Ewan Murray was at Hampden Park, and his report has landed. Clickity click. Meanwhile Poland are about to take on Slovakia, and Barry Glendenning will be following that here. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Steve Clarke speaks to the BBC. “It was quite an even game, I don’t think there was much in it. Obviously they were a little bit more clinical with their chances. Losing the goal with a second-phase set play was disappointing and we went in at half-time on the back foot, then the boy’s hit a wonderful strike from just inside our half. It was a shot that got blocked that fell perfect for them. So those moments went against us. When we had our chances to get back, we didn’t take them. It’s a good learning experience. We didn’t come here to learn, but you still learn your lessons, that’s what happens. I thought we played decent. At times we played some good stuff. Lots to learn for everybody. I’ll have a good think about it. We’ll go back to base camp, lick our wounds for 24 hours, then get ready for the game on Friday.”
The hero of the hour, Patrik Schick, talks to the BBC. “The first game is so important and we are happy to have won this game. It’s always hard to play against us, because we have a lot of hard-working players. Scotland was a tough opponent, but we were ready. I saw the keeper off his line, I checked already in the first half. I thought maybe this situation will come. I knew he stays very high, so when the ball came, I quickly checked where he was standing, and it was a nice goal. Croatia will be a little bit different but we will prepare.”
The captain Andy Robertson takes his turn. “The whole country wanted to get off to a good start. We were confident and excited. It comes down to not taking our chances. You can’t say we’ve not created. We’ve had some really good chances that on another day we should have done better with. If you do better on that, it’s a different game. For our first game at the highest level in a very long time, it’s a tough lesson for us. You have to take your chances. The Czech Republic did that, and we didn’t. The first one, we shouldn’t concede from second balls at set pieces. It’s a good header but we have to be stronger. The second one, it’s a one in a million shot. It knocked the stuffing out of us. We still had chances but we didn’t manage it.”
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A slightly miffed John McGinn speaks to the BBC. “We got beat, so we were disappointed. We played pretty well in the first half without threatening them too much. We got in behind them. The first goal was a poor one to lose. Brilliant header, but you don’t want to lose from a set play or the second phase of it. The second one’s a brilliant strike, but we can do better. We can sit here and say we played all right, and we did play all right, and the 2-0 scoreline flatters them a wee bit. But they found the quality at the right moments and we need to find that on Friday. We can either sulk about it, or go to Friday with the same attitude. I had a couple of chances, the boys had chances, if we want to compete at this level we need to take those chances, and ultimately we were punished for it. I don’t think it’s a reality check. We played pretty well. It’s important we don’t sulk too much.”
Stuart Armstrong talks to the BBC. “It was a difficult one. The game was very compact and there wasn’t much space. We were playing too many long balls. When we passed it, we did quite well. But it was hard to break them down. Disappointed with the way the first goal went in from a set piece, apart from that we did pretty well for the most part of the game. They showed real quality for the second goal as we pushed a little bit more for that equaliser. We did have chances and we missed a bit of luck, and they were clinical. The little things didn’t go our way, but at this level you do need to be clinical. We need to learn from what happened and make a few tweaks. A clean slate for Friday and it’s a big one. We’ve got two chances to produce a good performance. It’s about analysing but not dwelling.”
Patrik Schick wanders back onto the pitch to receive the plaudits from his team-mates. His second goal, a world-class amalgam of opportunism and skill, was one for the ages. It was also right up there in the pantheon of absurd Scottish mishaps in major tournaments. Scotland weren’t awful, by any means, and things might have ended differently had Lyndon Dykes converted his golden chance to get his team back into the game. But they were certainly second best overall, the Czech Republic fully deserving of their victory. The Czechs top Group D, the Scots prop it up, and it’s going to be quite the night at Wembley on Friday.
FULL TIME: Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic
Teófilo Cubillas. Juan Cayasso. Stefan Effenberg. Gazza. Abdeljalil Hadda. Patrik Schick.
90 min +5: Nope.
90 min +4: Robertson crosses deep from the left. Nisbet’s header clanks off the back of Boril and out for a corner. Time for a consolation?
90 min +3: Wembley on Friday evening, then.
90 min +2: The second is equally quiet.
