Need to use defeat to Netherlands as a learning experience, admits Gareth Bale
Bale comments on Netherlands defeat
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Gareth Bale has asserted that Wales should learn to indulge in the dark arts of football to take down the top sides in international football while acknowledging that the defeat to Netherlands can be used as a learning experience. Wales suffered a last-minute 2-1 defeat on Wednesday.
Wales hosted Netherlands in the Nations League on Wednesday as they looked to continue their positive momentum after ensuring qualification for the 2022 World Cup. Both Wales and Netherlands put out rotated teams after securing crucial victories against Ukraine and Belgium respectively but the Dutch were able to end Wales's impressive unbeaten home run. That was after a last minute winner went their way to secure a 2-1 victory although both sides were unable to capitalize on chances in the first half with all three goals coming in the second.Â
The away side took the lead through Teun Koopmeiners who scored in the 50th minute by emphatically slotting the ball home inside the box. Norrington-Davies then thumped a powerful header home to equalize for the home side but Frenkie de Jong created Wout Weghorst's stoppage winner to seal the deal. In the aftermath, Gareth Bale asserted that Wales should have fouled De Jong in the buildup and admitted that they need to take lessons from the defeat in order to prepare optimally for the 2022 World Cup.
 "It was a difficult game as we didn't have a full-strength squad but the boys that came in worked hard. To get the equaliser and to then concede was gutting but we have to learn the dark arts to take him down. We need to use this as a learning experience. If that happens again in the World Cup, we need to do what we need to do,” Bale told Sky Sports.
