Wales boss Ryan Giggs has insisted that Gareth Bale "remained a threat" throughout the China Cup final with Uruguay.
Bale netted a hat-trick in last week's 6-0 win over China, but the Real Madrid man was unable to get on the scoresheet as the Dragons succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay on Monday.
The forward struggled to make a constant impact against the South Americans, but Giggs has moved to defend his key man.
After the match, Giggs told reporters: "The pitch had a big part to play in it as it wasn't ideal for dribbling or sticking the pass in.
"When Gareth gets the ball of course he is going to have players around him, they're not just going to let him get it.
"They recognise the quality he's got and make it difficult for him. But I thought he was a threat all night."
Wales are next in action when they face Mexico at the end of May.
