GLASGOW, Scotland — Scotland delivered a shocking 2-0 loss to Spain for the first time in almost 40 years on Tuesday.
Here are three thoughts on the Euro qualifying action from Glasgow:
Luis de la Fuente’s changes backfire
It’s common to see soccer coaches keep their starting XI’s consistent after convincing wins.
Not de la Fuente. Spain’s coach decided to make eight changes to the side that defeated Norway 3-0 on Saturday in Málaga.
Alex Balde had an assist on Saturday and was named among the reserves. The other three defenders that held Norway to two shots on target took a seat on the touchline. Dani Olmo scored the first goal of the de la Fuente era and was rewarded with a place among the substitutes. Ditto for Gavi, Iago Aspas and Álvaro Morata, who didn’t play great against Norway but were also far from awful.
The only newcomers who earned their place on the pitch were Osasuna center-back David García and the in-form Joselu. García did well to stifle Lyndon Dykes from getting on the ball and holding up the play for Scotland to get numbers forward. Joselu managed two well-taken headers in quick succession, one of which smacked the crossbar after beating Angus Gunn.
Although no one played especially well, Pedro Porro and Mikel Oyarzabal struggled the most. Porro’s crosses were off target and his inability to shield the ball led to Scotland’s first goal, which instigated a constant chorus of boos every time he touched the ball thereafter. Oyarzabal looked miles off the pace of the game and was sloppy in possession and lazy slow on the transition. Both were substituted at half-time but arguably shouldn’t have lasted more than twenty minutes.
Oyarzabal’s replacement, Nico Williams, deserves a mention for injecting a bit of energy into the game with his ability to dazzle on the ball. He might have actually had a goal contribution if the rest of his team had found even half of the quality that they showed against Norway.
Scotland’s passion is unmatched
“We love being the underdog.”
Those were Steve Clarke’s words to the press leading up to the match. It may have been a simple call to action to his players in their final preparations, but the coach unknowingly delivered a perfect forecast of the grit shown by his side against the Spanish.
This will not be a performance remembered for its beauty or grace but for the way every player in a blue jersey threw themselves with reckless abandon into challenge after challenge all over the pitch. Whether it was Aaron Hickey shoving Oyarzabal to the ground or Andy Robertson toying with an inexperienced Spanish right flank, Scotland battled their way into the opponents’ minds and refused to release their vice grip until the referee blew his final whistle.
32% possession. 63% passing accuracy. One successful cross out of 14. At the end of the day, none of it will matter to Steve Clarke’s men because they paraded out of Hampden Park with the most important stat of them all: three points.
With Norway and Georgia playing to a 1-1 tie, Scotland sits comfortably atop Group A with six points after two games. Expect the bagpipes to be heard all across the countryside as the Tartan Army celebrate well into the night.
Scott McTominay is the hero Scotland never knew it needed
Before this international break, McTominay had one goal for his country in 36 appearances.
He now has five.
With his second-half brace against Cyprus, the 26-year-old midfielder forced his way into Scotland’s starting XI on Tuesday. However, McTominay has only made five starts for Manchester United since the World Cup, so it was a decision that still carried quite a bit of risk given the lack of game time.
In the seventh minute, Pedro Porro sloppily turned the ball over under pressure from Andy Robertson in the corner. The Liverpool left-back found his way to the byline for a cutback to the center of the 18-yard box. In almost identical fashion to his second goal on Saturday, McTominay caressed the ball into the net to open the scoring for the home side.
His second goal came just after play restarted in the second half. An uncharacteristic mistake from Dani Carvajal sent Kieran Tierney dashing down the touchline with the ball at his feet. With the Real Madrid fullback firmly left in the dust, Tierney swung a gorgeous left-footed cross into the penalty area. David García was caught flat-footed and cleared the ball with his thigh only as far as Scott McTominay. As cool as could be, the Manchester United man pounded a volley past Kepa for his second of the night.
Even when he wasn’t in front of goal, McTominay poked and prodded at the Spanish all night. He made two clearances (one with his head and one with an overhead kick) to prevent La Furia Roja from getting anywhere near the Scottish goal. He was dispossessed only once all game and recovered the ball four separate times to restart his side’s attacking movements.
The home team needed someone to step up if they wanted to take down Spain, and McTominay masterfully answered the call with his best game in a Scotland shirt to date.
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