Ewan Murray was at Hampden this afternoon. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Clarke 'not sure' about Gilmour injury
Scotland coach Steve Clarke talks to the BBC. “I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t happy with the start … you know me … I don’t think the game reflects how well Curaçao played … the scoreline ran away from them a little bit … 11 v 11, we had a little bit of work to do to get back into the game … I would rather have had that 11 v 11 challenge … but a win’s a win and it’s good for the crowd to see a few goals … and we’re on the plane tomorrow! … we had to get a lot of players on the pitch … quite a lot of them have not had many minutes during the second half of the season and I think that showed at the start … one request was no injures and we’ve lost Billy [Gilmour] … we’re not too sure how bad it is … he’s going to be assessed overnight … fingers crossed the wee man’s fine.”
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Post-match postbag. “I’m broadly in agreement with Simon McMahon (82 mins) with regards to the results, except that I’d have us going down valiantly against Brazil, nearly beating Morocco and not putting quite enough goals past Haiti. Basically, whichever way you cut it, I reckon (optimistically) three/four points and then out on goal difference. It’s the hope that kills you, and I absolutely refuse to get fooled again” – James Humphries
“If Dykes, Gilmour and Christie wait a few weeks, maybe they can get matching World Cup winners tattoos?” – Simon McMahon
Findlay Curtis, who at the age of 19 scored his first international goal this afternoon, gives a charming interview to the BBC. “I’m buzzing … it’s everything I dreamed of … obviously I’m delighted to get the spot for the World Cup … it’s a dream come true …my mum and dad are in Tenerife! … I hope they’re watching with pride! … it was a massive decision to come to Kilmarnock and it’s paid off really well … hopefully we can do something no Scotland team has done before and get through to the knockouts … I’m a versatile player … I just love playing football … I work hard … I cannot believe what’s going on at the minute … I just need to soak it all up … I’m really delighted … passport is ready … it’s going to be a dream come true.”
The BBC get the Curaçao angle from their boss Dick Advocaat. “The way we played the first half was really well … til the moment we started playing with ten, it was quite difficult and you could see the difference in quality … we have seen some good things … also some bad things … we made it difficult for ourselves … the most important thing is we learn from it … I didn’t see [the red card] that well but I heard you could give it, or not give it … the referee was not used to refereeing this kind of game, in my opinion … even 11 against 11 we could lose 4-1 against a team like Scotland … we are an outsider … everything is still possible in football … I was more lucky [at Hampden] normally with Rangers, but not today! … but to be in Scotland is always a good feeling.”
Lyndon Dykes comes over to talk to the BBC. “A good performance … we wanted to end on a high … we started a little bit ropey … but in the end it was a great result … a great performance … you have to give credit to [Curaçao] … their attacking players are decent on the ball … a game for us to get minutes in the legs … we ended professionally … good to see a few boys get on the scoresheet … we’re all buzzing to get away … if we could make this a club, it’d be brilliant! … just sign the whole team, would be great! … we’re a team … we’re united … that’s credit to the manager … we all want to get out of the group … be history makers … it’s not going to be easy … we have to make sure we’re on it … we have a few youngsters coming in.”
He also reports that he, Billy Gilmour and Ryan Christie plan to get World Cup themed tattoos.
Lawrence Shankland speaks to the BBC. “We wanted to go to America on the back of a win … it was important we got that … the start of the game was quite difficult … they got into the lead … but once we found our way, we obviously got fortunate with the red card, but we looked the only team that was going to score … obviously as a striker you want to get on the scoresheet … I’m grateful I did that … it puts us in a good place for America … it’s special … it’s where you want to be … it’s an honour … we’re all looking forward to it.”
Yes, yes, Curaçao were down to ten men for over half of the match, so that’s a caveat with an asterisk and associated footnotes. But Scotland did well to respond to falling behind – we’ve seen them lose face in situations like that plenty of times before – and that’s a morale-boosting win whichever way you spin it. Plenty of their players had a good day: two goals for Lawrence Shankland, some exciting wingplay from Ben Gannon-Doak, a breakout statement by Findlay Curtis, and a man-of-the-match performance from Ryan Christie. Throw in a busy cameo from Lyndon Dykes, and that was a good day at the office. Just keep fingers crossed that Billy Gilmour’s tweak wasn’t too serious. Next stop New Jersey, and a final warm-up match against Bolivia!
FULL TIME: Scotland 4-1 Curaçao
Scotland go off to the USA having won their first Hampden friendly for over a decade!