90 min +1: The first of four added minutes passes by without incident.
90 min: A chance for Krmencick, sent free into the box by Coufal’s flicked header down the inside-right channel. Marshall stands tall and parries. “It’s poor solace, but for me at least Scotland haven’t played badly at all,” begins Matthew Richman, in an email headed ‘Straw clutching’. “Out of two excellent keeping performances, Marshall may feel unlucky he conceded to two world class finishes. Would have liked to see more clinical work up front, but for the first time in a long time I absolutely believe Scotland belong on this stage.”
89 min: The Czechs play a little keep-ball, forcing Scotland deep. The wrong end of the pitch for those hoping for a miracle.
87 min: Darida and the match-winning Schick make way for Sevcik and Krmencik.
85 min: Fraser slips a pass down the left for Robertson, who loops long. Forrest, at the far post, opts to roll inside for Adams rather than taking on the shot himself. Wrong decision. Nice move, though. It’s not as though Scotland have been totally impotent this afternoon; the ball - and even the best need a bit of luck - has resolutely refused to break their way.
84 min: Forrest does his level best to recreate Archie Gemmill’s famous goal from 1978, dribbling in from the right, beating two men, going right then left, only for his shot to be deflected over the bar by Celustka. That was nearly something very special. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
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82 min: Adams sends Nisbet off down the inside-left channel. His shot deflects off Kalas and softly into the arms of Vaclik.
81 min: McGinn thinks he’s been fouled as he romps up the middle, but the referee waves play on. The Czechs counter, and suddenly Hlozek is found down the left in acres. He crosses low for Schick, who whistles an instant low drive straight at Marshall. So close to a hat-trick. “Remind me not to babysit for my grandson next time Scotland play,” writes Karen Brigden. “My youngest son supports Scotland and because of his ‘enthusiasm’ my beautiful, innocent two year old grandson now has a couple of new words added to his vocabulary.”
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79 min: Scotland make another double change. Nisbet and Forrest come on for O’Donnell and Dykes.
77 min: A free kick for Scotland out on the right. O’Donnell swings it in. Cooper wins a header, the ball breaking to McTominay, just to the right of the six-yard box. McTominay shapes like Zinedine Zidane did at this stadium in the 2002 Champions League final ... but not with similar results. He flays his effort miles over the bar.
76 min: The match eventually restarts, and in the scrappy style. The clock is not Scotland’s friend here.
74 min: Dykes has accidentally slapped Kalas in the mush, drawing blood. A silent Hampden watches on as time ticks by.
72 min: A double change for the Czechs. Jankto and Masopust make way for Hlozek and Vydra of Burnley.
70 min: “I’m certainly no expert of halfway line goals,” begins Matt Burtz, “but I just rewatched David Beckham’s famous one, and he basically had two to three seconds to size up the situation and line up his shot. Schick had more or less half a second to pick his spot and deliver a perfectly weighted and sliced shot that many a golfer trying to get around a tree would be proud of, and one that landed in the goal to boot. Phenomenal effort.” Oh yeah, it was a sensational piece of skill, no doubt. Just the sort of lightning strike that only seems to happen to Scotland in major tournaments. Needless to say, there was a Scottish international goalkeeper in between the sticks for Wimbledon when Beckham scored as well in Neil Sullivan.
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68 min: Scotland make a double change. Off go Hendry and Armstrong, on come McGregor and Fraser. McTominay takes Hendry’s place at the back.
66 min: Dykes misses an absolute sitter! Hendry crosses deep from the right. McGinn and Adams help the ball through to Dykes, ten yards out and free, level with the left-hand post. He opens his body and aims for the bottom left. Too casual. Vaclik is able to stick out a leg. A brilliant reaction save, but he should never have been allowed to make it.
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65 min: ... but Robertson finds a little down the left and wins a corner. From the set piece, Hanley loops a header towards goal, but it’s a soft one, and easy for Vaclik.
64 min: Scotland are seeing more of the ball at the moment, but to little effect. The Czechs are holding their shape well. Not a great deal of space.
62 min: From the resulting corner, Adams wins a header that drops to Dykes, six yards out. Dykes sticks out a leg and pokes towards the bottom left. Vaclik smothers bravely at his feet.
