And we’re done: Scotland 0-1 Netherlands

September 9th, 2009 | by: Ian Rose | View Comments

After weeks of crunching the numbers, of trying to figure out who has to win, lose and draw to allow Scotland a chance into World Cup 2010, it’s now official – the Scots are out of qualifying. For those of you not obsessively watching today, we dropped our last qualifier 1-0 to the Dutch today at Hampden.

In a way, I wish it wasn’t so close. Though it hurt in a very different way two matches ago, when we were destroyed in Oslo 4-0, I truly believe that there is no loss as painful as one that could have been a win, and it’s damned hard to enjoy a valiant defeat. If we would have been outplayed, outmatched, as I frankly expected us to be, that would be one thing. But we weren’t. We met the third-ranked team in the world, the mighty Oranje, and we played with them. We didn’t let their supremely talented midfield boss us, we didn’t let their ridiculously deep squad of strikers beat us early, the way many expected them to. In what I consider the strongest performance of the George Burley era, we matched up well with one of the best sides in the world.

It may have been the best match of George Burley’s reign, but it will certainly be the last. The SFA has made no secret of the fact that the former Hearts gaffer had exactly one job requirement – qualify for the World Cup. This was no group of death like in Euro 2008. Aside from the Netherlands, we drew Norway, Macedonia and Iceland, teams that Scotland should handle, and that for the most part, we didn’t.

I’m going to hate myself for saying this … in fact I already do. We missed Kris Boyd today. We created chances, and as much as I would have loved to have seen the footwork of James McFadden on display today, he was not what we were most missing. Fads, as much as I love him, is not a pure finisher. We created chance after chance, close in and in many cases with the keeper out of ideal position. What we needed was a poacher, a Pippo, or yes, a Boyd. We needed a player that gets goals when they are handed to him, and Kenny Miller is not that player. He has scored some important goals for his country, and I don’t take that away from him, but he has also missed sitters that still make my eyes hurt to think about. In a system that plays so often with one man up front, that man needs to be accurate, a finisher, and the lack of that is what cost us today’s match.

It’s worth considering for a moment, though, what went right today. Our midfield was strong, our defenders, including all 39 years of Davie Weir, resilient. David Marshall stepped up in goal huge, playing in what was without any doubt the most important match of his life with almost no notice when Craig Gordon failed a late fitness test. Marshall’s quick hands and great positioning were the foundation of our performance today, and he deserves a massive pat on the back. He’s had a rough time in a Scotland shirt, including the 4-0 loss in Norway, but he gained hugely in my book today. Thank you, David.

So, it’s a night for mourning. I will be in South Africa next year, and I am personally devastated that my beloved Scotland will not take the pitch. That will take some time to sink in. Soon will come a time for rebuilding. Burley is gone, no question of that. If a meeting hasn’t been called in Glasgow yet, it will be by the weekend. Who will take us forward, I don’t know. The next major tournament is Euro 2012, which seems right now like a decade away. For now, all we can do is lick our wounds, and resign ourselves to watching from home, as England and perhaps more of the home nations pack their things for South Africa. There will be more glory for Scotland, but not now. Mon the Scots.