90 min +3: … which is only half cleared, and Noslin sends a screamer goalwards from 30 yards. Kelly parries, his second eye-catching save of the afternoon.
90 min +2: … which Dykes heads powerfully clear. But the ball comes back at Scotland, and Christie is forced to head behind for another Curaçao corner …
90 min +1: Antonisse sends a delicious curler in from the right. Kelly prepares to catch, but Hanley gets in ahead and eyebrows over the keeper and wide left. Hmm. Corner for Curaçao …
90 min: There will be three additional minutes.
89 min: A ball into the Scotland box from the left. Fonville makes an awful mess of his header. Another reminder that for all Scotland’s fine play up front, their defence isn’t quite up to Arsenal standards. They will concede chances this summer, let’s make peace with it.
88 min: McLean strides down the middle and has a dig from the best part of 35 yards. It’s almost tap-in range for McLean, to be fair. But he really creams it! It’s heading in, swerving all over the shop, and Room is forced to take serious action, again slapping clear from under his bar. That would have been quite the companion piece to his worldie against Denmark!
86 min: Wilson bursts into the box down the right, scampering after Christie’s neat pass. He wins a corner. Christie sends a viciously curling ball into the mixer, and Room is forced to punch clear from under his crossbar. So nearly a spectacular goal.
84 min: Fletcher’s corner from the left leads to another, which Christie will send in from the right … and straight into Room’s arms.
83 min: Scotland are enjoying themselves now, Patterson crossing low from the right, Dykes whip-cracking a first-time shot across Room and towards the top left. Room adjusts and sticks out a strong arm to tip over. That’s fine play all round.
82 min: Kastaneer is booked for cynically tripping Hanley from behind. “I’m getting 1982 vibes, Scott. 5-2 v Haiti, a setback against Morocco, 2-2 v Brazil. But this time it’s enough to qualify for the knockouts, and then we all can dream.” Simon McMahon may or may not have scratched and sniffed the entry on 70 min.
GOAL! Scotland 4-1 Curaçao (Christie 81 pen)
Christie whips the penalty down the middle … a little bit to the right, in fact … with Room going the wrong way. It’s four!
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Penalty for Scotland
80 min: Curtis is sent into the Scotland box down the left by Ralston. He chops back, only to be cleaned out by Gaari. Not loads of contact … but enough. The referee points to the spot.
79 min: Kelly enjoyed that, sharing a good laugh with Gordon on the touchline. Gordon didn’t really have that much to do, and wasn’t at fault for the goal, so. Compare and contrast to his replacement, who is currently working at a ratio of one spectacular save per minute.
78 min: That’s Robertson’s last act of the afternoon. He’s replaced by Ralston. There’ll be no hat-trick for Shankland, who is replaced by Wilson. And Gordon makes way in goal for Kelly … who is immediately put to work by Kastaneer’s well-struck drive! He parries well, and Noslin shanks the rebound wide. Not much time to find his feet there, eh?
76 min: Noslin clips Patterson out on the right flank. A free kick and a chance to load the box. Robertson delivers, but his cross is too fiercely struck for Hyam to meet it at the far post. Goal kick.
75 min: Curtis really does look the business. A couple of crosses from the left in quick succession. Both are hacked clear, but the Hampden faithful applaud appreciatively.
73 min: … Shankland swings a leg at Fletcher’s delivery but swishes thin air. He’s built up plenty of moral credit today, he’s allowed that.
72 min: … but that isotonic break jiggers Scotland’s rhythm a bit. Eventually Robertson moves up a gear and wins a corner down the left off Floranus. From which …
70 min: Another drinks break. All good prep for the tournament.
68 min: Fletcher is booked for sliding through the back of Kastaneer. That was pretty clumsy, especially in front of a referee who’s already flashed his red card today.
67 min: Fletcher chases after a pass down the right, traps on the byline, but can’t find Shankland in the middle with his cutback. Scotland are rampant now. You’ve got to type that sentence while you can.
65 min: It’s nearly a speedy hat-trick for Shankland, who is sent into space down the middle by Dykes. But he’s not able to get a clean strike away. Room deals with it.
GOAL! Scotland 3-1 Curaçao (Shankland 64)
Another in short order for Shankland! McLean advances down the middle and finds Dykes on the left-hand edge of the D. Dykes plays a clever pass across the face of the box for Shankland, who creams a shot across Room and into the bottom left!
