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It
wouldn't be Scotland if glorious victory wasn't immediately followed
by disappointing defeat, but even allowing for the upset in the
Ukraine, Walter Smith and his men enjoyed a pretty decent international
week didn't they?
Beating France, the runners-up at the World Cup just three months
ago, is one of the most spectacular victories that the Scottish
national team has enjoyed in many, many years, perhaps dating back
to those far off days when England would get a thumping at the climax
of the Home International Championships. Given that Scotland crowned
themselves World Champions in 1967 after beating England, for three
glorious days, they could do so again given that France had gained
revenge over Italy back in September. And then there was Ukraine.
Admittedly, for long passages of the first game, France were the
aggressors in the siege of Hampden Park. With the quality players
at their disposal, it was inevitable that Raymond Domenech's side
would enjoy the bulk of possession, just as it was equally apparent
that Scotland would need to be organised, disciplined and utterly
committed to get through the 90 minutes unscathed. They were, they
did. And they did more. Much more. Could you imagine getting that
kind of result back in the Berti Vogts era? No, nor me.
That Gary Caldwell should be the goalscoring hero was pretty unlikely,
yet wholly appropriate given that the win was built on the foundation
of some superb defending, by the side as a whole, but particularly
the back line who, while they rode their luck at times, were fully
entitled to that occasional rub of the green.
Three games, three wins, top of the table and well on the win to
a top two finish that would stun the whole of Europe? Past mistakes
actually prevented too great a sense of euphoria or of too heightened
a sense of expectation. Instead of Walter Smith's side heading east
with the Tartan Army claiming victory before the game had even taken
place, we saw a nation simply relishing a wonderful, surprising
victory, without seeing it as the start of a march towards global
domination. Or maybe nobody had managed to sober up by then.
The performance in the Ukraine was nothing special, but equally,
it wasn't the kind of collapse that has so often followed a terrific
result. It was solid, unspectacular, disciplined. Nobody got carried
away with the previous win, nobody got the red mist and poured forward,
leaving their obligations to the team behind.
Instead, they kept their shape, kept their heads and suggested a
future where Scotland, at last, are becoming a mature, modern football
team, one that's greater than the sum of the parts rather than a
quasi-Braveheart shambles with no tactical understanding. This is
a Scotland side that could become a force.
Of course, defeat was dispiriting, particularly given the circumstances.
A fluke first for Ukraine, Miller missing an absolute sitter, then
the referee going barmy and sending off Pressley and awarding a
penalty that never was - a sliver away from defeat being at least
a draw. But a brief reality check might not be a bad thing in the
long run.
Qualification from this group always was, and still is, a huge ask,
one that is probably beyond Scotland. But the way they conduct themselves,
the way they play and the results they get are absolutely crucial
because they will shape their future World Cup hopes.
Good performances - beating the minnows, beating Ukraine at Hampden,
grabbing another point or more off Italy - will raise Scotland up
the rankings and make a world of difference to the draw for qualification
next time. Yes, getting through to Euro 2008 would be a fantastic
achievement, but theirs is a long term project, a four year reconstruction
job to repair the disaster that Berti built.
As it stands, Scotland are top of the group, nine points and in
great shape.
France are level, Italy are coming up behind, but if they beat us
to the punch, they beat us to the punch - after all, they were World
Cup Finalists. But what Scotland have to look at is the next four
games. Georgia at home, Italy away, the Faores away, Lithuania at
home.
A minimum of nine points is required from those four. Do that, and
this will already have been a successful tournament for the Scots.
A final total of 22 points must be the minimum requirement now from
this competition, that's how high Walter Smith has raised the bar.
Nine points is a good start, but it's not job done.
And it could be worse. They could be England.
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