It was all so predictable wasn’t it?
10 minutes played in Bordeaux and after surviving a rather hairy moment with Marek Hamšík at the other end, Wales get themselves a free-kick not far away from the Slovakia box.
There was never any doubt who was going to take it.
Gareth Bale, fresh from securing his second Champions League title with Real Madrid a couple of weeks ago, put the ball down.
Up he stepped, guiding the ball over the Slovakian wall with his left foot and beyond the wrong-footed goalkeeper.
Weirdly enough, Gareth Bale’s first goal for his country came from a direct free-kick almost a decade ago in Ocotber 2006. The opponents? Slovakia.
After so, so long without major tournament football, this is the perfect start for the Welsh.
Just look what it meant to the Wales team…
And just look what it meant to the Welsh fans in the stadium…
https://twitter.com/talkingbaws/status/741668025234030592
Unsurprisngly, Twitter errupted:
BALE YOU BEAUTY! Love that!
— Spencer (@SpencerOwen) June 11, 2016
https://twitter.com/LeKingOfBanter/status/741670479174459392
https://twitter.com/welcomebrand/status/741664623280181248
The BBC Wales Twitter account changed its name in tribute:
For others, it was an excuse to bring back the fact that one of the greatest attacking players in world football was once used in a defensive role.
Imagine having Bale in your team but playing him at left back !
— David Price (@Priceyd101) June 11, 2016
And then there was the ones that were more concerned with moaning about the terrible goalkeeping by the Slovakian goalkeeper.
Slovakian goalkeeper has clearly got Bale in his fantasy team
— Saint Raymond (@Callum_SR) June 11, 2016
Good goal by Bale but the goalkeeper did horribly there.
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) June 11, 2016
