It was a goal eight years in the making.
The United States men’s national team opened the scoring against Wales thanks to Tim Weah in the 36th minute.
Weah, a 22-year-old right winger, slipped in the middle of the Welsh defense on a quick counter attack with Christian Pulisic finding him in open space.
Wales goalie Wayne Hennessey rushed out and extended his body to attempt a save, but Weah slotted it past him with the outside of his right boot for a clinical finish.
So far in the first half, the U.S. has played with heavy possession with Wales comfortable sitting back in a 5-3-2 low block. The U.S. had a tough time cracking it until a counter-attacking opportunity arose with Weah not wasting the moment.
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The USMNT entered the half with a 1-0 lead behind Weah's finish, with other chances coming prior to that. Within the first five minutes, a Pulisic corner also looked promising before being cleared.
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Antonee Robinson also put in a good shift at left back, providing Pulisic with multiple overlapping runs on the left-hand flank and delivering crosses towards Josh Sargent. Sargent had two early looks at potentially getting his first ever World Cup goal, but his efforts went fruitless.
Wales failed to test Matt Turner on the other end, with Fulham center back Tim Ream posting a near-faultless display next to Walker Zimmerman. The Fulham chemistry between Ream and Robinson will likely be key going into the second 45 minutes with the Red Dragons poised to get up field far more often than the first half.
