Renewed hope for Scots already eyeing World Cup

Twelve hours prior to kick-off, Scotland’s Tilburg airport’s tarmac was there.

The Netherlands, ranked 10th in the world, made a trip that was already daunting even more challenging due to team travel disruptions.

What should have been a flight on Monday afternoon quickly turned into an evening and, ultimately, a Tuesday morning flight.

This scenario would not have been in the script, even though Melissa Andreatta anticipated her first away game with the Scots.

Scotland didn’t leave the Koning Willem Stadion, though, with a spring in their step.

With significantly lower expectations, they were unable to enter their final Nations League Group A1 game.

There was a concern that the Dutch might be able to teach a significant lesson to the spin, which they had already lost six games to before their plane problems.

Andreatta and her players didn’t huff and puff despite their unconventional preparations.

If you hadn’t heard of their problems and had to rock up to the stadium, you could probably forgive yourself for thinking everything was done before the game.

There was no mention of justifying it or describing it as a special circumstance. Instead, it provided a chance to impress.

Impressively, they succeeded. The Scots were at ease for a large portion of the Netherlands’ home turf.

Kirsty MacLean, a midfielder for the Rangers, was the person who was putting the pressure on.

Scotland has long sought a deep-minded midfielder to complement Caroline Weir and Erin Cuthbert’s attacking prowess.

The 20-year-old “Ini” – a nod to former Spain maestro Andres Iniesta – staked her claim in Tilburg for that role.

Cuthbert and Weir appeared more like the people they see playing for clubs, but they frequently lack that quality for Scotland fans.

Weir, who wore the captain’s armband, was unable to conceal her excitement over the performance.

The 29-year-old told BBC Scotland, “It’s huge going forward.”

It gives us confidence,” he said. We established a new standard for ourselves, and we must continue. I’m extremely proud of both how we approached the game and the performance.

On the touchline, Andreatta’s enthusiasm and energy were palpable.

She was pacing up and down the touchline, her arms swinging in support, and her legs kicked every ball, whether it was minute eight, 58, or 88.

A giant tactics board was used to redirect the players twice during breakups in the match, and the switch to a back three at half-time helped to restore the momentum.

There were heartening hollers and dramatic dashes throughout the entire game for her players’ efforts.

In these early days, it is obvious how invested the Australian is.

With only five or six sessions remaining, and players entering their final seasons, the head coach expressed excitement about the team’s growth after the draw.

We had no chance to win the second half, in my opinion.

“We have a little bit of a break, and we’ll start again in October,” he said. “We’ll get a chance to look at players who aren’t even here.” This is a good way to close this campaign.

Up until the final game, the campaign had been bitterly unsatisfying.

Former Scotland international Leanne Crichton made it clear that she was desperate to see the back of the campaign when she had a preview of the final dance in Tilburg.

The former midfielder claimed that because we had already qualified for two major tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup, we had fallen off the edge of a cliff.

“We are currently in a significant transitional period.”

Scotland still faces disappointment this summer by lounging on their sofas in Switzerland while competing in the Euros.

And a run of eight games without a victory is not exactly good reading.

However, if this performance does prove to be the “baseline and benchmark,” it will give some hope ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Brazil in 2027.

All eyes are on that World Cup, Weir said of Real Madrid, “but there is still a long way to go.”