Scots dare to dream as Souttar sparks famous triumph
Souttar 35, Adams 86 Denmark
Att: 49,527
The transformation of Scotland under Steve Clarke continued with this unforgettable victory before a capacity crowd at Hampden Park, who witnessed Denmark beaten by goals in each half from John Souttar and Che Adams to guarantee a seeded place in the World Cup playoffs with the advantage of a home tie in the semi-finals.
It is an extraordinary tribute to the manager’s trust in his players that the Scottish support is entitled to believe that this team are now a match for anybody on home turf.
And it was also a measure of last night’s result that it even put a smile on the face of the manager.
“I’ve always been criticised for not smiling but if you don’t smile after a performance like that from your players then there’s something wrong with you,” Clarke told Sky Sports.
The Scotland manager’s immediate problem was that half of his outfield contingent were walking the edge of suspensions which would keep them out of the play-offs. Stephen O’donnell, Billy Gilmour, Andy Robertson, John Mcginn and Adams all came into that category, their manager having admitted that he had considered encouraging certain individuals to pick up cautions in the 2-0 win over Moldova on Friday but had dismissed the notion as more trouble than it was worth.
As matters stood, Clarke had to do without Nathan Patterson, scorer of the Scots’ opener in Moldova, who did earn a yellow card in that tie and was suspended, his place taken by O’donnell. In addition, Lyndon Dykes was ruled out through injury.
Another casualty – not one who had been anticipated – was Jack Hendry, whose place on the right edge of the back three was taken by Souttar, on only his fourth appearance for Scotland. Ryan Christie, meanwhile, came in for Stuart Armstrong and, along with Mcginn, supported Adams as the spearhead.
When these teams met in September, the first half was a no-contest, with the Danes 2-0 to the good after only 15 minutes. Mindful of that pain, the Scots last night played their way steadily into a dominant rhythm, although a vulnerable gap between the back line and midfield was to be seen from time to time.
Happily for the Tartan Army, the Danes’ attempts to use their speed to catch Scotland on the counterattack came to nothing and their first real menace, when Daniel Wass made contact with a cross 12 yards out, induced audible relief from the stands when the ball skipped off his thigh and behind for a goal-kick. Other than that – and a drive by Andreas Christensen which swept a foot over Craig Gordon’s goal – Denmark offered little in terms of threat.
The Scots would have taken the lead midway through the first half but for a trademark intervention by Kasper Schmeichel, who diverted a low drive by Adams for another of the succession of corner kicks they were amassing. Nothing came of the set-piece on this occasion but it was from a corner that the breakthrough arrived 10 minutes before the break.
The execution was reminiscent of the winner in Scotland’s 3-2 victory over Israel last month, when a Mcginn corner was headed across
goal by Hendry for Scott Mctominay to head home at the back post. On this occasion, it was Liam Cooper who directed Mcginn’s delivery back across the box for Souttar to head home from six yards.
It was the first time the visitors had fallen behind since Harry Kane netted for England in the Euros and a goal that Clarke described as “the best story ever”. “He’s [Souttar] had a horrendous time with injuries and for him to come back, just to be in the squad, I know he was delighted.”
Gordon had not been obliged to make his obligatory world-class stop in the first half but he gratified the home audience after the interval when he uncoiled his body to stop a
header from Andreas Cornelius although a goal would have been ruled out for offside.
The Danes imposed a chokehold on the home defence in the second half but it was Scotland who forced the decisive break to spring Adams free to draw Schmeichel and strike
from just inside the box, for another landmark victory under Clarke.
And, as “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” was roared by the exultant home crowd, Clarke had the additional satisfaction of knowing that – barring injury – he will have all his players available for the run-in to what could be the Scots’ first World Cup appearance since 1998.
(3-4-2-1) Gordon; Souttar, Cooper, Tierney (Ralston 87); O’donnell, Gilmour (Mclean 74), Mcgregor, Robertson (Mckenna 79); Mcginn, Christie (Armstrong 80); Adams. Clark, Mclaughlin, Porteous, Armstrong, Turnbull, Nisbet, Ferguson, Brown.
(4-3-3) Schmeichel; Kristensen (Bah 81), Kjaer, Vestergaard, Maehle; Wass (Dreyer 81), Christensen, Jonsson (Stage 55); Skov Olsen, Cornelius (Uhre 72), Bruun Larsen (Sisto 55). Vindahl-jensen, Ronnow, Maxso, Riis. Schmeichel.
A Hernandez (Spain).