Tag: Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale admits he’s still not 100% as Wales-USMNT World Cup opener nears

With just two weeks until the World Cup starts, Bale is still working his way back

Gareth Bale said he’s still not 100 percent fit after his incredible extra-time goal helped Los Angeles FC win MLS Cup.

Bale hadn’t played in a month when he was subbed in during extra time of Saturday’s championship match against the Philadelphia Union.

After the Union seemed to have locked up the title with a 124th-minute goal, Bale scored one of the most dramatic goals in MLS history with a 128th-minute header that tied the match 3-3.

LAFC would go on to win MLS Cup on penalties. After the game, Bale told a press conference that his journey so far in MLS hasn’t been easy as injuries and fitness have severely curtailed his playing time.

“We spoke [before the game] about if I’m needed for the last 20 or 30 minutes then I’m available,” Bale said. “I’m not 100% at the moment. I’m still coming back, I still have a few little issues like most people do.

“I haven’t trained too much over the last three or four weeks because I’ve had this slight issue, but I was able to come on and give as much as I can and I’m glad I came up with the goal to help the team.

“It’s been a difficult transition coming in with no preseason, trying to play catch-up, relocating with my family. But I’ve tried to keep as fit as I can, tried to help the team as much as I can on and off the pitch and it’s all worth it when you have moments like this.”

Bale’s admission will be troubling for Wales, with just two weeks to go until the country’s World Cup opener against the U.S. national team.

The Welsh captain admitted it’s been extra tough to battle an injury so close to his country’s first World Cup since 1958.

“I’m feeling better and better as time goes on,” he added.

“Obviously I’ve had a few setbacks, I had a slight knock a couple of weeks back which kept me out for 10 days, so it’s just one of those.

“It’s been difficult mentally leading into the World Cup. There’s so many players dropping out and now they’re missing the World Cup, so it’s been difficult mentally and I’m sure it has for a lot of players playing leading going into this World Cup.

“For sure it’s been in the back of my mind trying to make sure I’m 100% fit.”

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¡De locura! Vela y el LAFC campeones de la MLS en una final cardiaca

Los Angeles Football Club festeja en grande su primer gran campeonato, una final que parecía más accesible pero que el Union vendió muy cara

La MLS definió al campeón de la temporada 2022 tras una final para el recuerdo que dejó al LAFC con su primer título de Liga.

Carlos Vela alzó su primer título a nivel de clubes pues ni en Arsenal, ni en Real Sociedad y hasta ahora en LAFC pudo conseguir un campeonato que el mexicano vivió con mucho nerviosismo sobre todo cuando tuvo que dejar la cancha para el ingreso de Gareth Bale.

El mexicano tuvo una actuación destacada con una asistencia en un partido que terminó 2-2 en tiempo regular, en tiempos extras Philadelphia Union tomó ventaja y finalmente muy cerca del silbatazo final vino el empate 3-3 milagroso de Gareth Bale que mandó todo a la tanda de penales donde el LAFC se coronó campeón.

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El Banc of California Stadium fue una sucursal del manicomio al caer el tanto de Bale, el hombre de las finales no solo para el Real Madrid, también para el cuadro angelino que se quita la sequía y se une a la lista de equipos que han alzado al menos un título de la MLS.

Los Angeles Football Club festeja en grande su primer gran campeonato, una final que parecía más accesible pero que el Union vendió muy cara la derrota con una gran actuación alcanzando en dos ocasiones al local y ampliando la ventaja en tiempso extras aunque desafortunadamente para su causa los del LAFC fueron más certeros desde los 11 pasos.

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Gareth Bale scored an insane 128th-minute goal to save 10-man LAFC’s season

The oft-injured summer signing scored one of the most dramatic goals in MLS history

Gareth Bale hadn’t played a minute during the postseason, and it didn’t appear that he would as MLS Cup entered extra time tied 2-2.

Bale was LAFC’s marquee summer addition, but injuries and fitness limited him to just 347 minutes and only two starts among his 12 appearances leading up to the biggest game of the season.

Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya even joked about it leading up to the game, saying Bale “barely plays.”

The Union probably aren’t laughing much now.

In one of the wildest MLS Cups we’ll ever see, Bale came on in extra time and headed home a season-saving goal for 10-man LAFC to send the game to penalties, where they would prevail 3-0 and lift MLS Cup.

The circumstances were one of a kind. The Union appeared to have won the Cup after Jack Elliott scored in the 124th minute to give Philadelphia a 3-2 lead.

