SPARTAN BARMY
Even Butler can’t inspire Scotland as Portuguese stun Signeul
SCOTLAND..1 PORTUGAL..2
KING LEONIDAS wished them well before they set off for battle but Scotland’s women were last night routed at Sparta.
Gerard Butler, star of historical hit 300, was among a string of personalities who sent the Dark Blues good luck messages ahead of their Euro Championship debut.
If Anna Signeul’s side qualify for the quarter-finals with a victory in their final Group D game against Spain on Thursday it will be the biggest upset since Butler’s troops defeated the Persians.
The Scots are all but out and only have themselves to blame after a wasteful attack and woeful defence proved their undoing against a side rated 17 places below them.
The old Sparta stadium in Rotterdam has witnessed many great occasions in the Dutch game over a century but it will not be a venue for Scottish football to look back on with great fondness.
Lana Clelland had a stinker in attack, missing two gilt-edged chances in the first half.
At the other end Vaila Barsley was left badly exposed at both goals as the Portuguese narrowed the series at 3-3 in six competitive meetings between the sides.
Sub Erin Cuthbert had thrown her side a glimmer of hope with an equaliser midway through the second half.
But hope of the victory so desperately needed was shortlived as sub Ana Leite fired her side back in front, adding to a first-half opener from Carolina Mendes.
Clelland, top scorer in Serie A last season with 23 goals, left her shooting boots at home in Tavagnaccoas she squandered a couple of golden chances.
In 16 minutes Portuguese keeper Patricia Morais could only palm an effort from Caroline Weir into her path.
An open goal beckoned from eight yards but she took a fresh-air swipe and although she recovered to take a second stab the Portuguese scrambled a defence and narrowed the angle as her follow-up came off the base of the post.
Fiona Brown picked her out again in 25 minutes with a cross to the back post but the striker lacked composure with the goal at her mercy and the ball bounced against her hand.
Her wastefulness proved costly as Portugal took the lead in 28 minutes on the back of another error, this time from Signeul’s ropey rearguard.
Diana Silva crossed into Scotland’s box but defender Barsley took her eye off the ball and sliced it into the path of Mendes who buried her shot behind Gemma Fay.
Clelland was hooked in 54 minutes and her replacement Cuthbert struck in 68 minutes.
She fought to win possession on the left, playing a one-two with Weir before sliding a shot across Morais from 14 yards.
The Scots looked good for the win but hit the self-destruct button four minutes later when Leite fired her country back in front.
Portugal’s goal was another disaster for Barsley who had two yards on Leite as she chased a knock-on from Amanda Da Costa. But the Scotland defender was still outpaced as Leite ran on to squeeze a shot behind Fay.
The Scots threw everything at Morais’s goal in the closing stages and Weir cracked a shot against the inside of the post after more creativity from Cuthbert but not even a point would likely have been enough.
Scotland’s women slumped to the turf on the final whistle as the harsh reality of the result hit home, while the Tartan Army stayed behind to offer them a salute their performance in key areas scarcely deserved.
SCOTLAND – Fay, McLauchlan (Love 81), Dieke, Barsley, Smith, Corsie, Weir, Crichton, Evans, Clelland (Cuthbert 54) Fiona Brown (Lauder 67). Not used: Lynn, Alexander, Ross, Murray, Howard, C Murray, Frankie Brown, Arthur.