Scotland have gone a long way under Steve Clarke. The shot that sealed their greatest journey certainly did. Kenny McLean was inside his own half when he let fly, a 50-yard shot in the play-off against Denmark to book a 3,000-mile flight across the Atlantic. McLean’s was the third wonder goal Scotland scored on one astonishing evening; Lawrence Shankland’s close-range finish was rather overshadowed by Scott McTominay’s overhead kick and Kieran Tierney’s long-range curler even before McLean added his injury-time entry to the goal-of-the-game contest.
It tapped into Scotland’s rich history. There have been tragicomic failures, a perennial inability to get out of the group, but also the moments of brilliance that lend hope. Scotland’s first World Cup in the Americas featured the goal that – with apologies to McLean, McTominay and Tierney – surely still ranks as the greatest in their country’s colours; Archie Gemmill’s slaloming strike against a Netherlands team who nevertheless reached the 1978 World Cup final, but only after losing to Scotland. “Ally’s army” nonetheless failed to conquer Argentina, manager Ally McLeod’s confidence looking more like delusion.
Now a Miami meeting with Brazil promises to evoke memories of their 1982 meeting and the David Narey thunderbolt that put Scotland ahead. The Scots were to lose 4-1 and to exit a third consecutive World Cup on goal difference.
All of which may have a pertinence again. Scotland are in a pool with 2022 semi-finalists Morocco and perennial contenders Brazil. Scotland and the Selecao seem drawn to each other: this is a fifth meeting and a stalemate in 1974 brought the Scots’ only point. Morocco beat them 3-0 in 1998, when such a scoreline could rank as more of a surprise.
Logic may suggest Scotland’s best chance of progressing is among the better third-placed finishers, involving having a respectable goal difference and beating Haiti. Scotland’s past indicates that is no guarantee: they drew with Iran in 1978 and lost to Costa Rica in 1990. They enter their ninth World Cup with just four wins so far: against Zaire, as they were called then, in 1974, Netherlands in 1978, New Zealand in 1982 and Sweden in 1990.
It tapped into Scotland’s rich history. There have been tragicomic failures, a perennial inability to get out of the group, but also the moments of brilliance that lend hope. Scotland’s first World Cup in the Americas featured the goal that – with apologies to McLean, McTominay and Tierney – surely still ranks as the greatest in their country’s colours; Archie Gemmill’s slaloming strike against a Netherlands team who nevertheless reached the 1978 World Cup final, but only after losing to Scotland. “Ally’s army” nonetheless failed to conquer Argentina, manager Ally McLeod’s confidence looking more like delusion.
Now a Miami meeting with Brazil promises to evoke memories of their 1982 meeting and the David Narey thunderbolt that put Scotland ahead. The Scots were to lose 4-1 and to exit a third consecutive World Cup on goal difference.
All of which may have a pertinence again. Scotland are in a pool with 2022 semi-finalists Morocco and perennial contenders Brazil. Scotland and the Selecao seem drawn to each other: this is a fifth meeting and a stalemate in 1974 brought the Scots’ only point. Morocco beat them 3-0 in 1998, when such a scoreline could rank as more of a surprise.
Logic may suggest Scotland’s best chance of progressing is among the better third-placed finishers, involving having a respectable goal difference and beating Haiti. Scotland’s past indicates that is no guarantee: they drew with Iran in 1978 and lost to Costa Rica in 1990. They enter their ninth World Cup with just four wins so far: against Zaire, as they were called then, in 1974, Netherlands in 1978, New Zealand in 1982 and Sweden in 1990.
5 months ago
