Scotland duo land silverware but have contrasting fortunes from penalty spot
Gauld and Armstrong continue to shine in Canada for Whitecaps
Scotland duo Ryan Gauld and Stuart Armstrong got their hands on silverware after helping Vancouver Whitecaps win the Canadian Championship final.
The Whitecaps drew 0-0 against Toronto FC in front of a 54,000 crowd at BC Stadium, but prevailed 4-2 on penalties.
Former Dundee United and Hibs playmaker Gauld captained the team and played the whole match, scoring the opener in the shoot-out, while summer signing and ex-Dundee United and Celtic attacking midfielder Armstrong came on as an 85th-minute substitute. However, he saw his penalty saved by Sean Johnson.
That miss did not prove costly, though, as former Aberdeen midfielder Matty Longstaff and Kosi Thompson missed for Toronto, handing the Whitecaps their third straight Canadian Championship title.
Toronto left Vancouver full of regrets after Federico Bernadeschi missed a first-half penalty. The win means that the Whitecaps have qualified for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, which begins early in the new year.
More immediately, Gauld and Armstrong will hope to be named in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for next month’s Nations League matches against Croatia and Portugal. Gauld was selected for the first time last month, while Armstrong missed out after being part of the group for last summer’s European Championships.
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