But with an incredible nine minutes of stoppage time in extra time after Maxime Crépeau’s horror injury there was still hope for LAFC, though they were down to 10 men after Crépeau was sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

That was enough time for Bale to deliver a signature moment, getting up high and dunking on Elliott to nod home a cross from Diego Palacios and send Banc of California Stadium into convulsions.

It may be true that he barely plays, but Bale did the most with his brief time on the pitch on Saturday. It ended up with yet another trophy in a highly decorated career.

Watch Bale’s goal in MLS Cup

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Gareth Bale ‘barely plays,’ but Alejandro Bedoya expects tough LAFC challenge at MLS Cup

Bedoya expects a tough LAFC challenge regardless of Bale’s playing time

MLS Cup hasn’t kicked off yet, but that isn’t stopping the teams from getting stuck in.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday’s championship game (4:00pm Eastern, Fox/Univision/TUDN), Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya offered a playful dig at Gareth Bale, whose fitness levels are unclear heading into the final.

The Union and LAFC haven’t squared off since May, and since then the Supporters’ Shield winners have added Bale, Giorgio Chiellini, Cristian Tello, and Designated Player Denis Bouanga.

Asked about how LAFC have looked since those moves, Bedoya couldn’t help but point out the major talking point when it comes to Bale’s time in MLS: he just hasn’t been on the field very much.

“Well, one of them barely plays,” deadpanned Bedoya. “He’s a big name. He’s a big guy, right? I mean, that’s a headline.”

Since making a stunning move to LAFC, Bale has played just 347 minutes, with only two starts among his 12 appearances. While that does mean he’s been in the large majority of the club’s 15 matches since making his debut on July 17, it also averages out to around 28 minutes per appearance.

Down the stretch, those figures have taken a nosedive. Bale’s last appearance was a five-minute cameo against the Portland Timbers on October 2. The Welsh star was not in uniform against Nashville SC on Decision Day or for LAFC’s bonkers 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy in the Western Conference semifinals. He did dress for the rampant win over Austin FC that booked their spot at MLS Cup, but was an unused substitute on the day.

Despite all that, and despite doubts over his own availability for the final, Bedoya praised Bale once the chuckles from media died down.

“No disrespect to Bale, he’s a fantastic player,” said Bedoya. “I’ll never forget that goal he scored when he was out of bounds, like five yards out of bounds and he just sprinted past and then was able to score the goal. He’s incredible.”

Bedoya name-checked Chiellini and MLS MVP candidate Cristian “Chicho” Arango as some of LAFC’s stars, before adding that he has a good relationship with head coach Steve Cherundolo dating back to their U.S. men’s national team days.

“I just saw Steve Cherundolo just now, I played with him on the national team,” noted Bedoya. “He was crucial to me during my time with the national team, because I played in front of him for some games, and I know how he sees the game, and just learning from the guy like him. So I’m happy for him in his first season as a head coach here, he’s in an MLS Cup final.”

Union have to ‘give them hell’

Bedoya also brought up recent meetings between the teams, which have tended to be as even as they’ve been entertaining.

Each of the last three clashes have ended in a draw, and the games have felt like two MLS titans duking it out. Back in May, the Union took the lead twice at the Banc of California Stadium, only for LAFC to fight back to equalize on both occasions in a 2-2 draw.

Just before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two MLS Cup finalists played arguably the single best game in the league over the past three seasons, an epic 3-3 battle. The Union took three leads, only for LAFC to get level each time. That game might be best remembered for a Jakob Glesnes launching a missile of a free kick to score from 35 yards.

“I think we’ve given them some tough games,” said Bedoya. “I think some of the most exciting games in MLS, when you think about that 3-3 game, and then the 2-2 game we had earlier this year. We tied them at home too, 1-1. I mean, they’re always pretty exciting.”

For Bedoya, the key to a Union win boils down to which team can assert their style of play, and how hard Philadelphia can fight.

“We play our game, they have their game, it’s pretty much kind of different styles,” said Bedoya, noting that LAFC has become less possession-heavy under Cherundolo in 2022. “As long as we play our game, and our style, and give them hell, be hard to play against, I think we can get the job done.”

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LAFC has reached MLS Cup and Gareth Bale had almost nothing to do with it

Bale’s absence hasn’t been an issue for LAFC. It may be a different story for Wales

Gareth Bale was mostly a spectator last season as he watched Real Madrid secure a La Liga-Champions League double. It looks like history may repeat itself in MLS.

Heralded as a game-changing signing when he arrived at Los Angeles FC midseason, Bale has once again struggled for fitness and mostly watched his team succeed on the pitch without him.