61 min: They nearly get it, as Armstrong barges his way down the middle and looks for the top left. Kalas sticks out a leg and deflects the ball past a stranded Vaclik ... but inches over the bar. So close. So unlucky.
60 min: Robertson busies himself down the left but can’t get the better of Coufal. Goal kick. Scotland need something and quick.
58 min: The ball bounces around in the Czech box. Dykes tries his level best to bring it under control, but it won’t obey. You can hear a pin drop in Hampden at the moment. That other-worldly goal by Schick has taken the wind out of many a sail.
56 min: “Le Freak. C’est Schick.” Gary Naylor got the funk.
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55 min: Darida latches onto a loose ball, just to the left of the D, and curls inches over the bar. For a second, that looked like nestling into the top-right corner. Scotland need to shake themselves down and quick.
54 min: That was at once an amazing finish, and one of those absurd moments Scotland specialise in. Not sure what Hendry was thinking about, shooting from so far out, but he wouldn’t have expected to be punished for his ambition like that.
GOAL! Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic (Schick 52)
This is a quintessentially Scottish major-tournament moment. Hendry tries again from distance. His shot is blocked, and rebounds straight to Schick, who romps forward. He spots Marshall miles off his line, so attempts one from just inside his own half! He sends a booming curler over the keeper and into the top left!
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51 min: Hanley is good to continue.
50 min: Hanley slides in, leg extended. Coufal stands on his heel, accidentally so. That’s a sore one, and the physio is on.
49 min: This is also something! Robertson looks long for Dykes and Armstrong. Kalas slices over his own keeper. A complete shinner. Vaclik turns, races back, and claws away, just as Dykes was preparing to trundle home.
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48 min: This is better! Robertson swings one in from the left. Vaclik palms it out. McGinn brings it down, and tees up Hendry, who curls a shot from the edge of the box off the top of the bar!
47 min: Scotland clear it, but that’s an appalling start to the second half from the hosts, who shipped two chances in quick succession.
46 min: The Czechs are on the attack immediately, Marshall forced into two saves in quick succession, first from Schick, breaking down the right, then from Darida, who robs McTominay and whistles one towards the bottom left. Corner.
The Czechs get the second half underway. Scotland have made a change at the break. On comes Che Adams - four caps, two goals already - taking the place of Ryan Christie.
Half-time analysis. Scotland had 52 percent of possession during that first half, and took six attempts at goal. Just the one on target, though. The Czechs got two on target out of four. Anis Aslaam adds: “One of the joys of supporting Scotland is that they’re traditionally able to be attractively heroic and heartbreakingly tragic in equal measure. Based on the first-half performance, they’re still holding true to the tradition.”
Half-time entertainment. It’s probably not the ideal time to trail this, but Jonathan Wilson’s overall point stands.
HALF TIME: Scotland 0-1 Czech Republic
There wasn’t too much in it, but Scotland cracked after conceding a string of corners towards the end of the half. Patrik Schick’s header was a fine one, though. “Shickening,” quips Maia Harper.
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45 min +1: Christie dribbles down the left and crosses. Dykes can’t get a head on the ball. The Czechs half clear. McTominay drives with purpose down the middle, and runs slap, bang into Boril. He wants a penalty, but he’s not getting one. You’ve seen them given, but it would have been extremely soft.
45 min: There will be one added minute.
44 min: “Aaaarrrgggghhh,” writes Mary Waltz, speaking, I’ll be bound, for quite a few of you.
43 min: Hampden roars in defiance. But that had been coming, after a series of corners and even more crosses. Great header, too.
GOAL! Scotland 0-1 Czech Republic (Schick 42)
Coufal bombs down the right on the overlap and swings it in. O’Donnell can’t close him down. Schick rises above Cooper and plants a header out of Marshall’s reach and into the bottom left.
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41 min: One corner leads to another, Jankto winning this one off McTominay. He sends this one in from the left. Hanley eyebrows it clear ... but then ...
40 min: Some space for Masopust down the right. He wins a corner off Cooper. Darida sends a weird outswinger 40 yards back up the field, but Kral retrieves the situation and wins another corner off O’Donnell, this time out left.
