Scotland begin their Americas tour by inflicting a heavy 73-12 defeat on Canada; Scotland rested a host of key players and had to come back from an early deficit but did so in style, scoring 11 tries in the process
Last Updated: 07/07/24 9:44am
Arron Reed races away to score for Scotland
Scotland overwhelmed Canada, winning 73-12 at the start of their Americas tour.
The Scots, resting a host of their key players, fell behind initially but soon took charge and debutants Arron Reed and Gus Warr, two of five uncapped players in the Scottish line-up, scored two tries apiece.
Canada’s Lucas Rumball scored an early try but any prospect of an upset was snuffed out from the moment Josh Bayliss went over for the first of Scotland’s 11 tries at TD Place Stadium, Ross Thompson adding five conversions and Ben Healy four.
Canada’s Peter Nelson is tackled by scrum-half Gus Warr
Warr reinforced Scotland’s lead after the break, first dancing through the line and, while Canada briefly held out, the scrum-half collected the ball again and dived over the ruck for a debut try.
Kyle Baillie’s converted try gave Canada respite from the onslaught, but the impressive Paterson and Warr combined for the latter to shrug off a couple of challenges and touch down.
Scotland looked a threat every time they pushed forward and Reed grabbed his second of the match after barrelling down the left wing and barging past a couple of defenders before going over.
Scotland breached the 50-point barrier just after the hour mark when Paterson deservedly got on the scoreboard following some excellent interplay, while Dobie touched down underneath the posts after being teed up by Reed.
McDowall also went over underneath the posts following some deft footwork to evade several challenges, while Steyn gratefully accepted Healy’s offload to round off the scoring.
VAR did check and clear the decision not to award Scotland a penalty in their
decisive Euro 2024 group game against Hungary, UEFA referees’ chief Roberto
Rosetti has said.
Scotland felt they should have been awarded a spot-kick when Stuart Armstrong was challenged by defender Willi Orban, but their appeals were waved away by Argentinian referee Facundo Tello.
Rosetti said on Friday that the VAR had looked at the incident and decided Armstrong had moved towards the defender and drawn contact.
Hungary went on to win the match 1-0, a result which eliminated Scotland from the tournament.
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke said it was “100 per cent” a penalty and questioned the purpose of VAR “if they are not going to come in for something like that”.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke was left questioning the point of VAR after Stuart Armstrong was not given a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Hungary
Rosetti was asked about the incident at a referees’ briefing on Friday and said: “This was a very, very tough match with a couple of controversial incidents. There was one in the 68th minute where there was a possible penalty, because John McGinn was pulling the opponent’s shirt.
“Then there was the incident at minute 79. The attacker Armstrong was in front of the Hungarian (Orban). If you watch it from the camera behind, there was movement of the attacker towards the Hungarian.
“The VARs are checking everything, the VAR checked this situation. They decided that this was just a physical contact trying to challenge the defender.”
Kris Boyd says he didn’t understand how Scotland were not awarded a penalty kick in their match against Hungary
Rosetti would not be drawn on whether, in his view, the decision was the correct one.
Rosetti did confirm that Tello has been appointed as a fourth official for Saturday’s last-16 match between Switzerland and Italy.
Dean: I’m astounded penalty wasn’t given
Former referee Mike Dean was surprised that Scotland were denied a ‘clear penalty’ following Willi Orban’s challenge on Stuart Armstrong.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean told Sky Sports News:
“I was a bit surprised if I was being honest, there was a bit of a tangle at the start but it’s a clear foul, a clear knee on the back of the calf.
“I thought the referee was going to give a foul in real time, it just felt like it to everyone watching the game. I was even more surprised the VAR didn’t get involved.
“I think the VAR would have got involved, he’s probably looked at it and the referee’s given some kind of explanation, maybe a tangle of legs or the attacker’s instigated the contact.
“But whatever way you look at it, it’s a clear penalty. They would have looked at it, and the VAR just agreed with the referee – wrongly in my opinion, in everyone’s opinion by the sounds of it.
“Scotland defended well and had chances. If they went 1-0 up, I couldn’t see Hungary scoring a goal with how they defended for the rest of the game.
“It’s just one of those things. I was astounded it wasn’t given. The referee’s probably seen a tangle, but if I was an attacker and I get across a defender and feel contact, you expect a penalty to either be given by the referee, the assistant or by VAR.
