SCOTLAND’S 3-1 win over Slovenia on Friday night, while not as emphatic as expected, was nevertheless another hazard safely negotiated on the road to Euro 2017. Our participation in next summer’s tournament in the Netherlands looks ever more likely.
Three games remain: the home and away ties against Group 1 top seeds Iceland in June and September, and a trip to Belarus straight after the first of those games.
Coach Anna Signeul will gain further insight into the strengths and weaknesses of both opponents when she watches them play in Minsk on Tuesday afternoon. Iceland must win as they are now six points behind Scotland, albeit having played two games less.
With six of the eight group runners-up due to go through automatically to the finals, Scotland should know if they have qualified by the middle of June. The perfect scenario would leave the last game in Reykjavik as the group decider, but with both nations already through to the finals.
Results elsewhere on Friday continued to do both nations a favour. Thanks to England’s 1-1 draw with Belgium, only two groups can now boast two teams with 100 per cent records. The other is Group 8, with Austria and Norway.
The England result, following a much-criticised home performance, puts Scotland’s unblemished run of five games in a better light. Mark Sampson’s side are ranked fourth in the world, but needed a late goal to salvage a point from the Belgians, who are 24 places below them.
There’s no doubt Scotland, who were second seeds, enjoyed a huge slice of fortune being drawn in such an easy group, but they have made the most of it. They have scored more goals – 27 – than all but Germany of the 40 teams trying to qualify. Striker Jane Ross, (pictured with Signeul) with eight, is the tournament’s top scorer by three.
They have also deserved some of their luck – a massive amount of hard work has gone into making a country with a tiny player pool into one which ranks among Europe’s second seeds. Without that, Scotland would have faced a tougher draw.
Now, and following some close-run previous attempts, Scotland’s women can see a first major championship beckoning. It’s an alluring prospect, not just for the sport but for the whole of Scottish football, starved as it has been of such a spectacle since the men qualified for the World Cup in 1998.
If and when it happens, there will be no shortage of people desperate to jump on the bandwagon. It’s just a shame that this flawless campaign hasn’t attracted the level of support it deserves. We don’t do success very often.
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