’ side though, as 22-year-old winger Tim Weah quickly punched one into the back of the net in the 36th minute, giving the U.S. its first World Cup goal in eight years.

USA takes a 1-0 lead over Wales with Tim Weah goal

The USMNT took a 1-0 lead vs. Wales after Tim Weah scored in the 36th minute.

A family affair

Weah, whose father is George Weah was the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, is the 23rd man to score for the U.S. in a World Cup and the first scorer against Wales at a World Cup since a 17-year-old Pelé in 1958.

Adding insult to injury

Wales star Gareth Bale, finally getting his long-awaited shot on the World Cup stage, received a yellow card in the 40th minute, while Mepham picked up a second yellow for Wales ahead of the break.

Second half underway

USMNT center back Tim Ream picked up the first yellow card of the second half in the 51st minute, but the Americans bounced back when goalkeeper Matt Turner denied Wales in a big way at the 64-minute mark.

Matt Turner makes incredible save in for U.S.

Matt Turner punches up a header shot by Wales to keep the U.S. ahead, 1-0.

Knotted up

Bale redeemed himself with the game-tying score on a penalty shot in the 82nd minute.

It was Bale’s 41st goal for Wales and his first in the World Cup, as he became Wales’ first goalscorer in the World Cup since 1958.

Wales’s Gareth Bale scores goal vs. USA

Wales’s Gareth Bale scores a goal against the USA in the 80th minute.

Stay tuned for updates!

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