At a mega-club like Real Madrid, success without Bale was hardly surprising. But winning a Supporters’ Shield and reaching MLS Cup with Bale as a relative non-factor wasn’t really part of the plan for LAFC.

“It just goes to show what an amazing team we have,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said of not using Bale and still wiping the floor with Austin FC in Sunday’s Western Conference final.

While Cherundolo had a point, it still wasn’t supposed to be this way.

Bale needed to build up his fitness after signing with LAFC. He had, after all, just completed a season in Spain filled with injuries. But rather than building up, Bale’s fitness plateaued. And then it turned downwards yet again.

Bale has played just 347 minutes for LAFC, starting two of his 12 total appearances. He’s shown flashes of his talent, but he looks consigned to spend the rest of his career battling against his own body.

For LAFC, Bale’s absence hasn’t been much of a problem. Carlos Vela, Chicho Arango and late-season addition Denis Bouanga have carried the load in attack.

For Wales, though, it may be a different story.

Bale may just have retired after last season had Wales not reached its first World Cup since 1958. But the 33-year-old wasn’t about to miss the chance to captain Wales in Qatar. And so after leaving Madrid, he needed a new team fast.

The World Cup kicks off in three weeks, and Bale has played five minutes since mid-September. It’s past time for Wales to be concerned.

(Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) 

Prior to LAFC’s game against Austin, Cherundolo said there was “no more injury to report” regarding Bale, who missed the previous game against the LA Galaxy.

But that doesn’t tell the full story. Univision reporter Michele Giannone clarified the situation on Sunday, saying Bale has “been training in full for a few days now, but the abductor issue he’s been dealing with doesn’t allow him to strike the ball with full force and complete comfort yet.”

After the win over Austin, Cherundolo said Bale “is ready to go if need be.”

Right now, it looks like LAFC simply doesn’t need Bale. Wales may not have that luxury.

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Gareth Bale has the best-selling jersey in MLS

It took just three months for the LAFC star to secure the top-selling jersey of 2022

Gareth Bale has only been a Los Angeles FC player since late June, but he has the best-selling jersey in MLS throughout the entire season.

The Wales star topped the list released by the league on Monday, which is based on overall retail sales of jerseys on MLSstore.com since the beginning of 2022 season through September 1.

Bale made his debut for LAFC in July and has scored two goals in nine games so far. The 33-year-old has started just one match for LAFC as he continues to build up his fitness.

Coming in second on the list of top-selling jerseys is Charlotte FC defender Christian Fuchs, who joined the expansion side prior to the season after a long spell at Leicester City.

Rounding out the top five were LAFC forward Carlos Vela, LA Galaxy forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez.

Top-selling MLS jerseys of 2022 season

1. Gareth Bale LAFC
2. Christian Fuchs Charlotte FC
3. Carlos Vela LAFC
4. Javier Hernández LA Galaxy
5. Josef Martínez Atlanta United FC
6. Raúl Ruidíaz Seattle Sounders FC
7. Karol Świderski Charlotte FC
8. Xherdan Shaqiri Chicago Fire FC
9. Jordan Morris Seattle Sounders FC
10. Walker Zimmerman Nashville SC
11. Valentín Castellanos New York City FC
12. Sebastián Driussi Austin FC
13. Lucas Zelarayán Columbus Crew
14. Cristian Roldan Seattle Sounders FC
15. Diego Fagúndez Austin FC

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Gareth Bale is off the mark in MLS

The Wales star scores his first MLS goal in just his second appearanceal

Gareth Bale scored his first MLS goal in just his second appearance, netting Los Angeles FC’s second on the night against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

Bale made his MLS debut last weekend when he came off the bench at Nashville SC, and the Welsh star again came on as a substitute against Sporting KC.

During a counterattack in the 83rd minute, Bale got on the end of a pass from Chicho Arango and cut onto his favored left foot before drilling a low shot past John Pulskamp.

The goal gave LAFC a 2-0 lead, which would end up being the final score.

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Bale is looking to quickly integrate with LAFC’s star attacking duo of Arango and Carlos Vela, and he told reporters after the game that the chemistry between the trio is already coming along nicely.

“It was always going to take some getting used to play with new players. I think we understand each other very well. Good forward players always work off each other and know where to be off the ball and on the ball,” Bale said of Vela and Arango. “They’ve been amazing since I’ve been here. They are both great players and hopefully we can keep gelling and score a lot more goals together.”

