A GIANT banner which a phalanx of Tartan Army footsoldiers unfurled in the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne tonight urged Scotland to “Rise Now And Be A Nation Again” before they took on Switzerland in their second Euro 2024 match.
Andy Robertson and his team mates, whose pride had been badly bruised by the 5-1 battering they had received at the hands of Germany in Munich last Friday night, promptly did exactly that.
They produced a vastly-improved display in the Group A outing, earned a vital 1-1 draw for their efforts, rewarded their supporters for the remarkable backing they have received in Germany and kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds of a tournament for the first time in their history.
If they can replicate their assured performance in the MHPArena in Stuttgart on Sunday and be a little more clinical in the final third they can beat Hungary, who lost 2-0 to the host nation earlier in the day, and achieve their objective.
Scott McTominay gave Scotland the lead in the 13th minute only for Xherdan Shaqiri to level with a screamer which will be a strong contender for the goal of these finals 13 minutes later.
Here are five talking points from a night when the nation rose once again.
Canny Clarke
Clarke made just two changes to the side which had capitulated so meekly in the Allianz Arena and one of them was forced by suspension.
Grant Hanley slotted in to the middle of the three man rearguard in the absence of Porteous. Kieran Tierney and Jack Hendry, despite leaking five in their opening outing, retained their positions. As did Andy Robertson and Anthony Ralston outside them at wing-back. Goalkeeper Angus Gunn, too, was given the nod.
Would Clarke be proved right for keeping faith in his “flops”? Whatever he had said to them on the training ground in Garmisch-Partenkirchen this week clearly had the desired impact. They were well organised in defence, far more composed in possession and posed much more of a threat in the final third.
Gunn, who produced vital saves from Dan Ndoye and Granit Xhaka, only conceded because of an individual mistake. If Hanley had not hit the post after getting his head to a Robertson free-kick and McTominay had not had a volley blocked by Ricardo Roriguez it would have been a Scotland triumph.
Mac the Knife
Manchester United midfielder McTominay became a hero in his adopted homeland during Euro 2024 qualifying when he rattled in no fewer than seven goals and helped Scotland to secure their spot in Germany with two games to spare.
The man who qualifies to play for this country through his Helensburgh-born father rose even further in the affections of his compatriots early in the first-half when he initiated the move which led to the opening goal of the evening and then, with a little assistance from an opposition defender, finished if off himself.
He rose and headed the ball out of his penalty box after a short corner and his clearance found Adams. The striker controlled it well and sent his skipper Robertson rampaging down the left with McGregor providing support. The Liverpool left back overhit his pass, but his team mate managed to control it and cut it back to the edge of the area.
The scorer ran away to celebrate amid drunken delirium in the stands. The scorer had been poor last week as he made his return to competitive action from the ankle injury he suffered in the FA Cup final last month. But he was very much back to his best tonight. He was not the only one.
Rusty Ralston
It has been well-documented that Celtic full-back Tony Ralston is only at Euro 2024, never mind in the Scotland side, because Aaron Hickey of Brentford and Nathan Patterson of Everton are unavailable. Their understudy has not been featuring regularly for his club this term but he is the only real option for Clarke.
He has looked like a man who is lacking in gametime in Germany. His underhit pass to Hanley was pounced on by Shaqiri. The wide man hit his shot first time and curled the ball beyond the outstretched Gunn and into the top corner. It was a phenomenal strike by an exceptional player. But the equaliser was gifted to him needlessly.
Ralston had required medical attention after being involved in a clash of heads with Hendry at a Switzerland corner earlier on and that may have been a factor. Still, it was a costly error. He has to raise his game defensively and start contributing more in attack against Hungary if a win is to be recorded.
Tierney blow
Scotland’s chances of getting a result suffered a serious setback early in the second-half when Tierney went to ground clutching the hamstring in his left leg after attempting, and failing, to prevent Dan Ndoye from getting a shot away.
He gestured to the technical area that he needed attention straight away and was soon stretchered off with his head in his hands. Clarke gave the distraught Arsenal player a hug and then replaced him with Scott McKenna. But it was, no doubt about it, a serious setback for his charges.
Swiss class
Murat Yakin made just one change to the Switzerland team which beat Hungary 3-1 on Saturday night tonight - Shaqiri came in for in for Kwadwo Duah on the right of his front three.
The former Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Liverpool winger might be 32 now and may not be quite the player he was in his pomp. Still, the former Champions League winger, as he underlined when he levelled, remains a potent offensive weapon.
There were a few decent players in the Swiss starting line-up – their goalkeeper Sommer won Serie A with Inter Milan last season, Manuel Akanji helped Manchester City rack up a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Xhaka has played a pivotal role as Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga undefeated.
But which Switzerland would turn up? Would it be the team which toiled in qualifying and scraped through after being held to draws by Belarus, Kosovo and Israel? Or would it be the side which impressed onlookers greatly at the weekend? It was very much the former.
Holding them to a draw was an outstanding accomplishment. Bring on Hungary!
