Gareth Bale has been a national treasure in Wales for some time, but he became a modern-day hero Tuesday.
Bale scored both goals for Wales in a comeback 2-1 win over host Andorra at the Estadi Comunal de Aixovall.
Andorra, who embody the moniker “minnows,” took a surprise lead in the sixth minute when Ildefons Lima scored from the penalty spot. It was Andorra’s first goal in a competitive game since 2010.
Bale restored parity in the 22nd minute when he headed Ben Davies’ cross into the net.
But this Wales team is considered its best in generations, and the traveling fans were not happy to see their team struggling to beat the 199th-ranked team in the world.
It took nearly an hour for Bale to put his team ahead for good and his country’s UEFA Euro 2016 qualification campaign on track.
In the 81st minute, Bale struck a free kick, which flew over the wall but dipped under the crossbar, beating the diving goalkeeper.
Bale’s second goal made him a hero back home, but his celebration — copying the signature move of his Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo — reportedly made him the butt of many a joke on the Internet.
Bale isn’t worried about how the Internet (or Ronaldo) will react to his celebration. The Welsh wizard is just happy his team won the game and didn’t have to suffer the indignity of being Andorra’s first scalp in 44 competitive games.
[tweet https://twitter.com/GarethBale11/status/509447555327881218 align=’center’%5D
Wales is trying to qualify for its first major international tournament since 1958. With Ronaldo, er, Bale, on board, things are looking good so far.
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Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@Mailsport
