June 19 – Scotland have bounced back from their opening-night mishap to draw 1-1 against Switzerland and keep their Euro 2024 hopes alive.
At the end of a tense night, Steve Clarke gave a small punch of the air. His team had responded the way he wanted to banish memories of that nightmare in Munich. Relishing the big stage, Scotland played with heart and soul to deliver a spirited performance, get a crucial point and set up a crunch match with Hungary in Group A.
Backed by the Tartan Army who had flooded the cobblestone streets of Cologne’s old town all day, Scotland and Clarke promised they’d show their real face against Switzerland after the 5-1 defeat to Germany.
Clarke bolstered his midfield by introducing Billy Gilmour and Grant Hanley stepped in for the suspended Ryan Porteous in the heart of defence. At the other end, Xherdan Shakiri became the first Swiss player to play in seven major tournaments.
This was Scotland’s most consequential match perhaps since the 1998 World Cup and from the onset, the team demonstrated more grit and commitment than they had shown against Germany. At least, they didn’t concede inside the first ten minutes. A sloppy back pass from Jack Hendry went straight out for a Switzerland corner suggesting Scotland had learned little from their catalogue of mistakes last Friday.
But instead, Scotland went ahead at the other end. They countered to perfection: Andy Robertson slipped in Callum McGregor, who pulled it back to Scott McTominay and the man for the big moments delivered with an attempt that Fabian Schar diverted into his own net.
His strike prompted wild scenes in the Scottish end and a chorus of ‘No Scotland, no party’. At long last, Clarke and his team had arrived at Euro 2024.
Switzerland looked somewhat stunned, but in reality, they had the upper hand, retaining possession and winning a series of corners. Scotland didn’t help themselves. Anthony Ralston played a blind pass infield from the right flank. It was a terrible idea that allowed Shaqiri to strike with an outstanding in-swinging curler, the latest in a series of long-range screamers in the tournament. The number 23 became the only player to score in the last three European Championships and the last three World Cups.
The Swiss smelled blood. Silvan Widmer let fly an attempt from the right channel, Angus Gunn kept out a lethal shot from Dan Ndoye and the number 19 had the ball in the back of the net moments later before the goal was ruled out for offside. An inch or two had saved Scotland, who were playing with fire. A meltdown felt imminent. Ruben Vargas and Ndoye were besting Jack Hendry easily on the left and Switzerland bossed the game.
Scotland’s hard work with intense pressing in the opening phase had been undone. They had lived in dreamland for 13 minutes and held their own against a more accomplished side and yet they found themselves still just a single goal away from almost certain elimination.
At the start of the second half, Switzerland pressed Scotland in a bid to set the tone again. The team in blue found it hard to achieve much and so their fans belted out a loud rendition of ‘O Flower of Scotland’. That did not help the Scottish on the field. Instead, Ndoye spun Kieran Tierney easily but drove his attempt wide. It was another major let-off for Scotland, who still had a price to pay. Tierney was stretchered off with a hamstring injury.
Scotland then came very close when Robertson whipped in a delicious free kick from the right in the 66th minute and Hanley outmuscled Schar to steer a header against the upright. No Scotsmen could connect with the rebound. Clarke’s XI had settled again, gaining territory and refusing to subject themselves to the Swiss, an experienced tournament team.
In a nail-biting last 20 minutes, Scotland pressed forward and McTominay smashed a volley in Zinedine Zidane style against a wall of Swiss defenders, but playing a high line left the team vulnerable and with a simple ball down the middle substitute Breel Embolo was clean through but his little dink was deemed to come from an offside position. Zeki Amdouni then had a free header inside the box that should have won it for Switzerland in the last minute of regulation time.
In the end, Scotland could not find a winner either, but at least, with a point to their name, they can keep dreaming of breaking the glass ceiling and reaching the knockout phase of a major tournament for the first time.
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