Is the Scotland national team on the verge of history?
Scotland v Greece Preview
A win here would be a huge statement of intent from Scotland as they look to secure a place in next summer’s World Cup.
Author | Alan White
Stadium | Hampden ParkLet's explore where Scotland's game against Greece might be won and if they have to what it takes to reach their first World Cup since 1998.
Fortress Hampden?
Hampden Park has history, but it is not always easy to say it has heart and soul when Scotland play there.
There have been thunderous exceptions, of course. The 2-0 victory over Spain in March 2023, complete with Rodri’s tears, remains unforgettable, as does the storm-lashed triumph over Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s Georgia a few months later, inspired by Scott McTominay.
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| Scotland v Spain | Euro 2024 Qualifying |
An arena unloved by many, Hampden still has the capacity to shake on its best nights. Scotland will need one of those on Thursday, when Greece arrive in Glasgow desperate to revive their own World Cup hopes while denting those of their hosts.
Steve Clarke has lived many lives as Scotland manager, with highs and lows, moments when he was revered and others when he was criticised.
For now, the mood is one of admiration once again. That will only grow stronger if his side can overcome Greece, then Belarus at Hampden on Sunday, and collect enough points next month against Greece away and Denmark at home to secure top spot in the group and a place at the World Cup.
If that happens, Clarke’s place in Scottish football folklore would be assured. In the Hall of Fame at Hampden, he might just earn a wall of his own, perhaps even a statue outside.
It would be fitting recognition for a man leading a nation that has not reached a men’s World Cup since, it sometimes feels, the dawn of modern communication itself.
Optimisim and scepticism
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| Scotland v Belarus behind closed doors |
Scottish hopes are rising, which usually leaves everyone on edge. Optimism in these parts is almost always accompanied by a dose of scepticism.
The joy of qualifying for Euro 2020 was quickly followed by a winless struggle once the tournament began. Then came the promising push towards the last World Cup, only for Ukraine to sweep Scotland aside in the play-off. More recently, there was the unrestrained delight of reaching Euro 2024, followed by the grim performances that unfolded in Germany.
The national psyche is a complicated thing when the mood turns hopeful. The idea of Clarke and his players heading to the United States, Canada or Mexico seems almost too good to be true for the Tartan Army.
Fatalism has often been a trusted companion. When it comes to qualifying for men’s World Cups, a touch of caution has served Scottish supporters well over the past 27 years.
They have been left looking in from the outside for six successive tournaments. In that time, sixty-one different nations have played on football’s biggest stage. Togo and Trinidad & Tobago, North Korea and New Zealand, Angola and Iran, even Panama have had their moment.
Reaching back-to-back European Championships has been an achievement, even if the results once there have disappointed. The pursuit of a World Cup return, though, has brought nothing but heartache.
