SCHICK AS A PARROT
AS PATRIK Schick pinged his 49.7-yard shot into orbit, floating over the head of Scotland keeper David Marshall, Hampden Park fell silent.
The ball seemed to take an age to fall out of the grey Glasgow sky and, when it did, it plopped under the crossbar.
The net rippled and no amount of Scottish patriotism or noise that came before could rescue the game.
There was simply a gasp. Typical Scotland.
You wait 22 years, 11 months and 23 days for a crack at a tournament finals game but get finished off by a wonder goal from the halfway line.
Schick has the goal of Euro 2020 sewn up after that improvised and brilliant moment that leaves the
Scots floundering ahead of their trip to Wembley and England on Friday.
It was the furthest distance from which a goal has been scored on record at the European Championship (since 1980).
It was only the second defeat in 17 games for Scotland head coach Steve Clarke, but the nationalistic belief and pride that surged at kick-off in such stirring fashion has ebbed.
By the end Hampden was grumbly. That they had been outplayed by supposedly the weakest side in Group D and the fact that they
Patrik worldie ruins Tartan Army’s return to big time
couldn’t finish a handful of chances. How different it all felt two hours earlier as the Tartan Army belted out Flower of Scotland.
Ten failed attempts since France ’98, including two play-offs and a dip to 88th in the world rankings, meant that Glasgow was ready.
But there was bad news pre-match as they lost Kieran Tierney, their best player this season, to injury.
Liam Cooper came in for the Arsenal defender and Clarke made a brave call up front with Lyndon Dykes preferred to Che Adams.
The Scots started on the front foot, not quite all guns blazing like captain Andy Robertson promised, but more controlled. The wing-back crossed for Dykes to prod wide in an early warning of threats to come – and chances to be wasted.
Marshall was sharp to save from Schick and after half an hour Robertson should have scored when presented with an unchallenged shot on the edge of the box. Czech keeper Tomas Vaclik tipped over.
From the corner, Robertson cut back to John Mcginn, whose shot was blocked by Lukas Masopust.
There was growing tension in the stadium – and with good reason. The Czechs pressed for the opener and got it via Schick’s head.
Full-back Vladimir Coufal overlapped to cross unchallenged from the right. With Scotland reorganising from a corner, Schick rose above Grant Hanley and Cooper to clip a superb header into the corner.
The second half began explosively. Within 70 seconds of the restart Marshall had made two saves, from Schick and Vlad Darida.
At the other end, Jack Hendry hit the bar from 22 yards with a looping shot. Then Tomas Kalas almost flipped over his keeper for an own goal but Vaclik slapped the ball away.
Dykes had a free shot only to hit Vaclik and Scotland came to regret those missed chances.
And that Marshall was standing way too far upfield when Hendry’s shot was blocked and Schick saw the goal empty from the halfway line.