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62 min: Robertson crosses from the left. Christie stoops to head wide of the bottom-left corner. The hosts well on top now.
61 min: Curaçao make a double change, sending on Noslin and Antonisse in place of Juninho Bacuna and Comenencia.
GOAL! Scotland 2-1 Curaçao (Shankland 59)
The resulting corner’s worked back up the right touchline for Christie, who whips a low cross into the box. Shankland meets it, ten yards out, cracking a first-time shot into the right-hand side of the net. A lovely, crisp finish!
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58 min: McLean whips a cross in from the left. Too high for Dykes. Shankland is lurking behind, so Comenencia is forced to intervene, sending a diving header over his own bar. Comenencia so close to becoming the Sandy Brown de nos jours.
57 min: Curtis digs out a cross from the left. Shankland cushions the ball down for Christie, who pearls a shot from the edge of the D towards the bottom left. Room saves well. That was great play from Scotland, who have a new star in Findlay Curtis.
55 min: The Curaçao captain Leandro Bacuna is replaced by Roemeratoe.
53 min: … but that’d surely be just a fever dream. Patterson probes down the right, and though his cross is blocked, the ball comes back to him and he tries to sidefoot a first-time half-volley goalwards. Over the bar it flies. Decent effort, to be fair.
52 min: Hanley plays a godawful pass out from the back that goes nowhere near a blue shirt. Chong advances on the Scotland box but can’t get a proper shot away. Dear me, though. If Scotland somehow manage to lose to the ten men of Curaçao …
51 min: Leandro Bacuna scores three rugby points with an overly ambitious free kick, 35 yards from goal.
49 min: Christie and Shankland combine crisply down the right, the latter testing Room with a drive from 12 yards. Chong tries to launch a counter, and is stopped illegally by McLean, who goes into the book.
48 min: … then suddenly turn it up a notch, Robertson swinging in a cross from the left that Dykes nearly gets on the end of. Room claims.
47 min: Scotland start the second half patiently …
Curaçao get the ball rolling again, having made one change: they send on Kastaneer for Bazoer. Meanwhile Scotland make five switches, sending on Dykes, Hanley, Hyam, Patterson and Fletcher for Hickey, Souttar, McKenna, Hirst and Gannon-Doak.
Half-time entertainment. Seeing we were on the subject of We Have A Dream …
HALF TIME: Scotland 1-1 Curaçao
An eventful first half comes to an end in farcical circumstances, as Room, busy ranting at the referee, is accidentally showered by a pitchside sprinkler. A comedy basic that never fails to tickle.
45 min +6: Robertson creams a shot over the bar from a tight angle on the left. Then Curtis crosses low from the same flank, but the ball rolls behind Hirst.
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45 min +5: Curtis is popping up everywhere. Full of energy after his first international goal.
45 min +3: … and that leads to a brief outbreak of head tennis, before Curaçao clear their lines.
45 min +2: The second of six additional minutes. Gannon-Doak wins a corner down the right …
45 min +1: That was a cute finish by Curtis. Not much power, but that wasn’t the point. It was all about precision, a neat first touch, and taking the shot early.
GOAL! Scotland 1-1 Curaçao (Curtis 45)
What an introduction by Curtis! A mere couple of minutes after coming on, he latches onto McLean’s pass down the inside-left channel, takes a touch inside the box, and dribbles a shot across Room and into the bottom right! The mood changes instantly!
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44 min: If the game was bitty before, it’s positively in pieces after that VAR check and the pause for Gilmour’s injury.
42 min: Gilmour looks really unhappy for a minute or so. Then, thankfully, appears slightly less flustered as he gets up and walks off the pitch and down the tunnel. No limp. Curtis comes on in his place. Hopefully this substitution is just precautionary. Fingers crossed, everyone.
40 min: Gilmour pings a pass wide right for Gannon-Doak, then hops, spins, and signals to the bench before going down. That doesn’t look good. There was no contact, just a reaction as he sidefooted the ball to his team-mate. He’s holding his right knee.
39 min: Dick Advocaat is furious as well, railing at the fourth official. But that’s surely displacement. He’ll be raging at his player’s stupidity.
RED CARD: Locadia (Curaçao)
38 min: VAR gets involved. How badly did Locadia catch Hickey? Pretty badly, as it turns out. An elbow planted on the side of Hickey’s face as Locadia comes across. The referee goes over to the screen, and has no option. Red card. Locadia is fuming, but what a daft thing to do.