“The referees are at that tournament for a reason, they’re the best in Europe or in South America in his case. You’re there to make the big calls, guys have made big calls all competition; this is the first one, apart from Anthony Taylor’s against France on Friday, where we’re talking about the referee and the VAR.”
Scotland cricketer Hamza Tahir has retired from international duty, claiming he was the victim of racial discrimination.
The 28-year-old, who was capped 49 times, is now pursuing a racial discrimination and unfair dismissal claim after his contract wasn’t renewed earlier this year.
Tahir was speaking at a news conference in Edinburgh where it was also alleged that young players at an unnamed club were segregated based on the colour of their skin.
Those allegations are now being investigated within the new Cricket Scotland disciplinary system which was not in place when the claims were first made in January 2023. Furthermore, in a statement Cricket Scotland insisted the decision over Tahir’s contract was performance-based, adding they are “carrying out an independent investigation into the matters raised”.
The developments come two years after an independent report uncovered institutional racism within Cricket Scotland.
Of the 448 examples of institutional racism revealed in the report, 53 referrals cases were investigated further and from that, five have been progressed to Cricket Scotland’s disciplinary procedures.
‘I don’t want my kids playing this sport’
Speaking to Sky Sports News following his retirement, Tahir said: “I’ve been treated unfairly, I’ve been discriminated against my whole career. I’ve had to work twice, if not three times as hard to be treated as an equal.
Image: Tahir says his experiences were such that were he to have kids, he would not want them to play cricket
“During Covid, for example, we had plenty of time to work on our fitness and I lost five stone during that period and I came back the third fittest in the squad. This was to remove any obstacles put in my place. Before that World Cup we had fitness targets to meet and those people who didn’t meet them still got to play and perform, that’s just one area to show where I’ve been treated unfairly and differently.”
When asked if he believed his contract was not renewed due to racial discrimination, Tahir added: “Yes it was. Unconscious bias and mates looking after mates, that sort of thing as well and a lot of politics in the system. All that adds up together and those are the reasons I’ve retired from professional cricket.
“It stems from the top. It’s institutional and that does filter through, however much you think it doesn’t, it does filter. Even if you think someone is your friend, sometimes they might say something behind your back. Those are the types of situations I’ve come across within the team.”
When asked if he was concerned about the future of cricket in Scotland and the opportunities for other South Asians, he added: “I’ve got cousins who are in the U19 Cricket Scotland set up and I just say to them ‘be careful, try your best always.’ For me, if I have children, I wouldn’t want them to be playing this sport.
“It’s been tough to tell my family. They’re still kids, they haven’t experienced what I’ve experienced. I’m sure, if the system continues the way it is, they will experience that which is a shame.
“We thought as an Asian player things will get better, we won’t have to work twice as hard and we won’t have to be three times as good but it just wasn’t the case. It just seems to get worse.”
Image: Tahir believes his contract was not renewed because of racial discrimination: ‘Unconscious bias and mates looking after mates’
‘Cricket Scotland must make fundamental changes’
Paul Reddish, from campaign group Running Out Racism, told Sky Sports News: “The sport is diverse and we’ve got about 40 per cent South Asian participation at the base. So a lot of people ask how can it be racism if we’ve got so many people of South Asian heritage playing the sport. Of course diversity is not the same as inclusion.
“If you’ve got 40 per cent representation at the base, and now we’ve only got one player of South Asian heritage in the [men’s] national team and it starts to dilute as you go through the structures – questions have to be asked of what the experiences of those individuals have been in the sport. So we might be diverse but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s inclusive and we have to address the difference between those two things.
“We shouldn’t be surprised that there are issues of racism still in the sport. There are issues of racism in all aspects of society and other sports. The issue and the challenge for a governing body is what it does when they are confronted with them. We’re not going to eradicate racism or issues of structures and systems that lead to racism overnight. What we can do is prioritise dismantling the things that are causing them and deal with them well when we’re confronted with them. On those two things at the moment the governing body is not doing well, and they’re the things that we’ve got to change.
“I think the key thing here is about acceptance of the issue. We have at the moment, for various reasons, got to a position where no one has wanted to comment. It’s gone on for two years, a narrative is built around this all being exaggerated and false in cricket communities. Cricket Scotland’s allowed that narrative to build and it’s now got to rescue it. That’s the big issue for me is, it’s got to own this issue. It’s got to start explaining to people why we are where we are and it’s got to make the fundamental changes.
