What have we learned from Scotland in 2025?

Ten victories, two victories, two draws, and six defeats. Twenty-eight goals were scored.

Eight debutants, two head coaches, and one League A relegation.

It has been a long time since Scotland, which had a chance to enter Euro 2025 on December 3rd, 2024, frozen in Finland.

This year was likely to be one of rebuilding and regaining momentum because of that devastating defeat and miserable missed opportunity.

When the calendar year begins with six stern A-League games. Sophie Howard, a defender, said Scotland “needed” the four friendlies to end the year, which is perhaps why.

Michael McArdle, who has been in charge for four games, did the interim boss’s first four games, getting the ball rolling by introducing six uncapped players and eliminating nine of those who made the miserable trip to Helsinki.

Melissa Andreatta, Pedro Martinez Losa’s permanent replacement, has fought on with the baton while capturing both of Australia’s two victories since moving to Scotland’s west coast from Australia.

Twelve members of her Jerez, Spain, squad for the year-ending friendships did not take the agonizing flight home last year.

This year, Emma Lawton, Eilidh Adams, Freya Gregory, Kathleen McGovern, Mia McAulay, Georgia Brown, Miri Taylor, and Maria McAneny all made their Scottish debuts.

In February, Celtic team-mate McAneny scored a 96th-minute debut goal to salvage a draw against Ukraine, while defender Lawton received her first international goal against the Netherlands in February.

With two goals in four games, Hibernian striker McGovern has already argued that she is the Scots’ go-to scorer. She would have enjoyed her chances in Jerez as well had she been fit.

After all, Andreatta did refer to her as “a beast” of a forward.

The latter appears to be a smart move with her experience telling in the middle of the park, while the former England youth players Gregory and Taylor have caught the eye.

They have all given an otherwise well-known squad new life, but it is impossible for them to bear the weight of leading this dark blue tanker back to the top of the major tournament stage.

If the Scots want to win the World Cup in 2027, senior players and experienced campaigners must continue to do more.

In the wake of her second win in six games as head coach, Andreatta declared, “I’ve learned so much.”

This team is “very excited and detests to be back on the world stage,” says coach Jeremy McLean. They are also so eager to improve and be better, support their teammates and do the crest proud.

Anything is possible when you have that kind of mindset, because they are constantly eager to learn and grow.

It would have been a very different post-mortem if Scotland had stopped in Jerez after 15 minutes.

There were rumors that they might be able to compile a 3-0 tally like the Lionesses did against China on Saturday.

That would be too simple, though. The Scots favor going through “the Scottish way.”

Kirsty Howat’s first start gave her the opportunity to add a hat-trick after scoring two special first-half goals, restore Scotland’s three-goal lead, but her strike kissed the left post and was saved with the rebound.

It was a necessary but emotionally wrenching end to the encounter, going from potentially 4-1 to 3-2.

The dominant Scots needed that stunning McAneny finish just days before to draw draw with Ukraine, and Andreatta’s first victory against Morocco in October was secured in the 90th minute thanks to Caroline Weir’s incredible strike.

The pressure “kind of eases up a little bit,” Andreatta said, “but then they go and score and it makes it super interesting, which is the Scottish way, apparently.”

“I believe what we did was to show really good character. Excellent defense was done. I believe that in tight games and tournament football, to deny them chances from all those crosses is what you’re going to need.

However, how can Scotland reverse the trend and prevent their supporters from advancing a few years?

The Australian continued, “We’re really going to use the beginning of the February camp to have a good training block where we focus on some of those details.”

February is never going to be enough for Andreatta and her players.

When their World Cup qualifying match against Luxembourg on March 3 will take place, they will meet again there.

It’s not as simple as booking their tickets to Brazil and Scotland placing first in Group B4 with Belgium, Israel, and Luxembourg. Navigating a play-off pathway is also required.

However, they are confident that their lengthy recovery will put an end to their three consecutively stale major tournaments.

In the weeks leading up to last year’s play-off against Finland and the play-off pain before that against Northern Ireland, the same message was being conveyed.

However, Andreatta makes clear that this group is “hungry” to make their country proud.

Sophie Howard, the defender, earlier in the week, stated that “I think we’re finally developing a belief that we should be there.”