Scotland 1-0 Czech Republic
14/10/20
Nations League match 4
Scotland solidified their position at the top of group B2 with a one-nil win over the Czech Republic in an engrossing game at Hampden.
The win sees Scotland go eight games unbeaten (seven won, one drawn) matching their best undefeated streak since 1988.
Ryan Fraser’s first half goal was somehow enough as Scotland hung on and lived up to the fighting qualities waxed lyrical over a week which has seen the Scots beat Slovenia and win their first ever penalty shoot-out to set up a one-off match against Serbia for a place in next year’s European Championship.
But today was about the Nations League and with Scotland now four points clear of the Czechs at the top of Group B2 with only two games left to play, tonight’s victory gives Scotland a great chance of finishing as group winners.
-A look at the perplexing but pulsating Nations League
Team selection: Scotland made three changes with Fleck, McClean and Robertson dropping out for Taylor, Jack and McGregor. Captain Andy Robertson was suspended for the game against the Czechs who fielded a completely different side to the covid-hit team Scotland played at the beginning of September. Only Malinsky and Nguyen survived from that game, warming seats on the bench.
The permutations are complex but basically if Scotland finish top of their Nations League Group they’re likely to enter a pathway that would give them another chance at qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar 2022 along with regular qualification which takes place at the end of the year.
First half madness
Never has it been so true to say that old cliché; how quickly things change in football. Within a minute of kick-off Callum McGregor gave the Czech Republic a free-kick thirty yards in front of David Marshall’s goal before the Czechs began to set wave after wave of attack on Scotland, then a moment of magic from man of the moment Lyndon Dykes gave the Tartan Army real reason to believe that Steve Clarke could be building something special here.
After the early Czech onslaught Dykes received a deflected ball through good pressure from Stephen O’Donnell, expertly turned defender Ondrej Kudela, got to the ball ahead of Ondrej Celustka and played in Ryan Fraser who finished with aplomb, guiding the ball past Sevilla’s Tomas Vaclik from twelve yards.
If fans have been complaining that Clarke’s Scotland looks like a park the bus bore-fest this match proved the opposite. The opening stages were frantic, both sets of players up for it and Czech Republic determined to make amends for their early error.
It is becoming more apparent with every unbeaten match Scotland come through, seven in a row before kick-off, that Clarke isn’t taking the national side back, but instead building a solid base to push them forward.
The saying seemingly doing the rounds is the ‘international Kilmarnock’ after the former Chelsea assistant’s admirable stint at the Ayrshire club, and nothing epitomised that moniker more than Ryan Jack’s challenge on Czech playmaker Lukas Provod early in the first half. When the Slavia Prague forward got the chance to stretch his legs Jack made up the ground and put in a telling challenge that Provod wasn’t expecting.
After Matej Vydra’s guilt edge chance to put the visitors level midway through the first half Scotland would usually lose belief and crumble, but Clarke has the team fighting, and they responded with a great chance of their own. McGinn played in Fraser who flashed a shot just wide of Vaclik’s left hand post from eighteen yards.
A third of the way in and still the game was end-to-end. Vydra had a shot blocked in the box, from the resulting corner bodies tumbled like autumn leaves, then Scotland switched it up and cut the Czechs open in three swift passes. Declan Gallagher won the ball in the middle of the park, played it to McGinn who put in Fraser having got behind the labouring Kudela, however the Newcastle forward blasted his strike just over the bar.
Second half luck of the Scots
The frantic nature of the game continued in the second half and whilst Scotland were playing well, Jiri Chyty’s side looked as though they knew they should be leading, and the Czechs were in a hurry, needing to win to overtake Scotland at the head of Group B2 with only two matches left to play after tonight.
Five minutes in, Vladimir Darida’s cross looked way-ward, but still Czech striker Vydra managed to bear down on Marshall’s goal, however he curled his shot wide of the far post.
Lukas Masopust almost got in behind Greg Taylor for a tap-in, but Provod’s cross was just ahead of his fellow attacking midfielder. Then, on fifty-four minutes, Tomas Soucek had a powerful header which bounced out of Marshall’s arms from eight yards.
The chance that made you think this might not be the Czech’s night came on sixty-eight minutes when Alex Kral’s effort from near point blank range off a Soucek flick-on was kept out by a last ditch McGinn sliding challenge.
With Scotland having such little of the ball and working so hard to keep the Czechs at bay it was no surprise to see Dykes replaced for the fresh legs of Oli McBurnie and Fraser replaced by the dependable Kenny McClean midway through the half.
The Czechs were throwing the kitchen sink and all the crochery at Scotland but Steve Clarke’s men refused to yield.
With every passing game Clarke is showing the astuteness of his management rather than any sort of cluelessness and he held the midas touch making his substitutions, replacing captain McGinn and midfielder Taylor for further fresh legs and defensive reinforcement in Paul Hanlon and Callum Paterson.
It was lights out for the Czechs when, on eighty-two minutes, Soucek missed another golden opportunity to draw his side level, spooning a half volley over the bar from six yards.
Man of the match: Ryan Fraser
It was a close call between the two frontmen, but Fraser’s tenacity caused the Czechs problems all night long, whilst he took the goal excellently.
Scotland, 3-4-1-2: Marshall, Considine, Gallagher, O’Donnell, Taylor, McTominay, Jack, McGregor, Dykes, Fraser, McGinn (C)
Subs: McLaughlin (GK), McCrorie (GK), Paterson, McBurnie, McClean, Porteous, Hanlon, McCrorie, McGinn
Czech Republic 4-2-3-1: Vaclik, Coufal, Boril, Celustka, Soucek, Kral, Masopust, Kudela. Darida (C), Provod, Vydra
Subs: Nguyen (GK), Koubek (GK), Kaderabek, Petrasek, Hovorka, Poznar, Sacek, Mateju, Sevcik, Malinsky, Rabusic, Novak
Goals: Fraser 6′
Up Next:
The big one. Scotland take on Serbia for a place in the European Championships and the chance to return to a major international tournament since World Cup 1998. Match scheduled Thursday 12th of November.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 