Melissa Andreatta says debut Scotland defeat gives her ‘baseline' to work from
A 1-0 loss to Austria in the Nations League Group A1 clash at Hampden Park confirmed relegation from the top flight of the competition for the Scots.
The visitors scored the winner in the 62nd minute when attacker Julia Hickelsberger glanced in a header at the near post from a corner.
Although the home side finished the game stronger, Andreatta's new charges ended the match still bottom of the table without a point in five games and will be playing in League B in the next Nations League campaign.
The former Matildas assistant has another chance to put her stamp on the squad when they face the Netherlands away on Tuesday night in their final fixture before they start preparing for the World Cup qualifiers later in the year.
Andreatta said: 'What I've taken is a baseline.
'There's one thing to be training and doing what we're doing and players executing what we're asking of them in a training session and it's another to do it in a match and in a match with that context behind it.
'So I think I have a good baseline now to understand where we're at, in order for us to progress to where we want to be.
'I think you could tell by the fans (second half), there was a frustration, but I think the key part that I take from that is that we had players that took on the information at half-time and made some adjustments to what we were doing and trying to do – and they did that well.
'And then, together with the subs, who were a combination of experienced players and emerging players, they brought on the energy and had a real impact.
'So while it was frustrating not to get some reward from that impact and those changes, I know where we are now, and it's given me some ideas, moving forward.'
Rachel Corsie, 35, who is retiring from football at the end of the game against Netherlands on Tuesday, started on the bench and came on at the beginning of the second half to win her 155th cap and play at Hampden Park for the last time.
Pulling on the armband for one last time at the National Stadium 🏴
©️ @RachelCorsie14 #SWNT | #SCOAUT pic.twitter.com/JWmTtSBxBo
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) May 30, 2025
Andreatta added: 'I'm sure for her, there would have been a lot of emotion and having friends and family there for sure.
'But what I know about Rachel is she's a real team person and she'll be more hurt for the team that we didn't get the result that we all want.
'But she'll quickly refocus as a leader and professional that she is and help the team to bounce back because that's what we need to do now.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
22 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Big players return and youth given chance
Craig Bellamy's side took four points from their opening two games against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia in March. Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points surrounding the Cardiff City Stadium clash. Summer fixtures have proved a major problem for Wales in recent years. Euro 2024 qualification hopes were seriously damaged by defeats to Armenia – then ranked 97th in the world – and Turkey two years ago, and manager Rob Page lost his job after an embarrassing goalless draw with Gibraltar and a 4-0 beating in Slovakia last June. Slipping up against Liechtenstein, who are 205th out of FIFA's 210 ranked nations, would top those disasters, and boss Bellamy will be keen to brush them aside ahead of Monday's challenging test with Belgium in Brussels. Ethan Ampadu and Harry Wilson, arguably Wales' two most important players, are available again after missing the March qualifiers through injury. Leeds captain Ampadu has not played for his country since September due to knee issues, with Bellamy saying Wales do not possess another player with the midfielder's 'number six profile'. Fulham forward Wilson has been on fire since Bellamy took charge, scoring four times in six games as Wales won promotion to the top tier of the Nations League last autumn. Wales great Joe Allen has retired since the last international camp, calling time on a 77-cap career which saw the former Swansea, Liverpool and Stoke midfielder play at a World Cup and two European Championships. Allen had previously retired from international football in February 2023 before Bellamy persuaded him to return to the Wales fold last autumn. There had been suggestions Allen would prolong his career to make one final Wales appearance in Cardiff, but Bellamy paid tribute to the 35-year-old saying: 'Joe has been one of our greatest players. All I could do was just thank him for this period.' At a time when Desire Doue and Lamine Yamal have proved on the biggest stage that if you are good enough, you are old enough, Wales are nurturing their own young talent. Full-back Ronan Kpakio has been promoted from the Under-19 squad after just six appearances and one league start for Cardiff, while Leeds midfielder Charlie Crew, also 18, is included as well. Whether the pair receive game-time against Liechtenstein remains to be seen, but Bellamy is keen to fast-track high-potential youngsters for them to have experience of the senior environment. Hello! Shall we schedule a friendly match? — Liechtenstein_br (@liechtensteinbr) June 6, 2024 Wales were at a low point last summer after Gibraltar's part-timers held them to a 0-0 friendly draw in Portugal. But that did not stop the official Liechtenstein X account poking fun at the Dragons with a spot of trolling online. 'Hello! Shall we schedule a friendly match?' proclaimed a nation without a competitive victory since 2020. The World Cup draw ensured there was no need for that – and now Wales have the perfect chance for revenge.