“I think that there is a spectrum of people from a very small number that fully accept it and embrace it right the way, through to some people who would rather this just went away and we’d all just get on with playing cricket. I think probably there are more people in that camp [of getting on with the game] than there are in this camp [of embracing change]. The issue is the people that want us to just get on with playing cricket, are the ones that are able to experience cricket without any of these adverse experiences. The thing that we need to be braver about with cricket is accept that a lot of people don’t experience the game in the way that you will or I will. Until that is addressed proactively and head on we can’t just move on.
Lawyer Aamer Anwar, who has been representing some players throughout the process, has called on the national agency for sport – sportscotland – to take action.
He told Sky Sports News: “We are here once again with more serious allegations nearly two years on and sportscotland – that provide the public money that comes from the Scottish government – need to develop a spine.
“Don’t find excuses not to deal with it change the organisation and say we will deal with it all.”
‘We have learned lessons’
In a statement to Sky Sports News, Forbes Dunlop, CEO sportscotland said: “From the outset this was always going to be a difficult time for those connected with the sport. It is timely to remind ourselves why the review, which resulted in the Changing the Boundaries report, was launched in the first instance.
“Cricket Scotland reached out to sportscotland in 2021 to ask for help establishing an independent review into racism in Scottish cricket in response to multiple people sharing experiences of racism in public and in private. sportscotland then appointed Plan 4 Sport.
“In addition to giving contributors a safe and anonymous place to have their voices heard, the review also looked at existing Cricket Scotland policies and procedures against equality, diversity and inclusion best practice to ensure lessons were learned and change was delivered.
“Cricket Scotland has made progress and sportscotland has learned lessons from this process and for sport more broadly. As a result, we have ensured additional support for Scottish Governing Bodies has been put in place to strengthen policies and procedures around discrimination in all forms.
“There is no doubt that people have had some terrible experiences. However, we all agree that sport should be about positive experiences and there is no place for racism. Those who care about cricket should now come together and create a future that is welcoming and inclusive for all and sportscotland will work with all parties and play our role in that.”
‘We cannot undo historical failings’
Cricket Scotland said its board “has the utmost sympathy for anyone who has experienced discrimination whilst involved in our sport” and in a statement added: “Cricket Scotland is a small governing body that has endured a tremendous strain on its resources while handling the very serious allegations brought forward by the Changing the Boundaries report and the subsequent independent investigative process.
“This process was agreed and created with the involvement of multiple stakeholders, including Running Out Racism, and with ultimate oversight from sportscotland. The process is now concluded, and the new board and leadership team of Cricket Scotland is committed to implementing the many recommendations given to the governing body.
“It takes any and all accusations extremely seriously.”
Wilf Walsh, chair of Cricket Scotland, said: “It is clear that as part of our Cricket Scotland strategy and vision, culture must be at the heart of our sport’s redemptive and unifying journey.
“I share the frustrations of those who feel that the independent investigation’s findings do not provide adequate closure after more than two years. I repeat that this has been an unedifying episode from which there are no winners.
“We cannot simply undo historical failings, but we can ensure the future of our sport is drastically improved by our actions moving forward.”
Trudy Lindblade, Cricket Scotland CEO, said: “I sympathise with those who harbour a feeling of injustice, and we will continue to engage respectfully throughout the mediation process.
“The only viable route to common ground is through independent mediation in order to achieve reconciliation. Only then can we speak openly and work together to provide an inclusive sport that we can all be proud of.
“We can only do this with a collective will to make positive change and to separate the quest for personal justice – either as report complainants or respondents – and the essential need to move forward together to ensure a sustainable future for cricket in Scotland.
“There is a huge opportunity to create a fantastic long-term future for our game, but this requires reflection, understanding, hard work and it will take time.
“Ongoing instability and recrimination, played out in front of the media, will only cause further damage to relationships and reputations, and deepen the wounds that need to heal.”
Scotland’s hopes of creating history at Euro 2024 were ended by an agonising stoppage-time goal as they lost 1-0 to Hungary.
Steve Clarke’s side knew they had to win in Stuttgart to have a realistic chance of progressing beyond the group stages for the first time.
They failed to even register a shot on target until the second half, but held off any threat from their opponents who also needed three points to keep their hopes alive.
After a horror collision saw Barnabas Varga stretchered off, Scotland were denied a penalty and Grant Hanley passed up a brilliant chance before Kevin Csoboth finished off a Hungary counter attack to fire past Angus Gunn in the 100th minute and end the Tartan Army’s party in Stuttgart.