Watch Gareth Bale’s first MLS goal

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Gareth Bale insists he’s not joining LAFC as a rent-a-player

The winger hinted at staying with the MLS outfit through 2024 and beyond

Gareth Bale is well aware of the perception of his transfer to Los Angeles FC.

Join a MLS club, make a little money, play a few games and, most importantly, stay in shape for a shot at glory with Wales at the 2022 World Cup. After that, there wouldn’t be much reason for Bale to stick around for a whole lot longer.

But at his introductory press conference on Monday, Bale insisted that he is in it for the long haul with LAFC, bringing up the possibility of staying through the 2024 European Championship, or even the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s not just a short thing, as I said. Also [it] gives me the best opportunity to keep going to the next Euros, maybe further,” the 32-year-old said.

“So my plan is to really work hard. It’s a great physical team, medical staff, performance staff at the training ground. We’ve got a great plan going forward to get me up to speed and hopefully last as long as possible.”

When Bale departed Real Madrid as a free agent at the end of the 2021-22 season, there was speculation that he would retire if Wales did not reach the 2022 World Cup. After the Welsh did in fact reach Qatar, Bale was on the hunt for a new team.

But the winger dismissed any notion that he’d be looking to hang it up after Wales completes its World Cup run.

“Of course I’m up for everything here. I’m still 32, like it says on the board, 33 at the end of the week, so I still have many years to come,” he said. “I haven’t come here just to be here for six months, 12 months. I’ve come to try to be here as long as possible. I want to do as well as I can and I want to try and make my mark on this league, on this team.”

Bale signed a 12-month contract with LAFC through 2023, with an option for a further season. He could make his club debut at Nashville SC on Sunday.
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La nueva dupla que enamora al LAFC: Gareth Bale y Carlos Vela

Gareth Bale es nuevo jugador del equipo de Los Angeles, así lo reveló el propio futbolista en un video en redes sociales

El “Expresso de Cardiff” y “El Bombardero” vaya dupla nos espera a los aficionados de la MLS con la delantera que se armó el LAFC para el resto de la temporada.

Gareth Bale es nuevo jugador del equipo de Los Angeles, así lo reveló el propio futbolista en un video en redes sociales donde porta la indumentaria del equipo de Carlos Vela y con un mensaje “Nos vemos pronto Los Angeles”.

© Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

El ex Real Madrid terminó su vínculo con el equipo merengue y aunque se especuló que podría quedarse en LaLiga con el Getafe, el delantero apostó por la MLS y sin duda es el fichaje bomba de la temporada.

Refuerzos de lujo a un equipo de mucha calidad

No solo es Gareth Bale, el LAFC también sumó al veterano Giorgio Chiellini para reforzar su defensa y ya tenían a Carlos Vela que lidera el equipo y son hoy en día el mejor de toda la MLS.

Bale y Chiellini llegan a un equipo bien armado que está jugando muy bien y en el que tendrán que adaptarse pronto y subirse al tren del buen futbol, aunque claro, siempre es más fácil encajar en un equipo que ya juega bien.

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Gareth Bale reportedly chooses MLS, signs with LAFC

Out of nowhere, LAFC emerges as Bale’s next landing spot

Gareth Bale’s next move appears to be one that will take him across the Atlantic for a stint in MLS.

MLSsoccer.com reported Saturday morning that LAFC will sign the Wales star to a one-year deal in the coming days, and expect to be able to field him when the summer transfer window opens on July 7. That would allow LAFC to give Bale—and Juventus legend Giorgio Chiellini, who recently joined the club—their debuts against the LA Galaxy, as El Tráfico is scheduled for July 8.

Bale’s deal will reportedly not require a Designated Player spot, a rather stunning turn of events given his profile and the fact that as a free agent, he  would join LAFC on a free transfer. According to The Athletic, Bale could extend his deal through the end of the 2024 MLS season, and if that option is taken, his contract would make him a DP.

LAFC would be hoping to add Bale to an attack that already has Carlos Vela, but the question of the Mexican star’s status is still open. ESPN’s Taylor Twellman reported Saturday that Vela had re-signed with LAFC, but the club has made no announcement as of yet.

Bale was previously linked to an MLS move with D.C. United, with the capital club holding his MLS discovery rights at one point. However, talks fizzled earlier this month and according to Twellman, those rights ended up with Inter Miami, who are not pursuing Bale and thus are prepared to trade those rights to LAFC.

Getafe also claimed to have been offered a shot at signing him via his agent, though Bale laughed that suggestion off almost immediately. Signs had been pointing towards Bale signing a short-term deal with his hometown club Cardiff City, with fitness heading into the World Cup his objective.

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