Scotland's Caribbean drama at Hampden: injury, emerging stars and World Cup suspension worry
Scotland get the win and there are some good performances - but Gilmour injury is blow
If Curacao were chosen as opposition because they might resemble what Scotland can expect in the World Cup opener against Haiti, currently one place below their fellow Caribbean island in the Fifa rankings, then everyone had permission to start worrying at half time.
By full time, it was a case of bring on Brazil. A very healthy crowd of 44,433, including many thousand young boys and girls, watched Scotland huff and puff at first against the team who have already made their mark on the World Cup by being the smallest-ever country to qualify.
They are also managed by the oldest manager in the tournament’s history. How Dick Advocaat, standing arms folded on the edge of the Hampden technical area like in the old days, enjoyed Scotland’s initial discomfort.
Steve Clarke’s side received an enormous helping hand from the red card awarded to Jurgen Locadia for a senseless elbow nine minutes before half-time, by which time Scotland were already trailing 1-0.
By far the most significant moment for the hosts occurred shortly afterwards when Billy Gilmour pulled up after playing a pass having hurt his right knee in an earlier tackle.
He eventually limped off in considerable distress. The worst fears have now been realised: he is out of the World Cup. The obvious sympathy from his teammates, expressed in the form of concerned pats on his back, had heightened the anxiety of those watching from the stands.
Clarke expressed his order of preference pre-match: no injuries, a good performance and a win. It was starting to look like the opposite of what he was hoping for: an injury to an integral player, a ragged performance and a defeat.
It isn’t even a case of all’s well that ends well. Scotland scored a further three times after teenager Findlay Curtis, Gilmour’s replacement, equalised just before half time with a neat, angled finish that searched out a corner after travelling through defender Riechedly Bazoer’s legs.
Although the fans later gave the Scottish players a rousing send off, the uncertainty over Gilmour cast a pall and will continue to do so following the news, confirmed just after 8pm last night, that the knee injury has ruled him out of this summer’s finals.
The fact he wasn't there at the end as the players responded to the fans’ cheers was ominous. Those waving back at the supporters included Tyler Fletcher, the son of former Scotland skipper Darren. The young midfielder made his senior international debut as a half-time substitute for Ben Gannon-Doak and looked to the manor born.
His father was watching proudly on from the stand although looked to be biting his nails anxiously at one point, perhaps understandably. You didn’t even have to have a teenage son playing in the centre of midfield to be doing that. Surely Scotland weren’t going to flunk a World Cup warm-up against the smallest country to ever qualify and who were further reduced in size by having ten men?
Scotland’s plus points
Enter Lawrence Shankland, currently existing in a strange realm between Hearts and Rangers, who officially take ownership of him sometime during the World Cup. The striker scored twice in five second-half minutes to relieve the tension. Perhaps Hearts and Rangers can have a goal each for the record books.
Shankland’s second-half performance was a huge plus for Clarke.
He certainly now looks to have shrugged off the disappointment of the domestic season's finale after two fine finishes. The first came just before the hour mark after a corner-kick routine involving Ryan Christie and Kenny McLean. Shankland swept in a ball from the former at the near post. His second was a similar finish following a clever reverse pass from Lyndon Dykes, one of five half-time substitutes.
Others such as Curtis did themselves no harm. On top of scoring his first Scotland goal, the 19-year-old winger also earned the penalty that allowed Scotland to wrap up the scoring with eleven minutes left. Ryan Christie stepped up to score with little fuss and put the tin lid on Advocaat’s day.
The former Rangers manager was already fretting about Fifa rules and the chance he might be a striker light for their opening World Cup game against Germany following Locadia’s red card. Georgian referee Goga Kikacheishvili upgraded a yellow card to red for the player smashing Hickey in the face with an elbow. The extent of the player's punishment could hinge on the referee’s report.
Advocaat furiously admonished the officials, clearly stressing the view that it was only a friendly. Why not just order the player to be substituted?
Clarke agreed. He later admitted he would have preferred for it to have remained 11 v 11 for Scotland’s own purposes. He wanted his side to be challenged. They were certainly being tested at this point by their expressive opponents, who opened the scoring with one of the great Hampden goals – and there’s been a few of them lately.
A long, slightly speculative-seeming ball from the left-back position – which one could imagine Advocaat hurrumphing at – was turned into something rather beautiful by an immaculate first touch from Tahith Chong, who spun away from Scott McKenna in the centre circle.
The race was then on. Chong won it hands down, turning back inside the slightly ponderous looking John Souttar before rifling past Craig Gordon. Hampden was rocked. The stadium fell into deathly silence a few minutes later when Hickey fell to the turf under a challenge from Deveron Fonville. He got back up rather gingerly while indicating some shoulder pain.
This was the problem. The fans wanted Scotland to take the game to Curacao, particularly after the red card, but not stretch every sinew to the extent that the players put themselves in physical danger. Only Gilmour ended up being on the casualty list but that was bad enough. It meant many were having to find a way of waving farewell with their fingers crossed at the end. It’s the hope that hope kills you.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.