PEDRO EXPECTS HIS PLAYERS TO SHOW THEY CAN BE MAJOR FORCE
PEDRO Martinez Losa admits that his Scotland women’s side will only be seen to be making progress if they start qualifying for major tournaments. And this evening they will have to succeed where their male counterparts failed earlier this month by overcoming a spirited Ukraine. Under his predecessor Shelley Kerr, the national team failed to make it to this summer’s European Championships, with the Spaniard drafted in as head coach in a bid to revive their fortunes. He accepts that a lot is riding on this evening’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in Poland, a game rearranged from its original April date because of the Russian invasion. A win in the Group B clash at the Stadion Miejski in Rzeszow would all but earn Scotland a play-off place for the finals, but they are facing a Ukraine side with their eye on the same prize. They have played two fewer games than the Scots and also face Hungary in Poland on Tuesday night. It is essential, then, that Martinez Losa’s players take all three points and prevent what still has the potential to be a three-way fight for the play-off route, with Hungary currently only a point behind Scotland having played the same number of games. ‘I think success is part of the progress,’ said the 46-year-old former Arsenal and Bordeaux women’s boss. ‘It will arrive. I know you can’t ask people to be patient for three years because we need to see game-by-game evolution and feel progression. The players need that, too, and we need it in the short term as well to make us more competitive. ‘I can only speak on what I see from the players and the challenges of a national manager is that you only see the players from one camp to another. But even from one session to the other you can see the players want to put in the work and the effort. ‘They could train half-heartedly and say: “Oh, it is pre-season” but they have brought everything to the pitch and I do see very clear progression. ‘I am aware it is always the same answer and you are waiting on the game to test it. I hope we can prove we can be the better team on the pitch tonight.’ Rzeszow is close to the Ukrainian border and, as such, it is expected there will be considerable support from the locals for the war-ravaged nation. Martinez Losa has empathy for the devastation and upheaval Ukraine have endured but wants Scotland to take the emotion out of the meeting with a side managed by his compatriot, Lluis Cortes. It’s something that Steve Clarke’s side arguably failed to do when their bid to qualify for this year’s World Cup was halted by the Ukrainians at Hampden at the start of the month. ‘I can’t imagine from a human aspect what it is like to change home and change your environment,’ added Martinez Losa. ‘Given their situation, it was the best solution for them and, as a coach, you can maybe use that for extra motivation at some point. ‘But I can’t imagine the scenario as it is not easy. ‘Our players have been used to playing in different scenarios but we have to focus on the football.’