Home time for Scotland after agonising late defeat
Image: Scotland are heading home from Euro 2024
There was just one enforced change for Steve Clarke as Scott McKenna replaced the injured Kieran Tierney in defence, while Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles was one of two changes for Hungary.
Steve Clarke’s side enjoyed plenty of early possession but Gunn was the first goalkeeper called into action as he pushed Bendugez Bolla’s long-range effort clear before pouncing on the loose back before Hungary could take another chance
The Scotland stopper was then quick off his line to collect Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick as their opponents looked to make the most of what little possession they had.
They continued to control the match but failed to take advantage of the opportunities coming their way and that saw Hungary grow in confidence, with Willi Orban heading onto the bar from Szoboszlai’s smart free-kick.
Hungary looked the more confident as the second half got underway with Anthony Ralston providing a crucial block to allow Gunn to gather Roldan Sallai’s low effort.
Che Adams led the line again for Scotland and had Scotland’s first shot in the 53rd minute, but it was off target and sailed high over the bar.
Hungary immediately broke and Szoboszlai made the most of Scott McTominay’s poor ball. He drove forward and picked out Sallai, but Jack Hendry was there to block.
The game was opening up. Ralston sent a hopeful ball into the box but Peter Gulacsi was left unchallenged to catch.
Both sides needed a win to extend their stay in Germany and Marton Dardai sent a header over the bar as Hungary continued to threaten.
Image: Hungary’s Barnabas Varga went down in a collision with Angus Gunn
There was a clash of bodies in Scotland’s box with Gunn punching the ball clear. The keeper and Varga went down, with a sheet pulled around the Hungary player before he was stretchered off the pitch. A VAR check confirmed no penalty for the clash.
Scotland finally won a corner deep into the second half, but it was a terrible delivery by McTominay and the ball was cleared.
Image: Should Scotland have had a late penalty?
They were then screaming for a penalty as substitute Stuart Armstrong was brought down in a clumsy challenge by Orban, but the referee waved play on with no intervention from VAR.
The nerves started to creep in as Gunn was forced into a number of saves and Csoboth saw his shot crash off the far post as they tried to keep their hopes alive.
Image: Kevin Csoboth ended Scotland’s Euro hopes
Ten minutes were added and Scotland tried to create something and Hanley had a brilliant chance of glory but his shot was saved by the Hungarian keeper.
Szoboszlai then went on a late driving run, with Csoboth and Sallai linking up before he fired past Gunn to see Scotland’s hopes end in heartbreak once again.
Stats: Story of the match
Clarke: 100 per cent a penalty
Scotland manager Steve Clarke was left questioning the point of VAR after Stuart Armstrong was not given a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Hungary
Steve Clarke was left fuming by Argentinean referee Facundo Tello’s decision not to award Scotland a penalty:
“100-per-cent penalty. Somebody somewhere has to explain to me why that’s not a penalty.
“It’s 100 per cent a penalty. We get the penalty, it could be a different night.
“I’ve got other words, but I’m not going to use them.
“European competition, might have been better to have a European referee. We had European VAR and maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch.
“What’s the purpose of VAR if they’re not going to come in on something like that?
“It’s a penalty.”
Analysis: Deja Vu for Scotland
Image: The Tartan Army’s party ended in Stuttgart
Once again the Tartan Army believed and once again they were left in tears as another campaign ended at the group stages.
It was the same story at Euro 2020, the hope after a draw with England only to falter in their third game to exit.
Back-to-back tournaments after so long is to be commended, but Andy Robertson wanted them to leave Germany with no regrets. They are certain to have a few.
Image: Grant Hanley had Scotland’s best chance to score
Grant Hanley headed onto the post late in the draw with Switzerland, then came so close to a late goal against the Hungarians. What might have been.
There was little attacking threat. Two goals scored in this tournament, only one of them by a Scotland player.
Injuries did play a part, pre-tournament and in camp. but after such a convincing qualifying campaign the fans who brought such joy to the tournament probably deserved a little bit more.
Varga injury overshadows Hungary win
Image: Dominik Szoboszlai wears the shirt of the injured Barnabas Varga during celebrations
The Hungarian players held Varga’s strip aloft at full-time as they paid tribute to the forward after the horror clash which saw him stretchered off after lengthy treatment.