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39 min: More scrappiness now. Scotland will be happy enough with this, though, as they slowly reacquaint themselves with the major-tournament scene.
37 min: The Czechs pass it around calmly at the back, which is just showing off.
35 min: A replay of that corner on 32 minutes. McGinn took a whack from distance that was easily blocked, Scotland claiming Masopust did so with his hand. The ball did hit his arm, but it was in a natural position by his body, and there was no way it was a penalty kick.
34 min: More space for Robertson down the left. He loops a fine cross into the centre. Armstrong is racing in with a view to battering a header home, but he’s denied by Celustka’s clearance. Much better from Scotland, who had gone quiet for a bit back there.
32 min: A Scotland throw from the right. It flicks off Soucek’s head to Christie, who rolls a Pele-to-Carlos-Alberto style ball out left for Robertson. The resulting rising drive isn’t quite up there with the finishing touch to the 1970 World Cup final, but it does require tipping over by Vaclik. Shame. That would have been picture-book pretty. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
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30 min: Masopust, Schick and Jankto, right to left, combine well, pushing Scotland back in a panic. The ball’s looped into the mixer, and nearly drops for Soucek on the penalty spot. Fortunately for Scotland, he can’t quite get his bearings. Marshall eventually claims.
28 min: It’s all a bit scrappy. It’s not a classic, this. Yet.
26 min: Coufal stands on Robertson’s boot and somehow wins a free kick. Hampden responds with some pantomime booing.
24 min: Cooper passes long down the middle for Dykes, who very nearly brings the ball down. Had he managed it, he was through on goal. “Dykes looks more like Gazza ‘96 than Phil Foden did yesterday,” opines Justin Kavanagh. “Mind you, unlike the former Glasgow Ranger against Germany that year, he has already managed to get on the end of a low cross after a long, lung-busting run.” Justin is The Weaver.
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23 min: Masopust turns on the jets down the right. Just as it looks like he’s made some space for himself, Robertson arrives to close it down, then shepherd him out for a goal kick.
21 min: Christie drops a shoulder and jinks between Boril and Kalas on the right. He’s racing towards the Czech box when he’s clumsily blocked off by O’Donnell, who is having an absolute shocker so far. Brilliant run by Christie, though.
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20 min: Jankto is causing Scotland some bother down the left. He wins another corner, forcing Hanley to head his cross behind. Fortunately for the hosts, the corner is a non-event, nobody attacking Jankto’s delivery. Some worrying signs for Scotland.
18 min: Scotland launch a rapier-sharp counter. Armstrong and Robertson combine briskly down the left, the latter whipping a low cross towards Dykes. The striker prods a first-time effort inches wide of the left-hand post. Not entirely sure Vaclik had that covered. That’s got the crowd going again.
17 min: From the corner, Jankto blooters an effort miles off target. A roar of relief. Scotland invited unnecessary pressure on themselves there.
16 min: O’Donnell faffs about in defence and allows Jankto to race off down the left. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Schick, who fires towards the bottom left. Marshall gets down to save with a strong hand. Corner.
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15 min: The Czechs have done a decent job in damping down the Hampden Roar. They’re bossing possession at the minute.
13 min: Jankto swings a dangerous ball towards the far post. Kalas nearly meets the dropping ball, six yards out, but it flies out for a goal kick. Marshall kids on that he had it covered, but that was none too clear.
12 min: Armstrong clips Darida’s heel. There wasn’t too much in it, but it’s a free kick out on the right. They load the box. Danger ahoy!
11 min: Coufal crosses from the right, hoping to find Schick. Marshall claims instead. The visitors are beginning to work their way into this game.
9 min: O’Donnell comes through the back of Boril, and is slightly fortunate not to be censured by the referee. Boril takes a while to get back on his feet, but he’s up and running again soon enough.
8 min: Jankto tries to worm his way down the right but Hendry is on point and shuts the door. Goal kick. The Czechs haven’t really shown in attack yet, though it’s early days of course.
6 min: Robertson’s delivery could be better, and nothing comes of the corner. This is a promising start by Scotland, though.
5 min: O’Donnell flings a throw into the box from the right. Kalas hacks a poor clearance straight at McGinn, who can’t get a shot away, but does win the first corner of the match.
