Gareth Bale steals shot off James Rodriguez's boot and misses
Games without Cristiano Ronaldo are big occasions at Real Madrid. Every time the reigning Ballon d’Or winner is out of the picture (in this case for a suspension), there’s a chance for one of his supporting players to step up. On Saturday against Real Sociedad, Gareth Bale desperately wanted to be that player.
The Welshman didn’t have a bad game by any stretch. But he made himself a talking point late in the first half when this happened.
Bale intercepted a Karim Benzema pass that looked to be intended for James Rodriguez and sent his effort wide of the target when James was better placed for the shot. The former Spurs man was whistled by the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu and, after the match, a fresh round of allegations of him being “selfish” surfaced in the Spanish press.
On the one hand, it can all be seen as an overreaction for an inconsequential miss in a match that, despite having gone down a goal in the first minute, Madrid won comfortably 4-1. Bale, to his credit, did set up Benzema for Madrid’s third goal, after James cancelled out Aritz Elustondo’s opener and Sergio Ramos headed Los Blancos into the lead. Benzema, who put in the outstanding performance on the day, added a beautifully curled effort that settled the score with 15 minutes remaining.
With his tasteful assist for Benzema’s first goal, Bale might have gotten off OK had he not been played through on goal late in the game. With an unmarked Chicharito streaming goal-wards on his right, Bale chose instead to fire a shot directly at Sociedad keeper Geronimo Rulli.
Again, the missed chance was inconsequential as Madrid was already up 4-1. But after the match, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti was forced to defend Bale. The Welshman does have priors after all, and was publicly dressed down earlier this month by Ronaldo for failing to pass. From the look on James’ face, it was clear the Colombian was equally unhappy with Bale after today’s incident.
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Whether you call it selfishness or poor judgment, Bale’s individualistic tendencies could become a liability for Madrid at some point, especially in the latter stages of the Champions League or this season’s tight three-way La Liga race.
Despite insisting that he remains happy at Real Madrid, Bale is clearly feeling pressure to perform. He came to Real expecting to play second fiddle to Ronaldo, but he may not have counted on competition from the likes of James. The idea of Real Madrid selling Bale seemed unthinkable, but now it seems slightly less so ‐ especially with the lingering rumors about Manchester United preparing a $180 million bid for him in the summer.
But summer is a long way off and, currently, Bale is at risk of becoming the odd man out at Real Madrid. For an attacking player with his talents, it’s important not to try and force things. With his quality and the exceptional players surrounding him, there are plenty of goals and assists to go around. There's no need to be selfish.