Shortly after full-time the country’s football federation confirmed the Ferencvaros player was stable.
A statement from the Hungarian Football Federation read: “Barnabas Varga’s condition is stable. The Ferencvaros player is currently in one of the hospitals in Stuttgart. We will inform you immediately if there is any news about his status.”
Hungary head coach Marco Rossi added in his post-match press conference that Varga had suffered a fractured cheekbone and will be operated on, adding he is “not under any risk”.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke demanded answers why Scotland were denied a “100 per cent” penalty which he felt may have cost them their last-16 qualification at Euro 2024.
Stuart Armstrong appeared to be brought down by defender Willi Orban inside the area with Scotland’s final group game with Hungary goalless but Argentinian referee Facundo Tello declined to give a penalty – a decision Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd said he could not believe.
Clarke sympathised with the official but said VAR’s decision not to intervene after viewing replays of the incident was inexplicable.
“100 per cent penalty,” he said in his press conference. “Somebody somewhere has to explain to me why that’s not a penalty. It’s 100 per cent a penalty.
“It’s a one-goal game, we get the penalty, it could be a different night. I’ve got other words, but I’m not going to use them.
Image: Willi Orban avoided punishment for this challenge on Stuart Armstrong
“It’s a European competition, it might have been better to have a European referee. The VAR was European, maybe the referee didn’t see the foul clearly on the pitch, but what’s the point in VAR if they’re not going to come in on something like that. It was a penalty.”
Former Scotland forward Boyd questioned why Tello was not sent to the pitch-side monitor by Spanish VAR Alejandro Hernandez, with Armstrong and his team-mates visibly incensed at the time.
“I’ve seen the penalty again and I cannot believe that hasn’t been given,” Boyd said on Sky Sports News. “It’s a natural football position – you get your arm across to protect the ball.
“The knee goes into the top of Armstrong’s calf. I cannot believe a penalty hasn’t been given. That would have changed everything.
“It’s a penalty all day long. If the referee had been able to go to the monitor, he might have been able to correct his wrong decision.”
Kris Boyd says he didn’t understand how Scotland were not awarded a penalty kick in their match against Hungary
Clarke: We need to work out how to score more goals
Despite realistically needing to win the game, Scotland failed to register a single shot on target until the eighth minute of added time in the second half, while three of their four shots in total came beyond the 90th minute.
Clarke refused to be drawn on what exactly had seen Scotland drop out of the European Championship in the group stage for the second tournament in a row, but admitted he would need to sit down with his staff to work out how they will score more goals in future competitions.
He said: “It’s very difficult to sit here and analyse, but sometimes after a defeat like that you need a bit of time just to digest everything and work out how the game went, why it went how it did.
“We didn’t create enough, but we did create enough to score a goal. That’s clear. Is that why we went out of the tournament?
“We scored two goals this tournament, we scored one last time. It’s one for me to go away and talk to my coaches about, about how we can score more goals at certain times in games of course.”
Rossi: We deserved to win
Image: Kevin Csoboth ended Scotland’s Euro hopes
Victorious Hungary manager Marco Rossi said his side were worthy of their first victory of the tournament, one which gives them an outside hope of reaching the last 16 for the second European Championship out of their last three tournaments.
“The Scottish had a bit more ball possession, especially in the first half,” he admitted, but added: “In the second half it was more an up-and-down match, starting from around the 70th minute, almost 30 minutes in which there were situations from one side to the other.
“We can say that it was an equal match. Surely we had more chances, they had more of the ball, but overall I don’t think we didn’t deserve to win. It was deserved.”
On Scotland’s penalty, Rossi declined to offer his sympathies and instead drew comparisons to a foul he felt should have been given against Ilkay Gundogan ahead of Germany’s first goal during Hungary’s 2-0 defeat to the hosts in their previous game.
He said: “In the pre-match I said there was a clear foul on Orban by Gundogan, why do we have to talk now about this moment?
“I didn’t see it well from the bench, but if they didn’t give the penalty in the VAR room, they have seen it was not a penalty. Many pushes from the back in the European Championship are allowed.”
Deja vu for Scotland as lack of attacking threat costs them
Image: Scotland are heading home from Euro 2024 after a last-gasp defeat to Hungary saw them finish bottom of Group A
Once again the Tartan Army believed and once again they were left in tears as another campaign ended at the group stages.
