ALEX McLeish lost once against Costa Rica and lived to tell the tale. Now he simply hopes his managerial stock in his second stint as Scotland manager isn’t too adversely affected by a second setback against this proud little Central American nation. At the very least, this tepid international friendly should live far less longer in the public imagination.
Forget Scotland’s 20 years without a major tournament appearance, the new Scotland manager had been waiting even longer to set the record straight against Los Ticos and their manager Oscar Ramirez.
The wily midfield schemer pulled the strings that fateful day in Genoa when the hubris of Andy Roxburgh’s side led only to 1-0 defeat in their 1990 World Cup opener, leading to a tabloid headline of ‘Stop the World, We want to get aff’ and a headshot of McLeish suggesting he should be axed for the next match.
Read more: McLeish: Debuts killed Hampden vibe in Scotland defeat to Costa Rica
The 59-year-old has learned to laugh about that encounter – not least because he kept his place for the remaining matches against Sweden and Brazil where Scotland largely salvaged their reputation - and an improved second half performance means he should be able shrug this one off too. Having said that, there was a smattering of boos at half time and full time from a rather underwhelmed Tartan Army and McLeish should perhaps approach his return journey to the newsagents this morning with some trepidation.
If Roxburgh’s side underestimated the Costa Ricans in 1990, any hubris last night amongst the Scots’ ranks was well hidden. All the talk from the camp pre-match had been about dynamism, intensity, and gallusness but Scotland and their fans now know our place. Everyone knows now that Costa Rica – who eliminated USA to appear in their third straight World Cup this summer, while our exile stretched into a third decade – are a team to be feared not underestimated.
While Scotland’s tormentor-in-chief in 1990 was Juan Cayasso, last night the first goal of the McLeish era was swept in by Marcos Urena, a 28-year-old striker who now plays in the MLS at Bob Bradley’s Los Angeles FC, after a career which never took him much further than three years in Krasnodar, Russia. But there were classy touches galore from Bryan Oviedo, of Sunderland, and Bryan Ruiz, now of Sporting Lisbon, not least when he sent Andrew Robertson awry with a sway of his hips before rattling the cross bar in the second period.
Read more: Scotland ratings: Andy Robertson best of a below-par bunch
Heck, so much unflustered joy were the Central American side getting in playing out via Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas past the outnumbered Oli McBurnie that even Cristian Gamboa, a little-used curiosity at Celtic for the last 12 months, was starting to look like a world beater.
Hampden was as flat as a pancake as the match began – hardly the greatest advert for those who wish it to remain the home of the Scotland national team beyond this summer amid intrigue about a move to BT Murrayfield – and there seemed to be wariness amongst the players too. While it would be wrong to paint the picture that things were perfect under Gordon Strachan, Scotland went through 2017 undefeated. Perhaps the uncertainty emanating from the stands related to witnessing a side, who appeared to be building such momentum suddenly appearing to start from scratch.
Four debutants found places in the starting line-up, with Jamie Murphy of Rangers making it five by the end from the bench. McBurnie, rattling in the goals on-loan from Swansea City at Barnsley, deserved a nod up front in the absence of Leigh Griffiths up front, with Aberdeen’s Scott McKenna lining up on the left of a three-man defence and a new central midfield axis of Fulham’s Kevin McDonald and Scott McTominay of Manchester United.
For the record, McTominay, watched for his hour on the field by former Largs graduate Jose Mourinho, did fine, although his game is efficient rather than inspirational. McBurnie, his socks rolled down at his ankles, had moments of promise too. He tested Navas in the first half and linked well, even if he wasn’t always in the optimum position when the ball came across the box. There were flashes of promise in the second period when the omitted Celtic contingent of Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor entered the fray, McGregor rolling in Matt Ritchie for a chance but the Newcastle player – latterly out of favour under Gordon Strachan – sent his shot too close to Navas. The same player blotted his copy book again after excellent attacking work from Robertson, who took his club form into action for his country. Callum Paterson, in fine form for Cardiff City, in an unfamiliar No 10 role, was less effective but might have had a goal too, with a header from a Ritchie corner.
It is wrong, of course, always to read too much into one match, one performance. Scotland were definitely a far more urgent side in that second period and just about merited a draw. But an opening day defeat isn’t exactly how he would have chosen to get going. He becomes the first Scotland manager to lose his first match in charge since himself in a 2-0 defeat to Italy. How the nation transformed themselves to the brink of Euro 2008 qualification from that setback offers a modicum of hope, but once again Costa Rica took it upon themselves to offer a few home truths to Alex McLeish and Scotland.
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