3 weeks ago
10
Pedro Martinez Losa told the truth.
The Scotland caput manager warned connected Friday, pursuing their archetypal limb 1-0 triumph against Hungary, that determination was "no way" his broadside would suffer connected location ungraded connected Tuesday.
Then connected Monday, helium said the effect "will dictate" whether helium "chose the close words".
From the 17th minute, erstwhile the hosts took a well-earned lead, it was harmless to accidental his connection prime was wise.
The Scots were ascendant and deserving of their 4-0 triumph astatine Easter Road, wherever they volition instrumentality adjacent period to look aged foes Finland successful their Euro 2025 play-off last archetypal leg.
Any notions that their caput coach's comments added unit were squashed successful a stylish connection of their own.
It was nighttime and time from their level showing successful Budapest. They were free, fluid and had an abundance of flare arsenic they stood up to Martinez Losa's shout.
Now, they indispensable emergence again erstwhile the Finns instrumentality to the stadium wherever they snatched distant Scotland's dreams of reaching Euro 2022.
The bully happening for Scotland? They judge they person much to give.
Victory successful Edinburgh made it 7 connected the rotation for Scotland, who are unbeaten successful 8 successful their qualifying campaign.
In fact, they are undefeated successful 90 minutes successful 2024. The lone blemish? A loss to Finland connected penalties successful the Pinatar Cup last successful February.
Martinez Losa said his broadside "had the feeling that we could bushed them" then, but "this clip is simply a wholly antithetic scenario".
For starters, the Spaniard has Caroline Weir back. Real Madrid's magic midfielder captained her state crossed some legs and led by illustration connected Tuesday, marking her instrumentality to Scottish shores with a saccharine slotted decorativeness pursuing Martha Thomas' cute flick.
When the sides past met, Thomas had conscionable netted her archetypal Scotland extremity successful 7 months and lone her 2nd successful 16 months.
Her extremity connected Tuesday - Scotland's 4th - successful the superior was her seventh successful her past six games.
"We person astir apt seen the champion mentation of a batch of players and that's what we privation to repeat," the caput manager said.
"The hard moments that marque you panic sometimes erstwhile you are playing successful a play-off, we're learning to lick them.
"The archetypal 10 minutes, it wasn't there, but aft that we recovered the bushed and that gave america assurance successful the game."
Their assurance carried connected post-match, too.
After celebrating successful the superior and taking successful a lights amusement arsenic agleam arsenic their ain performance, the smiles could not beryllium shifted from the players' faces.
They knew they had conscionable enactment successful 1 of the astir complete, originative and controlling competitory showings a Scotland broadside successful immoderate time. But they are not stopping there.
Erin Cuthbert, who ended her planetary extremity drought with 1 of her trademark strikes from distance, thinks they "still person different level".
"It's a scary thing," she told BBC Scotland, "I inactive judge we person much to come, adjacent though we played truly good tonight."
Weir, who has spent the past twelvemonth watching the squad from afar, said they are "determined and ready" to decision Finland.
"It's 2 cupful finals now, isn't it?" she added. "That's what we've been moving for. We've been done the play-off process earlier and cognize however pugnacious it tin be.
"That disappointment [from erstwhile play-offs], it makes america resilient.
"We're determined and acceptable to spell and vie against Finland."
That was warring speech from a squad who person had pugnacious times against the Finns.
Martinez Losa's words worked wonders arsenic his broadside bountifully backed them up. He has conscionable shy of a period to rustle up different rallying cry.
In each capacity, it volition request to beryllium bigger and braver to exile the play-off symptom synonymous with the Scots.
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