It was the same story at Euro 2020, the hope after a draw with England only to falter in their third game to exit.
Back-to-back tournaments after so long is to be commended, but Andy Robertson wanted them to leave Germany with no regrets. They are certain to have a few.
Kris Boyd says he doesn’t understand how Scotland were not awarded a penalty kick in their match against Hungary
Grant Hanley headed onto the post late in the draw with Switzerland, then came so close to a late goal against the Hungarians. What might have been.
There was little attacking threat. Two goals scored in this tournament, only one of them by a Scotland player.
Injuries did play a part, pre-tournament and in camp. but after such a convincing qualifying campaign the fans who brought such joy to the tournament probably deserved a little bit more. Alison Conroy
Is Clarke right man to lead Scotland?
Scotland manager Steve Clarke was left questioning the point of VAR after Stuart Armstrong was not given a penalty during their 1-0 defeat to Hungary
Questions will now be asked about Steve Clarke and if he is the man to lead Scotland into another qualification campaign.
He has brought joy back to the nation with back-to-back Euros but the wins have dried up with just one in their last 12.
The Mirror’s Andy Dunn says that Scotland manager Steve Clarke has performed below par during the Euros
He set Scotland up in a most defensive fashion knowing it was a must-not-lose, but that meant the likes of Scott McTominay, who was top scorer in qualifying, was all but anonymous.
Also, is his loyalty to his detriment at times? Lawrence Shankland was the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership last season but started all three games on the bench as he opted to stick with Che Adams despite his poor goal return of late. Alison Conroy
Germany reminded how tough Euro 2024 glory will be
Image: Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug was the hero for the hosts against Switzerland
Germany were given a timely reminder that Euro 2024 glory won’t come easy – but Niclas Fullkrug delivered what might be a defining moment in their tournament.
Having cruised to victories over Scotland and Hungary, the hosts struggled to break down a resilient Switzerland, experts in reaching the knockout stages with this their sixth consecutive group stage success.
Manuel Akanji and Granit Xhaka led by example in soaking up Germany’s attacks while Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye were a constant threat on the counter-attack. It was so nearly the perfect performance to secure top spot in Group A.
That was until substitute Fullkrug rose in injury time to plant a textbook header into the top left corner and secure Germany what should be an easier path in the knockout stages.
Finishing second would have likely landed them Italy in the last 16. Instead, it should be Denmark, Slovenia or Serbia unless England slip up on Tuesday in Group C. David Richardson
Wily Switzerland will prove tough knockout opposition
Image: Manuel Akanji (centre) and Granit Xhaka (right) were impressive in Switzerland’s draw against Germany
Switzerland proved a tough nut to crack for Germany – and England will be taking note, considering the Swiss could be potential quarter-final opponents.
If the Three Lions win Group C and then get through their last 16 game then they could well come up against Switzerland in the quarters, who face the runners-up of Group B, which will be one of Italy, Croatia and Albania.
Murat Yakin’s side showed against Germany they are defensively resolute, well organised and are dangerous on the counter attack.
They have plenty of experience, with captain Granit Xhaka once again impressing as he picked up his second player of the match award at the tournament.
At the back, Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji was superb and key to keeping Germany at bay, until Niclas Fullkrug’s heart-breaking 92nd-minute equaliser.
Nonetheless, Switzerland got the result they needed to progress from the group stages for a third successive Euros and they will now be tricky opponents for whoever they face in the knockout stages. Declan Olley
As Scotland prepare to play Hungary in their final Group A game, Sky Sports looks at all the permutations that could see them reach the knockouts with just two points.
Scotland were beaten by Germany in their opening match, but an improved performance saw them draw with Switzerland and give themselves a chance of reaching the round of 16.
Here’s how Steve Clarke’s side can reach the knockout rounds of Euro 2024…
If Scotland lose to Hungary
The easy one. If Scotland lose, they are out of Euro 2024 as they will finish bottom of Group A, and therefore unable to reach the last 16.
If Scotland beat Hungary
Scotland would qualify directly for the Euro 2024 knockout stages in second place if they beat Hungary and Switzerland lose to Germany, plus the Scots overturn a six or seven-goal deficit in goal difference.
For example, if Scotland win 3-0 and Germany also win 3-0, then Scotland will finish in second place on goals scored. The same would occur if Scotland win 4-0 and Germany win 2-0 or Scotland win 5-0 and Germany win 1-0.
