Wales, playing in its first World Cup match since 1958, seemed to struggle with the occasion in the first half and even Bale had looked off the pace until his goal. But the USMNT’s so-called ‘golden generation’ showed a touch of naivety. The team has a real opportunity to shine in Qatar 2022 but will need to quickly learn the lessons from this match before facing a much sterner test against England on Friday. What was most surprising was its drop-off in performance after the halftime interval. The US pressed with intensity in the opening 45 minutes and limited Wales to a few wasteful balls into the channels.
