The last Sunday, Gareth Bale fell out of the call for the Classic. Back pain was to blame. His participation, without Benzema, seemed plausible. Madrid needed a goal and the Welshman has always had a well-calibrated point of view. The injury prevented him from showing it against Barça… but not against Austria four days later. A video where he was seen in tone in training on Tuesday warmed up the Madrid fan. And his statements, which ventured a “miraculous” recovery, did the rest: “I will do everything I can to play 120 minutes if they ask me to”. There weren’t that many, but enough (they changed it in discount) to have done it more with Wales than with the white team this season.
Before the initial whistle, the 11 of Robert Page’s He accumulated 232 minutes this campaign with his team. Seven of a friendly against Finland in September and the rest of qualifying for the World Cup. 90 ‘against Belarus, whom he executed with a tremendous hat-trick (2-3), another complete game in the draw against Estonia (0-0) and the first half in the second leg against the Belarusians; he had time to assist Neco Williams and left the match with a clear lead (2-0 for the final 5-1). With Madrid, at this point in the campaign, he only adds 270′. A closer look in 2022 throws up another piece of information: he has hardly played a game, the 74 minutes against Villarreal February 12.
To make matters worse, he showed something indisputable, his world-class hitting. Wales suffered at home against Austria from a David Alaba who had not been lucky in the first minutes of the clash. In the 25th minute, the referee signaled a foul on the front, somewhat angled. Perfect for a lefty. Perfect for Gareth. She teledirected her to Lindner’s squad. Little could do because the ball kissed the wood inside. After the snack, Bale endorsed that with Wales he can be the cardiff express.
Not for his rides, but for leadership and efficiency. A corner in the 51′ ended in his left boot. Small driving and shoe to the opposite side. At the bottom of the net. The Cardiff City Stadium exploded with its captain, who once acted as the executing arm on the way to a big date. The final victory puts The Dragons (The Dragons in Gaelic) just one step away from their second World Cup. The first was in 1958 and they reached the quarterfinals. The stumbling block will be Ukraine or Scotland and we will have to wait until June to find out who will play for the place, since the clash has been postponed due to Putin’s invasion of the Ukrainian country.
To continue making history… with your country
Bale already led Wales to their first European Championship: in 2016 where they also reached the semifinals. Also to the second, the 2020 edition played a year ‘late’ for health reasons (they fell in the round of 16). “I am focused solely on this game, on this classification. There is a lot at stake and I’m not thinking of anything else right now. This requires all my preparation of the last few months. I don’t think about anything other than the game.”, slipped, as a warning, in the preview. And the one who warns is not a traitor.
Now he is closer to writing a new golden line with his country. In the 322 minutes played with the Welsh elastic he has achieved five goals and one assist, participating in a goal every 53.6 minutes. In the 270′ with Madrid, somewhat, Levante on the second league matchday. Likewise, he has once again shown that he is big night footballer. His last stage in the white team does not overshadow his gallop against Bartra in the 2013-14 Cup final or his goals in the Champions League against Atleti and Liverpool.
That talent makes the Madrid fan sting even more in this darkness of his final years in the Spanish capital. There was outrage in networks with the change of Gareth when he carries the Dragon on his chest and not the shield of Madrid. Perhaps the whites will never enjoy it again. On June 30 he will pack his bags when he ends his contract. In Chamartín it is a problem, in his country a blessing. This Thursday he has shown again that with Wales it is another story. With Wales yes.