However, if Scotland win 1-0 and Switzerland lose 5-0, then Switzerland would finish second on goals scored. Scotland winning 2-0 and the Swiss losing 4-0 would mean it would go down to the best disciplinary record, which the Scots trail in due to Ryan Porteous’ red card.
Any seven-goal overturn of the goal difference deficit would see Scotland finish second.
If Switzerland manage to finish second and Scotland have to settle for third, this is where it gets complicated.
Scotland would face a nervous wait to find out whether four points would be enough to reach the knockout rounds. History would be on their side, however. No third-placed team with four points has ever failed to reach the last 16 of the Euros since this format was introduced.
A lot will depend on how much they can beat Hungary by. A big win would boost their chances massively.
Steve Clarke says the mental side of the game is massive, which is something Scotland improved on in the second game of the Euros
If Scotland win and their goal difference remains low, they would be eliminated if four out of the five following outcomes occur in the two days after the Hungary game:
Monday June 24: Albania beat Spain
Tuesday June 25: Austria avoid defeat to the Netherlands
Tuesday June 25: Slovenia beat England and Denmark vs Serbia does not end in a draw
Wednesday June 26: Either Ukraine vs Belgium and Slovakia vs Romania ends in a draw
Wednesday June 26: Georgia beat Portugal
John McGinn says he hopes one of his nephews is sad following Scotland’s pivotal Euros clash after confirming he has some Hungarian family members
If Scotland draw to Hungary
Scotland drawing to Hungary would be interesting – as two points could be enough for Steve Clarke’s side to qualify as a third-placed team.
If the Scots draw to Hungary, they would need two out of the three outcomes to happen to qualify:
Albania lose to Spain AND Croatia lose against Italy in Group B
England to beat Slovenia by four goals (providing Scotland score the same amount of goals vs Hungary as Slovenia do vs England) AND Denmark beat Serbia
Czech Republic lose against Turkey AND Georgia lose against Portugal in Group D
If one Group B team and one Group D team pick up at least a point in the final group games, then Scotland’s draw would not be enough due to to their poor goal difference of -4.
Scotland are still at the party and have a chance of making it through to the last 16. They have given themselves this chance after an improved performance and result against Switzerland.
It was a game that Scotland will feel they could have won, but they also could have lost, given the chances the Swiss had. The 1-1 draw gives them something to build on.
They were not the passive Scotland that allowed Germany to boss proceedings in Munich, but a team that scored early and got a foothold in the game. They were on the ball more in the second half and hit the post.
Steve Clarke will know his team can and need to improve ahead of this crucial game against Hungary, but the mood is so much better now compared with the fallout from the Germany game.
Sky Sports News’ Luke Shanley analyses Scotland’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland which kept their Euro 2024 dream alive
Right from the start when ‘Flower of Scotland’ was belted out by the Tartan Army and the squad, you could feel they were up for it with a point to prove. The noise was incredible and if you can’t get inspired by that then there is something wrong.
What a start when Scott McTominay’s deflected effort hit the back of the net; bedlam ensued in the stands. The frustration was that Switzerland came right back into it and equalised through Xherdan Shaqiri’s wonderful goal after a slack pass by Anthony Ralston set him up nicely.
Scotland need to cut out the sloppy play on Sunday, but credit to Ralston who kept going. You could not question his effort.
Scotland assistant John Carver has revealed defender Kieran Tierney is going back to Arsenal to be assessed after his hamstring injury against Switzerland at Euro 2024
The big blow, however, was the injury to Kieran Tierney. He was stretchered off and will now miss the rest of the tournament, however long that may be for Scotland.
The injury to Tierney opens the possibility of Clarke changing his formation. Early in his reign, he had to tweak things to accommodate both Tierney and captain Andrew Robertson, and the back three worked with Tierney at left centre-back and Robertson left wing-back.
In the successful Nations League campaign, the Scotland boss did go back to a back four due to injuries and has tried it out in warm-up games for the tournament. I still expect Clarke to go with the back three and Scott McKenna did no wrong when he replaced Tierney around the hour mark in Cologne.
Kris Boyd says Scotland ‘did the nation proud’ as they secured a first point of Euro 2024 with a draw against Switzerland
Scotland still need to get goals, with the two at this tournament being an own goal and a shot that took a massive deflection. They all count but we can’t count on strokes of fortune like that all of the time.
