The USMNT had a win in its grasp, but a needless penalty gifted Gareth Bale and Wales the chance they needed to secure a draw in Qatar.
The U.S. men’s national team’s return to the World Cup stage began with a bang and then ended with a disappointment.
In the USMNT’s first World Cup match in eight years, Tim Weah scored 36 minutes in to give the Americans a 1–0 lead over Wales, but a late penalty conceded by Walker Zimmerman gifted the Dragons the chance to pull level. Gareth Bale did just that, and both sides move forward with a single point after the 1–1 draw, trailing England in Group B in Qatar.