IT was quite the week for Erin Cuthbert. The Chelsea player jetted out to the United States yesterday for a well earned break at the end of a memorable seven days.
On Friday night, at the Stadion Miejski in Rzeszow, she was player-of-the-match following a goal and two assists in the 4-0 win over Ukraine. That has all but guaranteed Scotland a place in October's World Cup play-offs.
The qualifier brought up cap No 51 for Cuthbert – or 52 if you include the mortar board she was sporting on Monday after graduating with a business management degree from the Open University.
“I think this week has been one of the best of my life,” she confirmed in the aftermath of the Ukraine win. “I really want to go and switch off from football for a while and then come back refreshed, because a massive season domestically and internationally lies ahead. I want to be absolutely ready for it.”
The injury which forced Cuthbert off the pitch late in the second half isn't serious, so there was nothing to dampen a good night for Scotland. The win was inevitable once Martha Thomas scored the third goal with just 20 minutes on the clock, and it was a dispiriting experience for the Ukrainians – who must have been hoping to give their countrywomen and men a rare 90 minutes of cheer.
They play again on Tuesday, this time against Hungary. Their own chances of reaching the play offs have gone, but if they beat the third placed team Scotland will be in the play offs – making the final qualifier in the Faroe Islands on September 6 just a matter of how many goals they can score.
It should be pointed out that reaching the play offs is exactly what Scotland were seeded to do, so the more realistic positive to take out of Friday's win is that, for the second game running, there were obvious signs of improvement under Pedro Martinez Losa. Cuthbert says it goes deeper than that.
“The week was fantastic in terms of the camaraderie within the squad,” she pointed out. “It was one of the best I have ever experienced when away with the national side.
“We were a wee bit disappointed that we gave them a few attacks when they hit us on the break, but all in all it was a very comprehensive display. It can be hard to come out for the second half and produce the same intensity when you are 4-0 up, but it was a good win and a clean sheet which is something we have struggled with at times in this campaign.”
Cuthbert and Caroline Weir, who is far more effective when playing higher up the pitch, were the best players on either side, but credit also to Sam Kerr. Always an intelligent, energetic footballer, the Rangers midfielder looked deferential when she made her first Scotland start against Portugal early last year – but, as in the previous game against Spain at Hampden, proved she can thrive at this level.
Cuthbert, meanwhile, had another reason for escaping to America. It is that a certain tournament kicks off at Old Trafford a week on Wednesday.
“For six months all I have heard about in a dressing room full of international players is the Euros, the Euros, the Euros,” she pointed out. “It genuinely is difficult to listen to it when you are not involved, so I needed to be away.”
RANGERS and Glasgow City learned who their four-team mini-tournament Champions League opponents will be on Friday. Title winners Rangers will play their first ever European tie against Hungarian champions Ferencvaros in Thessaloniki on August 18, with the other two teams involved being Greek hosts PAOK and Swansea City.
Although PAOK, in particular, have much more European experience, Rangers will have a good chance of making it through to the second round.
They are in the Champions Path, while Glasgow City will host a League Path mini-tournament at Petershill Park. The quality of teams is much higher in this section, and City face a very tough first game against AC Roma, with the other clubs coming to Scotland being FC Paris and Servette.
The Swiss side beat City 3-2 on aggregate in last year's second round to deprive the then Scottish champions of a place in the group stages.
In another twist, Manchester City and Real Madrid look set to meet each other in the final of their mini-tournament. It's a particularly intriguing tie for Caroline Weir, who has left City and is expected to sign for Real Madrid on Friday.