Reuters
23 minutes ago
- Reuters
Exclusive: Guardiola dreams of World Cup glory but has no plans to leave City anytime soon
BARCELONA, June 5 - Pep Guardiola has no plans to leave Manchester City anytime soon but the Spaniard has often thought about what it would be like to guide an international team and says he would love to take on the challenge of a World Cup or Euros campaign. "I would love to be in a World Cup, in a Euro, a Copa America,' Guardiola told Reuters in an exclusive interview. 'I have always thought about it. But it depends on many, many things. If it happens, it's fine. If it doesn't happen, it's more than fine as well." After winning 12 domestic top-flight titles across Spain, Germany and England, Guardiola endured a trophyless campaign with City last season, a shock to the system after so much success. While he came in for some stinging criticism over his elite squad's failure on all fronts, Guardiola said he was not interested in "proving the haters wrong' when City start afresh next season. "It's to prove myself that I can do it, I don't want to have those feeling that last season left' he added. "Because when we win, the wine tastes better afterwards, you sleep better. I don't know a manager who loses games and sleeps like a baby. It doesn't happen. You've got to worry. That's part of our life." Top of Guardiola's 'to-do list' is to win another Champions League with City and should they cross paths once more with Real Madrid, his nemesis Carlo Ancelotti will not be in the opposing dugout after the Italian took charge of Brazil. Mere mention of Ancelotti's departure was enough to put a smile on Guardiola's lips. The pair faced each other five times in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, with the Italian coming out on top in all but one. "I'm so happy for him,' Guardiola said. "But I'm so happy that he's not in Madrid anymore because all the time he beats me. That I don't have to handle it anymore." The Spaniard added that it was unrealistic to expect him to win everything every year, and said that even the most successful athletes lose more than they win. "I won 12 domestic leagues in 16 years. It's not bad, I would say. But you cannot win all the time. I cannot win the Champions League all the time," he added. "Michael Jordan, the best athlete I've ever seen in my life won six NBA Championships in 15 years. Tiger Woods, one incredible golf player, Jack Nicklaus, I don't know how many he has. But they lost more Grand Slams than they won. It happens." Enjoying a short holiday in Barcelona, Guardiola said he is just trying to live a "normal life" before football pulls him back in, with City set to play in the revamped Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 to July 13. 'Wake up later and don't be with the players. Try to live what would be a normal life,' Guardiola said. 'Go to a concert, lay down on the sofa, read books. I can play golf when my body allows me. Watch series that people suggest to me during the season to watch, like I'm not able to do. "And I want to tell you something. Usually, I'm going to do the same things as you do in your life.'
The National
29 minutes ago
- The National
Philippe Clement touts Rangers ace for EPL transfer
The midfielder is on international duty with Belgium and has two massive games against North Macedonia tonight and Wales on Monday in their World Cup qualifiers. Axed ex-Ibrox boss Clement handed the captain's armband to Raskin for their Old Firm win against Celtic in January with James Tavernier injured. And, in an interview in his homeland, Clement has tipped Raskin for the top. He said: "I think he's ready. I'm convinced Nico would fit perfectly in the Premier League. "I'm not saying he would be in a top six team now. But just below that, so he can calmly adapt to the level. "Make no mistake: Nico has a lot of room to grow. "He has to make the right choice now. And if he leaves and gets enough playing time at his new club, he will only get better. I would put my hand in the fire for that." And Clement, who turned down the chance to manage Sparta Prague last week and is still without a job, was full of praise for how much Raskin has improved. He said: "He's a character. I worked with him intensively for a year at Rangers. Nico wants to know everything, gets into discussions and has his own opinion. But if you communicate and argue clearly, there's no problem at all. "I like players with an opinion. I didn't just give him the captain's armband for nothing. That way he could grow as a footballer and take on more responsibility. "He has good feet and plays energetic football, but the most important step Nico has taken is that he has become tactically stronger. Read more: "That's why he was ready for the national team - something I said six months ago. I've talked to him about it a lot. "Nico was a firefighter. You know? He often went somewhere else to put out fires and that caused problems in his zone. He doesn't do that anymore. "I wasn't surprised when he played so well for Belgium on his debut. "He's played a lot of European matches. Both with Standard Liege and Rangers. When you play against teams like Manchester United, Spurs, Benfica or Real means it's nothing new for him to play against top players. "Playing for his country was a huge honour for him. Nico benefits from that - he's a born winner.'