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36 min: Chong thinks he’s got the better of Hickey down the left, but the full-back wins a grapple. Chong doesn’t get the foul he thinks he deserves, and throws a toddler’s tantrum. Hickey gets on with the job of clearing the ball, and is cleaned out by Locadia for his trouble. The whistle goes, and the ref books both of the Curaçao players.
34 min: Christie dribbles hard down the left. For a second, it looks as if a route through to goal will open up for him, but Curaçao shut the door, and there are no options in the middle.
32 min: Hampden is not exactly en fête right now. That early party atmosphere has long dissipated.
30 min: Gannon-Doak has looked really lively, and here he is again, winning the ball 35 yards from goal and immediately haring off down the inside-right channel. He hits a low shot-cum-cross that’s easily snaffled by Room. Gannon-Doak has been a plus point for Scotland, who desperately need one.
28 min: Good news, Hickey’s back up and is OK to continue. He is still feeling that shoulder gingerly, though.
27 min: Hickey dribbles infield from the right, before being shoved from behind by Fonville. He falls awkwardly on his left shoulder, and stays down awhile. Hampden falls silent; Hickey’s been so unfortunate with injuries. Not another, surely?
25 min: A drinks break. Everyone getting into the rhythm ahead of the World Cup.
23 min: Hickey curls a cross in from the right. The ball doesn’t quite drop to Hirst. Curaçao half-clear. McLean sends another ball in from the left. Hirst meets this one, heading powerfully towards the bottom right. Room gets down to claw the ball away.
21 min: That goal was brought to you by Chrysler automobiles. Hampden is sort of shocked. Not that shocked, though. We’ve been here before. “I told you, dog!” yelps James Humphries. “I warned you about the football gods, bro! I mean, after a certain point you just have to laugh, eh? (weeps into beer)”
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19 min: Scotland nearly respond immediately, Hirst chasing Christie’s neat pass down the left channel into the box. Hirst tries to round Room on the outside, but the keeper touches the ball away to save the day for the visitors.
GOAL! Scotland 0-1 Curaçao (Chong 17)
The smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup take the lead! And in some style! Chong spins on the halfway line and takes off down the inside-right channel, leaving McKenna for dead, then sending Souttar off to the shops, dropping a shoulder to shift infield, and into the box. He creams a low drive into the bottom right, and well, this story is as old as time.
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15 min: Gilmour creams a diagonal pass to Gannon-Doak on the right touchline. The crowd coo as the winger kills the ball stone dead, before tearing off down the wing. He can’t quite get the better of Fonville, who stays strong, but that was promising play from both Gilmour and Gannon-Doak. Hampden enjoyed it.
13 min: Now it’s Scotland’s turn to do some clipping, Gimour catching Juninho Bacuna on the edge of the Scottish D. But the referee waves play on. It’s all a bit scrappy at the moment, tell the truth.
11 min: Hickey threatens to burst down the right but is nudged over by Juninho Bacuna. The Bacuna brothers putting themselves about during these early exchanges.
9 min: Gilmour is clipped late in the centre circle by Curaçao captain Leandro Bacuna, and isn’t too happy about it. When play restarts, Scotland push forward, Christie teeing up Robertson, haring in from the left. Robertson hits a shot with the passion of a man who may be wondering whether he should have bided his time and outwaited Arne Slot. It’s a fierce skelp, but always heading wide right.
7 min: Juninho Bacuna dribbles into the Scotland box from the left, but Gilmour gets in the way, intercepting, dribbling back out of the box, and clearing. Neat play all round.
6 min: Shankland sends Gannon-Doak off down the right. He skedaddles away from Fonville and tries to float an ambitious effort across Room in the Curaçao goal and into the top left. Over it goes. That would certainly have been something, had it gone in.
4 min: Chong drops deep, pinging a clever diagonal down the left for Fonville to chase. Gannon-Doak is on point to cover and intercept. Good to see the Bournemouth winger back.
3 min: Christie is clipped by Gaari out on the left touchline. Robertson swings the free kick into the mixer. Hirst eyebrows the ball wide right, with Souttar better placed behind him. Decent delivery though.
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2 min: A first touch for Hirst, who sends a simple pass straight out of play. Good to get the first groan of the afternoon out of the way early doors.
1 min: Curaçao are on the front foot immediately. Of course they are. Locadia presses down the left but can’t get the better of Hickey. Goal kick.
