New York Red Bulls 1 Tottenham 2: Bale hits target to complete miracle recovery

 

Gareth Bale played and scored for Tottenham - just three days after branding Charlie Adam a 'coward' for the tackle that left him in a protective boot.

The Wales international played 74 minutes and hit a second-half equaliser as Spurs secured a 2-1 win against New York Red Bulls in the final match of their US pre-season tour.
Bale and manager Andre Villas-Boas were fuming after Adam's hefty challenge in the 0-0 draw against Liverpool on Saturday left the Spurs winger with an ankle injury.

Fighting fit: Gareth Bale made a swift return to action for Spurs after Charlie Adam's tackle last week

Initially Bale feared he could miss the start of the season, but the forward made a miraculous recovery to play a key role in Tottenham's win in the Big Apple.

 

Bale was the obvious shock name on the Spurs team-sheet, but even more surprisingly he started in an unfamiliar central striker role as Villas-Boas tinkered with his side given the lack of striking options after Jermain Defoe flew home due to a family bereavement.

Meanwhile, Tim Cahill made his Red Bulls debut after completing his move from Everton - while Thierry Henry did not even make the bench.
And the Australia international made an immediate impact, winning his new club a seventh minute penalty when Jan Vertonghen bundled him down in the box after Dax McCarty's pass.
Kenny Cooper was handed the task of giving the home side the lead, and he duly obliged sending Heurelho Gomes the wrong way.

Remember me? Jake Livermore clears the ball ahead of Teemu Tainio at Red Bull Arena

In the wars again, Gareth? The injury-prone Bale is sent tumbling by Wilman Conde

Match facts

Spurs: Gomes; Walker (Naughton), Dawson, Vertonghen (Gallas), Assou-Ekotto (Bassong); Lennon (Smith), Huddlestone (Jenas), Sigurdsson (Kaboul), Livermore (Carroll), Bentley (Kane); Bale (Townsend)
New York: Gaudette; Lade, Holgersson, Conde (Keel), Miller (Ruthven); McCarty, Taino (Solli), Cahill (Palsson), Lindpere (Borrajo); Le Toux (Arteaga), Cooper (Angulo)

Bale nearly equalised in the 12th minute, forcing Red Bulls keeper Bill Gaudette into tipping over his fierce left-footed 20-yard free kick.
The Welshman continued to be a thorn in the MLS club's side, this time playing a neat one-two with Tom Huddlestone who saw his 25 yard drive turned round the post by Gaudette in the 17th minute. And Bale threatened again from the resultant corner, glancing David Bentley's near post corner over the bar.

Eyes on the prize: Jan Vertonghen and Tainio battle for the ball in the Big Apple

New boy: Tim Cahill (right) made his debut

Unusually for a pre-season encounter, the clash at the Red Bulls Arena started at a rapid pace.
But the intensity of the game slowly deteriorated with both sides failing to create a single opportunity after Bale's 17th minute header as half-time approached.
Villas-Boas made three changes at the break, Harry Kane, William Gallas and Jermaine Jenas replacing Vertonghen, Huddlestone and David Bentley.
And Lennon forced Gaudette into a brilliant reflex stop nine minutes into the second period when the keeper expertly tipped over the winger's half-volley from Bale's cross from the left.
However, Spurs dragged themselves level on the hour - and inevitably it was Bale who notched the equaliser, jumping highest in the box to head home Gylfi Sigurdsson's corner.
Four minutes later, Sigurdsson conjured up a moment of magic to put Tottenham in front.
Receiving a pass from substitute Tom Carroll, the Iceland midfielder jinxed his way into the box before unleashing a delightful curled effort with his right foot that floated beyond Gaudette to put Spurs ahead.

Penalty: New Spurs signing Vertonghen (right) trips Cahill (floored) to concede a spot-kick

Dawson then came agonisingly to scoring the tourists' third, hitting the cross bar with a stabbed half-volley after Sigurdsson's corner.
Bale was replaced by Andros Townsend in the 74th minute; happily for Villas-Boas, showing no ill-effect from Adam's controversial challenge on Saturday as Spurs comfortably held on to win the Barclays New York City Cup.