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3 min: The first sign of Scottish nerves as O’Donnell lets a simple pass run under his boot and out of play for a throw. Otherwise, the hosts have started brightly. Meanwhile here’s some blue-and-white solidarity from Anna Riijärvi: “I’m guessing it isn’t just me hoping that Scotland win this one to make the Friday match more interesting. As a Finn I have to say that I want Scotland to win against England. We always want to win against Sweden and even more against Russia since they are always considered the bigger teams. GO SCOTLAND!”
2 min: He then finds some space down the left. Hampden responds with a huge roar, then some slight disappointment as the cross is way too long.
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1 min: Robertson’s first act is to launch one of his trademark intense presses, reaching the edge of the Czech box in about 1.5 seconds. Gauntlet down.
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The captains Andy Robertson and Vladimir Darida exchange pennants and pleasantries, Scotland stand in solidarity against racism, then kick off ... and if exclamation marks are any measure of emotional investment, Toon Helsen is fairly excited: “Alba gu bràth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m Belgian but I’ve lived in Scotland for a number of years. As such, they’re really my second home nation after the Red Devils. CANNAE WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The teams are out! Scotland in their famous dark blue, the Czechs in their change strip of white. Time for the anthems. The Czech ditty, stately and grand, is all water and meadows, pinewoods and rocks, orchards and spring blossom. Paradise on earth, they’re saying. As for the Scottish one ... well ... all together now ...
Ryan Christie, selected ahead of Che Adams, talks to the BBC. “I’m buzzing, obviously, raring to go now. The reception when we came out for the warm-up was incredible. Everybody’s missed that, we’ve missed fans in the stadium, it’s just the icing on the cake going into this game. It’s going to be tough, we’re playing in a major tournament, we have to be at our best. But our preparation has been absolutely superb so we’re raring to go.”
Hampden sends its love to Christian Eriksen. A nice nod to the heroism of his pal Simon Kjaer as well. Scotland and Denmark go back a ways, of course, the Scots having played a little part in the story of Danish Dynamite ... in so much as they got turned over by them in their opening game of Mexico 86. That story, should you fancy being reminded of it, is retold here.
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Steve Clarke talks to the BBC. “It’s brilliant! A great atmosphere in the stadium. It’s fantastic to have the Tartan Army back. Small numbers, but I’m sure they’re going to make a hell of a noise.” He then explains that Kieran Tierney “picked up a niggle through the week in training; he’s not ready for this one but hopefully ready for the next one.” The interview ends abruptly soon after, the fans making such a racket that Clarke can’t hear a word that’s being asked of him. “It’s fantastic!” he smiles as he wanders off. The Hampden Roar in full effect.
This probably won’t settle any pre-match nerves, in fact it’ll probably pour fuel on the fire. Nevertheless, it bears reporting that Scotland are currently on a five-match unbeaten tear-up. They’ve lost only twice in their last 16, winning eight in that time, with two more decided on penalty kicks. They were impressive in both warm-up games, drawing 2-2 in the Netherlands and winning 1-0 in Luxembourg.
The Czechs’ last outing was a 3-1 win against Albania in Prague. That result ended a three-match winless run; four days earlier, they lost 4-0 away to Italy.
The excitement is building, though. “Could things get better than being retired, living in south-west France, and having to stay inside to watch the football because it’s too hot to venture outdoors?” wonders Richard Hirst, rhetorically, I’ll be bound. “Trouble is there are no teams such as Peru, Costa Rica or Morocco against whom Scotland can make themselves a laughing stock (nobody mention the opening moments of a certain team’s game against San Marino). And in any case it would be tempting fate to be horrible to Scotland given it would certainly bring retribution from the gods in the forthcoming game: so a sedate draw is called for.”
Ciaran Crowther adds: “Hope today settles the nerves for Scotland fans and rest assured your Celtic cousins across the Irish Sea will only be rooting for one team at Wembley on Friday.”
And here’s Simon McMahon: “Well, it’s happening. Everybody just stay calm. Just EFFING CALM DOWN, OK?! And whatever happens, let’s hope football is the winner. But not really, though. COME ON SCOTLAND!!!”
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The excitement builds.