Hungary also have a point to prove, having lost both games so far. Their big players have not yet made the desired impact, but there were signs in the second half against Switzerland and flashes against Germany that they will pose a threat to Scotland.
Clarke has talked about four points being the magic target and a win will see Scotland reach that tally. In the two previous Euros, that has been enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, so they would have every chance of progression.
It would be historic and put to bed the fact Scotland have never progressed before. Hungary could potentially get through with three points, but need to win by a reasonable margin to negate their -4 goal difference.
At Euro 2020, Scotland didn’t seem to recover from the exertions of the draw at Wembley on matchday two, by the time Croatia came to Hampden Park, they looked leggy and tired. This time around, assistant head coach John Carver has spoken about learning the lessons of what loading they put on the players.
Assistant boss John Carver is hoping for another rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland to inspire the players to victory in their crucial Euro 2024 clash with Hungary
Given Scotland had to play triple-headers in World Cup qualifying and the Nations League games, it is something they should be able to deal with better.
They have a shot at glory, so it’s time to show Europe the Scots are not just making up the numbers on and off the field.
Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn says they will give everything against a ‘hurting’ Hungary side as they look to progress beyond the group stages at a major competition for the first time
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Rangers have signed Scotland U21 international Connor Barron on a four-year deal.
The midfielder moves to Ibrox following the expiration of his contract at Aberdeen, where he made over 50 appearances since making his debut in 2022.
The young midfielder has also represented Scotland at U16, U19 and, most recently, U21 level, where he has started each of the side’s last five U21 European Championship qualifying matches.
After joining Rangers, Barron said: “I am absolutely delighted. As soon as I started talking to the club I knew that this was the place for me to come.
“Everything seemed right and I think it is the best place for me to be at this moment of my career.
Image: Barron moves to Ibrox on a four-year deal
“It is a club where the demand is high to win football matches and trophies and that is something that I really want to be a part of.
“It was a massive decision for me, but it was made easy by speaking to the staff and the manager and now I can’t wait to get started.”
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Former Scotland striker Kris Boyd said Steve Clarke’s side “did the nation proud” after they kept their Euro 2024 last 16 hopes alive with a draw against Switzerland.
The Sky Sports pundit labelled their 5-1 defeat to Germany in the tournament opener as “embarrassing” but was quick to heap praise on the players after their much-improved performance in their second Group A match.
A win against Hungary on Sunday would likely see Scotland progress beyond the group stages at a major tournament for the first time.
Kris Boyd says Scotland ‘did the nation proud’ as they secured a first point of Euro 2024 with a draw against Switzerland
They went in front early on when Scott McTominay dispatched Callum McGregor’s cut-back, via a deflection off Fabian Schar, following a rapid counter-attack.
Switzerland soon levelled through veteran Xherdan Shaqiri, who produced a brilliant, first-time finish from the edge of the box after pouncing on Anthony Ralston’s loose pass.
“There were questions and criticism after the performance on Friday night and rightly so,” Boyd told Sky Sports News.
“Tonight they’ve responded and it’s been more like Scotland, right in their faces.
Kris Boyd celebrates Scotland’s opener against Switzerland in their crucial Euro 2024 group match
“Switzerland are no mugs at this level but they’ve more than matched them and they come away with a draw.
“Yes they rode their luck at times but I think Steve Clarke will be relatively happy with that result.
“From where we were on Friday night there had to be a response and we’ve got that this evening.
“There were probably a few harsh words flying around the training ground over the last few days, but that’s life of a footballer. There are ups and downs.
“Scotland have shown they can compete at this level. It’s a quick turnaround but they’ve done the nation proud tonight.”
Clarke: We got what we expected
Steve Clarke insisted that was more like it from Scotland as his side kept alive their hopes of reaching the Euro 2024 knockout stages after drawing 1-1 with Switzerland in their second group game
Scotland manager Steve Clarke:
“That’s what we expected. This is the way we’ve been playing as a team the last three or four years and it’s why we’re here at a major tournament.
“We knew what we had to do, the players knew what they had to do. I thought it was a good team performance against a good opponent.
“It’s just about doing better all the time. Sometimes as a footballer or a manager it doesn’t go your way, and it certainly didn’t go our way on Friday night. Tonight was just about getting back to what we’re good at.
“The reality is, when the draw was made and we were drawn against the host nation in the opening game, you’re looking at the second two games in the group and thinking ‘maybe that’s where the points are going to come from’ and that’s the way it’s turned out.”