Scotland get the ball rolling. The Big Send-Off! “As soon as I saw that ‘big send-off’ bit I knew what was coming next,” writes James Humphries. “But jeezo man, you don’t need to provoke the football gods, surely?”
But first, the national anthem. “Well, somebody’s got to, haven’t they?” shrugs Simon McMahon. “Before reality bites, again.”
The teams are out! Scotland in blue, Curaçao in yellow. A fun atmosphere at Hampden. No Chrysler Avenger sponsorship. We’ll be off in a minute or three.
Steve Clarke talks to BBC Scotland. “First time in 28 years … a great story for Scotland but also a great story for Curaçao, so what a nice game to have … five of the more regular members of the squad won’t be here today … Ross Stewart felt something in his knee so there’s no point risking him … the ones on the pitch have plenty about them, so hopefully a good performance and a good result … a chance to be on the pitch, so show us what you can do … a good performance, no injuries, a win would be nice as well … we expect a tough game … they are a small nation but have players who have come through the Dutch system … they know how to play.”
Curaçao are not without star names themselves. Their captain Leandro Bacuna spent a decade in England, splitting his time between Aston Villa, Reading, Cardiff and Watford; his brother Juninho sandwiched a brief spell at Rangers with longer stints at Huddersfield and Birmingham. Defender Armando Obispo plays for Dutch champions PSV, while their attack consists of Jurgen Locadia, once of Brighton, and Sheffield United’s Tahith Chong.
Curaçao gaffer Dick Advocaat, formerly of Rangers, speaks to the BBC. “My family and myself had the best time in Scotland … the people are very kind … [today’s line-up] is the strongest side I can bring … it is important to see the way we play … we have a quite difficult group … the expectations are not that high … but without expectation you can still do something … most of my teams are well-organised … everyone knows what to do … I expect a good game from us.”
Scotland are resting their star man Scott McTominay this afternoon. Or has the Napoli icon been superseded in everyone’s affections by John McGinn, on account of his elegant exploits for Europa League winners Aston Villa? Either way, he’s been stood down too. Che Adams, Lewis Ferguson, Kieran Tierney and Ross Stewart are also putting their feet up after heavy end-of-season workloads. But that’s all for the greater good, according to Scotland coach Steve Clarke, who explains: “We’ve got players that haven’t played since the start of May … they need some minutes on the pitch … the modern game is pretty much a squad game anyway, but it’s going to be even more out there because of the extreme conditions … every match there’ll be 16 players going on the pitch at some stage.”
Curaçao have never beaten a European team. On the other hand, Scotland have failed to win any of their last six matches against nations from Concacaf, a dismal run that stretches back to a 4-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in 2004. So in that respect, this one’s firmly in the balance. Here, while we’re on the subject, Scotland were the recipient of mucho pelters when they lost to Costa Rica at Italia 90, but let’s be fair, Juan Cayasso’s winner is one of the great under-appreciated goals in World Cup history. What a move! Hey, it’s been 36 years, we can smile about it now.
This match is being billed by the wise and highly respected mandarins of the SFA as “The Big Send-Off”. We’ve been here before, of course. Though if a Big Send-Off is once again a precursor to, and karmic guarantee of, a performance like this …
… you’d deal on it, no? I’d take it in a heartbeat. Haiti and Morocco might be tough watches, but it’ll be worth going through the mill to see what Ben Gannon-Doak does to Brazil.
The teams
Scotland: Gordon, Hickey, Souttar, McKenna, Robertson, Doak, Gilmour, McLean, Christie, Shankland, Hirst.
Subs: Kelly, Gunn, Fletcher, Hanley, Graham, Dykes, Wilson, Hendry, Hyam, Patterson, Ralston, Curtis.
Curaçao: Room, Gaari, Bazoer, Obispo, Floranus, Leandro Bacuna, Comenencia, Fonville, Chong, Locadia, Juninho Bacuna.
Subs: Doornbusch, Bodak, Sambo, van Eijma, Roemeratoe, Antonisse, Hansen, Noslin, Gorre, Margaritha, Martha, Kastaneer, Kuwas, Brenet, Felida.
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Preamble
Look, you’d think Scotland should do for Curaçao. But then …
… and you know how things go when we all get ahead of ourselves …
… and to be fair, Curaçao are ranked 82nd in the world, just 39 shy of the 43rd-ranked Scots. Also there’s the Dick Advocaat factor. It could be fun. It should be fun. Kick-off at Hampden Park is at 1pm BST. It’s on!
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