Steve Clarke’s big decisions, then. There’s no in-at-the-deep-end plunge for the super-promising Billy Gilmour, while Ryan Christie gets the nod ahead of Che Adams up front. The Czech side features West Ham duo Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal, and Tomáš Kalas of Bristol City. Patrik Schick leads the line on his tod.
The teams
Scotland: Marshall, Hanley, Cooper, Hendry, O’Donnell, Armstrong, McGinn, McTominay, Robertson, Dykes, Christie.
Subs: McGregor, Adams, Gordon, Taylor, Turnbull, Nisbet, Fraser, McLaughlin, Patterson, Gilmour, Forrest, McKenna.
Czech Republic: Vaclik, Coufal, Celustka, Kalas, Boril, Soucek, Kral, Masopust, Darida, Jankto, Schick.
Subs: Kaderabek, Brabec, Barak, Holes, Krmencik, Sevcik, Mandous, Zima, Hlozek, Vydra, Mateju, Pekhart.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany).
Some instant reaction to the Tierney news. It comes courtesy of James Humphries, who at 12.52pm BST emailed me this: “Last time I saw Scotland’s opening game at a tournament, I’d skived primary school to do it. Being much older now, I’ll be skiving work instead, but I’m clearly no smarter, because I can’t help but dream of a win. The hope, it’s the effing hope.”
James emailed again at 12.56: “See? See?!! So Tierney’s out? All I have to do is even mention hope, apparently, in order to get quick slap-down.”
Any old excuse to once again trail this.
Some breaking injury news, and it’s not great for Scotland. Kieran Tierney has picked up a knock in training - a recurrence of an old injury, apparently, so possibly his knee - and misses out altogether.
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If you’re yet to read Daniel Gray’s gorgeous evocations of the beautiful game - Saturday 3pm, Black Boots and Football Pinks, and Extra Time - then you really need to get on them. A tip-top triptych. Here’s the man himself on Scotland’s ill-fated but rather underrated Euro 92 campaign.
Today’s edition of the Fiver has been meticulously hand-crafted to tempt fate in Scotland’s favour. We would say “enjoy”, but, well, y’know. “Here it is” will have to suffice.
The atmosphere is already building at Hampden. There will be 12,000 punters descending on the famous old stadium this afternoon. Well, 11,999 punters and one Wookiee. Is it possible to traipse with determination?
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Preamble
Did you wake in the night with a fever? Sky the darkest blue? Still, small voices calling? Don’t worry, wipe the sweat from your brow, your imagination was always bound to run riot ahead of this. We’ve waited 23 years after all.
Most of the period since Mr Brown took his boys to the 1998 World Cup has been reasonably undistinguished, fair to say. The stand-out moment unquestionably being James McFadden’s glory strike against France. Oh, and the Kirin Cup. And a 1-0 win at Wembley. And McFadden’s winner against the Dutch, even if the return was lost 6-0. And the greatest three minutes of Leigh Griffiths’ career, only slightly completely ruined by Harry Kane. And that heroic two-goal comeback to scramble a draw with the Faroes. Hey, as periods in the wilderness go, it’s been good fun, one way or another.
But now Scotland are back at the party, for the group stage at least. Nobody’s making any great claims, because the Tartan Army have been down this road before, with better squads, and look what keeps happening. And yet Steve Clarke’s squad is packed full of talent and promise – Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay, Stuart Armstrong, David Turnbull, Ryan Fraser and Che Adams among others – so a couple of lusty choruses of We Have A Dream are very much the order of the day.
The Scots have a great recent record against the Czechs, having won home and away in the Nations League last autumn, as well as in a Prague friendly in 2016. But while the Scottish squad are tournament novices, their opponents today have been down this road many times before. This is the Czech Republic’s seventh straight appearance at the Euro finals, having made their debut at Euro 1996, coming within 17 minutes of winning the whole damn thing. They’ve also got a Euro title to their name, winning as Czechoslovakia in 1976, Panenka’s penalty, all that. This is far from Easy, Easy; yabba dabba don’t take anything for granted.
Here we go, then, as Scotland begin their latest campaign to get out of the groups at a major tournament. Kick off at Hampden Park is at 2pm BST. Altogether now: we hope and pray...
