Munich, home of the world famous Oktoberfest, was this week transformed into a sea of beer soaked tartan as the Scottish Expeditionary Force landed on foreign shores for the first time in twenty six long years. The festival of football is upon us and the tartan army have made their presence felt, making up for lost time with a full scale invasion, evoking memories of the peak years of T In The Park. From Balado to Bavaria, the chant can be heard, bellowed out with emphasis and energy; “No Scotland no party!”.
Unfortunately, and somewhat cruelly, the hosts duly agreed.
Despite Scotland’s slump in form post qualification for this tournament, the closer you get to the main event, inexplicably but inevitably, the heart jumps into the drivers seat, rendering the head and therefore the brain a mere passenger. Football does that to you, and the build up to this match was no exception.
In the not so distant past, there was a notion propagated that this might just be a good time to face Germany. Relatively speaking, they had faced adversity, first world problems they may have been, but problems all the same. When this match was in it’s infancy, it became glaringly obvious to all and sundry that for the Mannschaft, the storm had passed.
From the word go, Scotland struggled to cope with the movement of the German forward line and the sheer quality of the passing. Toni Kroos sat deep, the old sage on his swansong, spraying passes left, right and center. Gundogan and Havertz interchanged to devastating effect, causing havoc in the middle.
If Kroos, on the cusp of retirement, represents football’s past, then Musiala and Wirtz are a glimpse into it’s future. Both men (boys) weaved magic in tandem. With a fine blend of skill, flair and finesse, they waltzed through the Scotland defence with ease and regularity. They were aided, by how deep Scotland opted to sit, but this was by no means the sole reason for their success.
Debate swirled pre-game about who Steve Clarke would leave out from his midfield options and it was Billy Gilmour who acted as the sacrificial lamb. Ryan Christie was given the nod in accordance with his propensity for intensity but this Scotland performance was about as combative as the Easter Bunny.
When any semblance of aggression did arrive, it was of the unwanted and unnecessary variety – the kind for which Ryan Porteous has previous.
A game of pinball broke out in the Scotland box before the rash ex Hibernian defender viciously and inexplicably attempted to remove the fibula of Ilkay Gundogan. Once VAR had presented the evidence, the referee was left with no option but to order his removal. Under UEFA’S new guidance, only captains and the accused are allowed to plead the case of the defendant to the referee and Andy Robertson duly stepped in as legal representation, but Johnnie Cochran would’ve struggled to get Porteous off the hook.
At this juncture in the game, it should be stated that Scotland were already bailing water, but Porteous’ dropping of a bowling ball through the base of the boat ensured the drowning of his team mates and rendered the second half moot.
Clarke’s hand was forced and after the break he naturally reshuffled the pack, but Scotland were now trapped in the anxiety ridden nightmare where whatever decision they made it felt like the wrong one. Germany continued their passing in a painting by numbers fashion and white shirts queued up with relish on the edge of the Scotland box the way tartan army foot-soldiers had queued in Bavarian bars all week.
Inadvertently, Antonio Rudiger granted Scotland a charity goal, but his team mates riposte came in the form of another rocket lashed past Angus Gunn.
The final whistle brought relief and the cold bleakness of sporting sobriety.
The Tartan Army boomed out their greatest hits from the steep stands of the Allianz Arena in an act of both self deprecation and defiance. The party is not yet over for them, and it is by no means over for Scotland, but Steve Clarke must ensure there’s no remnants of a hangover remaining by the time they face Switzerland on Wednesday night.
