Why Scotland's win over minnows still augurs well for World Cup bid

The National

19 hours ago

Beating Liechtenstein, a landlocked microstate which is sandwiched in between Austria and Switzerland in the European Alps and has a population of little over 40,000 people, will have little if any bearing on the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign.
Only Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Anguilla and San Marino are placed below the soccer minnows in the FIFA World Rankings.
The victory was, to put it bluntly, akin to defeating Coatbridge.
Failing to prevail in their final outing before qualifying gets underway would have been, to borrow a phrase made famous by the late, great STV commentator Arthur Montford, a disaster for Scotland.
This country's opening Group C opponents Denmark will, it is safe to say, provide a far sterner challenge in Copenhagen in September and so will Belarus and Greece thereafter.
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Al of that said, this comfortable four goal win was warmly welcomed for a variety of reasons. For a start, it enabled the national team to put the woeful displays and dire results in their last two outings against Greece back in March and Iceland on Friday night behind them and finish what has at times been a difficult season on a positive note.
The Tartan Army footsoldiers who had made the journey to Liechtenstein enjoyed their evening in the picturesque and sun-drenched ground greatly and will travel back home in fine spirts and with high hopes for the challenges which lie ahead.
There were certainly none of the boos or jeers which were aimed in the direction of manager Steve Clarke by an incensed and disgusted crowd at Hampden last week when it was all over.
Scoring not once, not twice, but three times will have lifted Che Adams no end as well. Yes, the opposition was limited to say the least. However, strikers feed off goals and the Torino man had gone over a year without netting for his country. His previous strike had come in the Euro 2024 warm-up game against Gibraltar in Portugal last June. He will have been buoyed enormously by his hat-trick.
His opener was his seventh at international level and drew him level with Gordon Durie, John Wark, Robert Snodgrass, Billy Dodds, Andy Gray and Joe Harper in the scoring charts. His next moved him alongside Archie Gemmill, Billy Liddell, John Robertson Snr, Bob McPhail and Ralph Brand. His final effort saw him join Paul McStay, Kevin Gallacher, Joe Jordan, Davie Wilson, Tommy Walker and Ian St John. That is exalted company indeed.
(Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) The visitors made no fewer than six substitutions during the course of the 90 minutes. But the former Southampton player remained on for the duration. For obvious reasons. His manager was keen for his first choice marksman to claim a hat-trick. He did so in the second minute of injury time with just seconds remaining when he nodded a Connor Barron cutback in.
He became the first Scotland player to score three times in one game since John McGinn did so against San Marino back in 2019.
One of the most memorable goals that Adams, who has had an excellent debut season in Italy, has scored in a dark blue jersey came against Denmark in a Qatar 2022 qualifier in Glasgow back in 2021. He will fancy his chances of adding to his tally against the top seeds in the section in a few months after this morale-boosting runout.
George Hirst will not be short of self-belief either if he is given the nod by Clarke in the meeting with the Scandinavians. The Ipswich Town man was perhaps the only Scotland player who received pass marks during the sorry Iceland debacle. He once again showed why he had been preferred to his more experienced compatriot in attack with a bright and intelligent display.
Hirst revelled in the 4-4-2 formation which his manager switched to and opened his account for his adopted homeland in the second half following good work by Anthony Ralston and Adams. The latter flicked on a cross with his head and the striker buried it from close range. It was just his fourth appearance for his country.
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It was a classic poacher's effort. Still, he was in the right place at the right time and there is a knack in that. His personal showing, then, augurs well for the future. So too did the fact that Tommy Conway of Middlesbrough came on and got more game time in attack and Kieron Bowie of Hibernian joined him.
Bowie was one of no fewer than five debutants. Ross Doohan, the Aberdeen keeper who looks poised to join Celtic this summer, was only called up at the weekend in the wake of the injuries which Angus Gunn and Robby McCrorie suffered on Friday night. He had next to nothing to do. Still, he will have benefitted from the experience. So will Barron of Rangers, Andy Irving of West Ham, Josh Doig of Sassuolo.
(Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) Lennon Miller of Motherwell made his bow for Scotland against Iceland. But he started next to Billy Gilmour in the centre of midfield and acquitted himself maturely. He set up his side's second when he pinched the ball off of Nicolas Hasler on the edge of the Liechtenstein penalty box and fed Adams ahead of him.
It was also encouraging to see Nathan Patterson, who has had such a torrid time of it with injuries since moving to Everton, take over from Ralston and add to his haul of caps. He has been a potent weapon for his country in the past and can be so again if he can get a run of games for his club.
It was, it should not be forgotten, only Liechtenstein. But anyone who can remember the narrow and nail-biting Euro 2012 wins over them in 2010 and 2011 will have been relieved by the ease with which the away triumph was secured. It gives Scotland fans a glimmer of hope for the future.