DARE TO DREAM
Scotland beat England, Murray wins French Open while our babes lift Toulon trophy ... it could be the greatest weekend of our lives
WE know how the story ends. We’re Scottish after all.
The three Ds – dejection, despair and defeat – have long been part of our sporting DDDNA and the more our aspirations have lowered, the less point there seems in reaching for the stars. It’s a sad indictment of our collective psyche that even hoping for the best now feels like an utterly futile exercise.
But hold on. Take a deep breath. Because the next six days might just change everything.
On Saturday, Gordon Strachan will send out 11 Scots to face England at Hampden in the final game of another marathon season and whether we care to admit it or not, there is a serious chance they might not lose.
Can we even dream about them winning it. And if it should happen we’d be in serious danger of actually qualifying for a crack at the World Cup play-offs. Hell, we’d head into the second half of the campaign only three points off the top of Group F and a stroke of luck away from winning it outright.
Of course it won’t work out that way – we’re Scottish, how could it? But the fact remains this team of ours is back in the thick end of the race to Russia and as uncomfortable as that may feel, we might as well attempt to get our heads around it.
And as if that is not enough, on Sunday, less than 24 hours later, we just might have to watch Andy Murray claim yet another Grand Slam title on French clay.
For most of this year it seemed Scotland’s greatest sportsman was falling back into line like the patriot he undoubtedly is. Like any true Scot he couldn’t wait to get rid of his world No.1 ranking quickly enough.
But on Saturday, from nowhere, Murray rediscovered his blistering best form and when he did he used it to blow old rival Juan Martin del Potro away in three straight sets of magnificence.
Today he will take on Karen Khachanov for a place in the quarter-finals and even though Rafa Nadal is currently ripping his way through the field as if his once failing body has been completely recharged – now that Murray is back in the groove anything might still happen.
The prospect of him achieving anything of note at Roland Garros had seemed hopelessly remote up until the weekend. But this unexpected demolition job on Del Potro has suddenly fired him into genuine contention.
And just how exactly are we supposed to deal with this?
Because if Scotland were to beat England and Murray did then crunch his way to another major, these back-to-back triumphs might have to be marked down as one of the greatest Scottish weekends of all time. Perish the thought.
It’s difficult enough just trying to process what just went on at Toulon on Saturday when Scotland’s Under-20s only went and beat Brazil. Another victory
tomorrow over Indonesia and they might make it to the last four, with the final taking place on the day Gordon Strachan welcomes Gareth Southgate to Glasgow. It couldn’t. Could it?
Now this really is getting ridiculous but the fact remains, Scotland have a fighting chance of winning this Battle of Britain – a fixture that could hardly come at a worse place or more inconvenient time for Southgate’s pampered Premier League pooches.
Most will have gone three full weeks without kicking a ball by the time they pitch up at Hampden. There will be a line of private jets parked at Glasgow and Prestwick, all fuelled up and ready to take them and the WAGS away the moment this game is over.
The truth is they need this end-of-season diversion to Mount Florida like a hole in the head and if Strachan’s players can set the right tempo, getting in their faces from first whistle to the last and turn this visit into a wholly horrible experience, then Scotland just might get something out of this match. Something out of the ordinary.
That’s what is required for any team serious about qualifying for tournaments and not just content to make up the numbers as has been the Scottish way over the last two decades.
Defeat will not end this campaign. But a draw or a victory against the Group F leaders would mean Strachan’s men would have to be taken seriously over the run-in and not simply dismissed once again as an international laughing stock.
Above all else there are six reasons why Scotland do have reason to hope – Craig Gordon, Kieran Tierney, Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths. Together these players have not tasted defeat since Lionel Messi put two past them for Barcelona at Parkhead in the Champions League more than six months ago.
They have developed the mindset of winners and it is only just nine days since they were last at Hampden, overpowering Aberdeen to complete a domestic treble.
They will return there truly believing that England’s scalp comes next. And if Strachan can harness this and infect the rest of his squad with it, then there is no reason at all why Scotland can’t summon up something exceptional on the very last day of the season.
After that, summer can be officially declared and Scotland can get back to obsessing over our real national sport, the tennis.
No, Murray might not make it all the way to Sunday’s final in France. But at least there are signs now that the magic is returning to his hands, with Wimbledon about to appear on his horizon.
A win today and he’s back in the last eight, one year after making it to a first French Open Final. There is no reason why this man’s journey into history cannot continue on clay.
Along the way Murray has shattered all manner of our most unwanted national stereotypes.
By conquering the world, he has proved that it doesn’t always have to be s **** being Scottish.
If, by some sporting miracle, everything should go to plan this weekend then we’re all just going to have to get used to it.
Whether we care to admit it or not there is a serious chance they might not lose