Gareth Bale, who in the 82nd minute scored, from a penalty, the equalizer for Wales against the United States on Monday in the second match of group B of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, declared that he is "happy with the goal", but that "I would have preferred the three points".

Bale, 33, played his first game in a World Cup – the second that Wales is playing, 64 years after the first –with ten minutes to go to full-time.

The goal was his forty-second in 109 games for Wales. "We were focused on this game, nothing more. They played well in the first half, so we had to change a couple of things in the second. In the end, it's a good point," said the Welsh star, winner of five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, before winning the North American championship (MLS) a month ago with Los Angeles FC.

"At the break, we had to do a couple of tricks, we had to regroup, which is what good teams do," he said.

"I'm happy to have taken the penalty and to have scored, but I would have preferred the three points," said Bale, who admitted that he finished the game "tired".

"But we are going to move forward, which is what we have to do for our country," Bale said at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan after his team drew 1-1 with the United States. -EFE - News agency