Bale dazzles in a two-man attack

Bale, who has started to be called into question at Madrid, had a match for comfort yesterday. In another environment, in another team and, above all, in another position, he was the star of an encounter that, for his own people, could make him become legendary. Wales won 3-0 in Israel and he scored two goals, one with a great free-kick and the other with a devastating left-footed shot. He provided the one goal that he did not score, with a headed pass to Ramsey. That result places Wales as the leaders of their group, with 11 points, against the nine of Israel. Wales could finally reach a European Championship. They have never done that.

They arrived, yes, and only once, in 1958, to the World Cup finals, after a play-off with Israel. Then the hero was John Charles, the Gentle Giant, as they called him. Now it would be (will be, surely) Bale, who is above his team. So what is happening with him at Madrid? On one hand, not all of Madrid’s opponents are like Israel, not even a few. On the other, and above all it is this, it is that at Madrid he plays in another model, in another position, with other obligations, having to attend to other needs that he generally neglects. That is the difference, and it’s big.

Yesterday he played as one of two strikers, without responsibility for what happened behind him. The problem is that at Madrid there are three strikers, and, as not every opponent is like Israel, the three cannot ignore what happens further back. Of course, the Welshman would be another player at Madrid in a two-man attack but who would you remove to tailor his suit, Cristiano or Benzema? While all three are fit, things are as they are, what happens to him happens to him and the controversy will persecute him if he doesn’t drop back as he is asked. With Wales he is the best of the best and everything is assembled to his liking. It’s his own, but at Madrid he is not worth it.

----------------------------------------------------------------- from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/19e3jwc